3 types of volunteer trail builders
There are three types of trail builders who play crucial roles in your community at the present time. Dig !t provides 3 different levels of functionality to facilitate the actions of your volunteer trail builders.
.TEAMMATE/.
Any volunteer Trail Builder- Create your profile.
Find events.
Click on “I’ll be there”.
Participate & Accumulate your hours
.LEADER/.
Event Organzier- Be appointed LEADER
- Organize Trail Building Events
- Take attendance
- Drive your community forward
.OPERATOR/.
Community Manager- Demonstrate your current leadership
- Open a Chapter
- Establish Dig !t in your community
- Monitor operations & facilitate management
Volunteer trail builders are the
backbone of trail networks.
All over the world, the importance of volunteer contributions helps to ensure the sustainability of trail networks, and to maintain, expand and protect these green infrastructures, which are so prized by members of our communities (walkers/runners and cyclists). According to a survey of 14 organizations in Quebec, initial analyses show that by 2023, volunteers had maintained 60% of the trails listed under the Alliance (compared with 40% for salaried employees/private companies) and had created 56% of new trails (compared with 44% for salaried employees/private companies).
For users
Trail networks are of great value to users (residents and tourists) and to the authorities in place (municipality/region/private center). They provide privileged access to ever more scarce green spaces. The opportunity to access a wide range of safe resort areas that showcase unique geological features are major assets for any community in any part of the world.
For different industries
Innumerable businesses and industries use trails to thrive. On a global scale, without the important volunteer contribution that ensures the sustainability of trails, these industries would not be able to benefit from so many exceptional trails. Dig !t wants to establish a connection between the various industries and the volunteer movement, in order to build a healthy relationship and a social economy that will benefit both parties.
For future generations
In this era of urban expansion, volunteer trail builders protect increasingly scarce green spaces and responsibly & sustainably develop trails that contribute to our collective well-being. These actions enable public and private bodies to offer their citizens and customers diversified access. Without volunteer involvement, the quantity and quality of green infrastructure will only diminish in the years to come.
Chapters in Operation
These organizations, which have become Chapters of the Dig !t Volunteer Trailbuilder Alliance, chose to promote community involvement and facilitate the internal management of their organizations.
CommunityContribution
Based on the number of hours of volunteering, Dig !t wants to digitize the efforts of volunteers in order to make the invisible power of their actions visible to all stakeholders. Leveraging our expertise in volunteer management, our ability to create a strong sense of belonging and by harnessing data, Dig !t offers integrated solutions to facilitate the management of trailbuilder organizations, which will help maintain their motivation and community involvement for years to come.
Advantages of the
Dig !t app
Version 1.0 of the app featuree 3 profile types and a basic variety of functions, which were all enhanced in spring 2024 with the release of MVP 2.0.
- A TEAMMATE can edit his profile (and also his siblings), view and register for events, see his annual and lifetime hours of involvement, view his history and prize list.
- A LEADER can create trailbuilding events, take attendance at them and be appointed co-leader by another manager.
- A CHAPTER OPERATOR can edit profiles, appoint the LEADERS, manually add hours, create/consult/edit events, while overseeing the use of the Dig !t platform for his chapter.
The free MVP 2.0 web app
In 2024, 24 communities joined the Alliance, rallying volunteer troops behind a common project. Through out the season, several new features were added to the MVP 2.0 web app.
BETA USER CREW _ Fall '23 @ Spring '25
Dig !t is registered as an NPO in Quebec. The Alliance will continue to provide its services free of charge for the rest of 2024.
In 2025, with the official launch of App 3.0 (English-language deployment outside Quebec), Chapters will be required to pay a sub-license fee proportional to the number of active TEAMMATES in their community. A symbolic and voluntary annual contribution of $20 per volunteer using the app will also be proposed, to enable the NPO to continue its growth.
Finally, volunteers who accumulate more than 100 hours will be able to subscribe to an exclusive Premium membership, which will offer them various advantages with the Alliance's partners.
Trail BuilderResources
These straightforward information sections are relevant for any organization wishing to optimize its actions, as well as for any Trail builder wishing to become more efficient during his sessions in the forest.
Dig !t Trailbuilders doesn't claim to know all the secrets of trail building. A local TEAMMATE knows the landscape and natural resources of his or her community better than anyone else. By sharing experiences and networking, we can all learn a little more about the techniques used elsewhere, and then use them at home.
Don't be afraid to show up at a dig event in another community other than your own, especially while on vacation. During this community immersion, you'll meet other enthusiasts, other kind of geological features and a variety of new knowledge and techniques to experiment with. As an added bonus, you'll have access to the “ insider information ” of the locals, so you can find out about the best hidden swimming spot, the best local brewery, or the perfect place to park your van without disturbing anyone else.
After investing just a little bit of your time to maintain the trails of another community, your positive attitude may lead you to ride with a local in his hidden trails, the very next morning...
Prenez compte de ces principes fondamentaux du trailbuilding.
Favorisez la sécurité des bénévoles lors de vos événements en appliquant les conseils suivants.
FAQ
More questions? More answers can be found here...
Does this “undercover” have the right to declare his hours on Dig !t?
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