Appalachian Trail Conservancy Selects Wendy Hershey As Community Ambassador For Harpers Ferry/Bolivar, West Virginia

HARPERS FERRY, WV, March 03, 2013 (Press-News.org) The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) has selected Wendy Hershey to serve as the volunteer ambassador to the designated Appalachian Trail Community of Harpers Ferry and Bolivar, West Virginia. She will serve as a community liaison to the ATC and the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club to encourage volunteerism and stewardship of the Trail at the local level. This year there are 16 ambassadors serving 14 different communities along the Appalachian Trail (A.T.).

"The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is excited about building its volunteer base by providing A.T. Ambassadors to designated A.T. Communities to help increase local stewardship of public lands and support healthy lifestyles for community citizens," stated Julie Judkins, Community Program Manager of the ATC.

Hershey has a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Disorders & Speech Science from the University of Colorado. She is an A.T. section hiker and looks forward to promoting Trail awareness with community outreach, educational events, Trail maintenance projects, and community hikes. Over the past four years, she successfully organized the Valentines for Vets program in her community, delivering over 300 handmade Valentines to local Veterans Hospitals each year.

"I am passionate about the Appalachian Trail. I love exploring on it. I love the history behind it. I love the permanence of it," said Hershey.

The Appalachian Trail Community program is designed to recognize communities that promote and protect the A.T. Towns, counties, and communities along the A.T.'s corridor are considered assets by A.T. hikers and many of these towns act as good friends and neighbors to the Trail. The program serves to assist communities with local initiatives such as sustainable economic development through tourism and outdoor recreation, while preserving and protecting the A.T. Since the program's inception in 2010, 28 communities have been designated with 5-10 communities expected to be entered into the program in 2013.

The ATC was founded in 1925 by volunteers and federal officials working to build a continuous footpath along the Appalachian Mountains. The A.T. is a unit of the National Park System, stretching from Georgia to Maine, at approximately 2,180 miles in length. It is the longest hiking-only footpath in the world. Volunteers typically donate more than 220,000 hours of their time doing trail-related work each year, and about 2 to 3 million visitors walk a portion of the A.T. each year.

About the Appalachian Trail Conservancy
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy's mission is to preserve and manage the Appalachian Trail - ensuring that its vast natural beauty and priceless cultural heritage can be shared and enjoyed today, tomorrow, and for centuries to come. For more information please visit http://www.appalachiantrail.org.