TERMITES Facts & Information

The TERMITES volunteer for a variety of projects including sawing and removing downed trees blocking or encroaching on trails, brushing (cutting and removing tree saplings growing on or into the trail), trail tread maintenance, trail scouting to monitor trail conditions and the presence of downed trees blocking the trail, the installation of temporary and permanent trail signs, and other projects. A project may be a single day activity or one spread over several weeks or months depending on the level of effort required to complete the project. Projects may also be ongoing, for example, the clearing of downed trees from popular trails is performed continuously during the fiscal year.

The tasks associated with a project will vary and can include sawing and removing small to large size trees that are either blocking or encroaching on the trail. Sawing may include the use of a vintage two-person crosscut saw or small special pruning saws. Once the logs are sawed, they are removed from the trail manually or by using a cant hook (a tool designed to facilitate the rolling of a log). Rotten logs may be chopped with an ax to facilitate their removal. Pruning saws and loppers are used to cut and remove young tree saplings that are growing in the trail or growing adjacent to the trail. Picks, saws, and rakes are used to perform trail tread work. When requested by the Forest Service, we also install temporary and permanent trail signs, including post for mounting the signs.

The volume of work to be accomplished on a single day, and the complexity of the activity will determine the minimum number of volunteers required to undertake a day’s activity. Some activities may be performed solo, including trail scouting and light brushing. Some activities may require a limited number of volunteers to complete the activity safely. Example, an activity such as brushing or sawing and removing small logs blocking or encroaching on the trail may have no minimum or maximum number of volunteers beyond that which can be safely supervised. Sawing a log along a flat trail or ground may only require two persons to safely accomplish the task. On the other hand, sawing a log resting on a hillside may require four volunteers, two to saw, and two to control trail users for safety.

Although start and end times for a day activity may vary, we typically meet at the trail head at 0800 hours, take a short mid-morning break, a break for lunch, and stop work around 2:00 pm, which usually puts us in Santa Fe around 4:00 pm or earlier. Work hours may be extended for projects that are located a significant distance from the trail head. Activities associated with the removal of newly fallen trees are typically limited to the time required to saw and remove the downed trees, this is especially true during the winter snow months.

During the monsoon season, project stopping times may advance so that we are off the mountain before the development of a storm. Volunteers have the option of leaving earlier so long as they provide for their own transportation.

The physical requirements will vary from light to heavy depending on the project. Factors to consider include distance the work site is from the trail head, gain and loss in elevation between trail head and work site, whether the gain is inbound or outbound, the number and size of tools that must be carried to the work site, and the work to be performed. High physical activity work generally includes chopping, moving large logs off the trail, use of two person and single person crosscut saws, use of a variety of hand saws to cut large trees, and using pick-mattocks and other tools to remove rocks and roots from the trail. Medium physical activity generally includes overhead pruning of low hanging tree limbs, and tread work using pick-mattocks, shovels, and similar tools and for trail leveling. Light physical requirements include sawing small tree limbs, light brushing, moving small treetops and tree debris off the trail, raking debris off the trail, and the control of hikers through a work zone.

Special activities may have their own unique set of physical requirements; for example, 60 lb. bags of concrete and signposts were ferried approximately three-quarter of a mile during the installation of junction signposts on the Norski Track in the fall of 2022. Please note that you will not be asked to perform an activity which you do not feel that you are physically capable of. While our goal is to perform trail maintenance, it is also to have fun while doing it.

Project tools may include a variety of tools, including one and two person crosscut saws, cant hook, small and large pruning saws, pruning shears and loppers, shovels, pick mattocks, small rakes, small and large axes, rock bars, post hole diggers, and other special tools as needed. The team lead for the activity is responsible for evaluating the work to be performed and determining the tools required. Tools are provided by either the TERMITES, the US Forest Service, or other responsible agency.

Safety is of the utmost importance in the SFNF TERMITES performance of trail maintenance activities. There are several hazards associated with trail maintenance activities that we undertake, these include but are not limited to the use of sharp tools, pinching hazards, hazards associated with using specific tools such as loppers, axes and pick-mattocks, downed tree tops and stored energy, the potential for logs to move or roll once sawed, the presence of and risks to nearby co-workers, and potential risk to trail users. Tailgate meetings are used to discuss hazards and lessons learned from previous work, and questions are answered. During maintenance we monitor each other to ensure that maintenance activities are being performed safely. When a safety concern is identified an activity may be stopped and reevaluated before work continues. When sawing logs we emphasis the need to evaluate the log, where it should be cut, and where the log is to be moved before cutting begins. Each volunteer is informed that they are not required to participate in any activity if they feel uncomfortable with performing the task. For certain activities we post trail monitors to watch for and provide guidance for trail users that they should either wait until the activity is complete or go around the work site when this can be safely done. We typically employ a yellow caution sign on either side of a work activity that may be hazardous to trail users.

Project activity may occur up to three times per week during the summer, but on average two maintenance or related projects are undertaken each week. This type of schedule provides flexibility in the days available for one to volunteer. Each scheduled activity has a team lead that is responsible for announcing the project and soliciting volunteers, selecting the date and times for the activity, making required notifications, ensuring that required tools are present at the trail head, and coordinating the day’s activity. Active members typically volunteer for maintenance activities on the average of two to four times per month, others may volunteer as time permits, or, they volunteer for individual projects that they have a special interest in. Projects are usually undertaken as soon as the ground is clear of snow and stops once snow covers the trail. There are some exceptions. Year round, when conditions permit, the TERMITES will saw and remove downed trees that are blocking or encroaching on popular trails, especially cross-country ski routes such as the Norski Track, or the Winsor Trail above the Ski Basin.

All projects are submitted to the appropriate agency for approval prior to any physical work being undertaken. Generally, this is either the Santa Fe National Forest Service – Espanola Ranger District or personnel at Hyde Memorial State Park. In late winter or early spring, we submit a list of proposed projects for the upcoming year to the Forest Service for their review and concurrence. Projects may be proposed by either the Forest Service or the SFNF TERMITES. Because team members hike most if not all the trails within the Santa Fe National Forest in the greater Santa Fe area, we are typically cognizant of trail maintenance needs. The Forest Service has the option of prioritizing trail maintenance projects, and in the absence of that prioritization, the SFNF TERMITES will prioritize proposed projects. Prioritization factors may include trail use volume, complexity of the proposed maintenance activity, the distance that the project is from the trail head, the level of effort estimated to complete the project, and weather conditions or considerations. Because the SFNF TERMITES is a small organization, it can shift priorities in response to changing needs.

The next step, following agreement on proposed projects for the coming maintenance season, is for the SFNF TERMITES to develop a project plan. The project plan identifies the trail or trail section where the project will be performed, provides a description of the work to be performed, includes any restrictions imposed by the TERMITES or the controlling agency on the project, lists any anticipated project complexity, and provides an estimation of the time required to complete the project. The project plan is submitted to the Forest Service or other responsible agency for approval. Once a project is approved the TERMITES notify the Forest Service or other responsible agency by email the week before that a maintenance activity is scheduled. The email notification includes the day and date of the activity, a short summary of the proposed activity(s) that is to be performed, and the names of volunteers (when known) that will participate in the activity. At the end of each week, a weekly summary is provided to the Forest Service or other responsible agency of the previous week’s activities. The summary includes the date and day of the activity, the names of volunteers that participated in the activity, a description of the maintenance activities that were accomplished, and whether the project was completed or if additional work is required.

Persons that are interested in volunteering with the TERMITES should express an interest by contacting the TERMITES Project Coordinator, Walter Futrell, or the volunteer@sfnftermites.org email. It is also necessary that you complete and sign a US Forest Service Volunteer Agreement.

A call for volunteers is typically sent out the weekend before a proposed activity is to be undertaken. The email will include the date or proposed dates of the activity, start and estimated end times, location of the activity, and tasks associated with the activity. Transportation arrangements are typically discussed. If it is an either-or date, you will be notified of the date selected, which is generally the date when the largest number of volunteers are available.

Even if you cannot actively volunteer, you can still become a member and support our efforts. We also deeply appreciate one-time donations. These donations and memberships allow us to fund the work we do. Please check out our Join / Donate page!