Training in California demonstrates ongoing engagement between Chilean National Parks trail workers and the National Parks Service (NPS)

people working on a hill
Photo: Courtesy of California State Parks

Four Chilean National Parks trail workers from Parque Nacional Alerce Costero attended training in California through the auspices of their sister park agreement with Redwood National Park, building upon a second year of exchange between Chilean trail workers and NPS managers.

While Chile is narrower than California, and over 50 percent larger in area, a great diversity in landforms causes many similar trail problems as experienced in California.  Combining intensive hands on experience and instruction the participants covered topics such as: sustainable trail philosophy, theory, design, hydrology, GPS/GIS, data management, budgeting, and regulatory considerations.  They concluded the weeklong course with three days of on the grade, trail work building and repairing trails in the Monterey District.