Santa Catalina Island, situated simply 22 miles off the coast of Southern California, not solely is house to white sand seashores and swaying palm timber, but in addition 60 endemic species and over 165 miles of mountaineering trails. In partnership with the Catalina Island Conservancy, our volunteers helped rebuild a bit of the Trans-Catalina Path – a 38.5 via hike path throughout Catalina Island.
Our largest group of the 12 months to date headed out in Might 2026 for per week of automobile tenting on the attractive island whereas working laborious to rebuild a closely broken portion of path situated close to the Catalina airport. This portion of path had been impacted by means of heavy tools leading to unsafe circumstances for path customers. Our volunteers helped repair this injury by developing rock steps utilizing supplies sourced from the encompassing space, preserving the native ecosystem and biodiversity. This work was 
not straightforward and required quite a lot of teamwork from our volunteers. It concerned carrying heavy stones to construct rock steps and digging deep holes within the dry soil to position the steps in to create safer passage for the estimated 35,000 annual path customers.
Throughout their week on the island, volunteers not solely labored with
the Catalina Island Conservancy employees to construct the path however discovered in regards to the native ecosystem and the stewardship put ahead by the group to create and preserve a various coastal surroundings. On the finish of the workweek, the crew headed to the town of Avalon – the one integrated metropolis on the island the place they received a tour of the native plant sanctuary and received to dip their toes within the ocean.
The laborious work and lengthy days had been rewarded with scrumptious meals coordinated by our crew chief and nighttime chats across the hearth on the campsite. The group shaped life-long bonds and located camaraderie in shared appetites for stewardship.
