Volunteer Awards
Volunteers and partners are the lifeblood of the Buckeye Trail Association. They give thousands of hours of their time and energy to help build, maintain, protect and promote the enjoyment of Ohio's 1,440+ mile Buckeye Trail. Our volunteers deserve to be honored for their hard work on the trail and off the trail and we need your help to highlight all types of volunteers and partners around the state to thank them and encourage others to follow their leadership.
The Buckeye Trail Volunteer Awards are presented during the BTA Awards program during our annual Buckeye TrailFest event each year. Nominate a volunteer or organization for any of the following awards by filling out this form. Contact the Awards Committee Chair, Randall Roberts, at Awards@BuckeyeTrail.org with any questions.
The Emma "Grandma" Gatewood Award for Distinguished Service
Emma “Grandma” Gatewood overcame adversity and challenges to achieve something great for herself and eventually for the Buckeye Trail as well. Grandma Gatewood was one of the founding members of the BTA and was instrumental in routing the Buckeye Trail through Hocking County and beyond. This award honors those that have achieved something for the Buckeye Trail in the prior year in the same spirit as the woman who persisted even after she was told she couldn't.
The Bob Paton Award for Meritorious Service
Bob Paton was the first Executive Director of the BTA and the first appointed State Trail Coordinator for ODNR. Many of the BTA’s accomplishments and future direction are in part due to the continuous and consistent work of Mr. Buckeye Trail. This award honors members who have contributed exceptionally meritorious services to the Association for at least fifteen (15) years. Such services may pertain to trail maintenance, trail utilization and/or administrative or management functions.
Buckeye Trail Blazer Award for Leadership by Example
This award honors a person(s) who has exhibited superior service and leadership by example in appointed or volunteer tasks.
The Bill Miller Award for Conservation
Bill Miller was a former BTA president. A portion of the Buckeye Trail is named in his honor at Lake Logan State Park where he was instrumental in developing a partnership between the BTA, ODNR, and the Columbus Foundation to accomplish the first BTA land acquisition to permanently protect and preserve a corridor of the Buckeye Trail. This award honors a person or group responsible for actions that have notably preserved or restored the natural ecology or beauty of a locality by the Trail, or have brought under control a major threat to the utility of the Trail in some locality.
The James Sprague Buckeye Trail Adopter and Builder Award
Jim Sprague created the Buckeye Trail Crew. Jim has inspired the spirit of quality, hard work, and acknowledgement for all volunteers who invest in building and maintaining the Buckeye Trail. This award honors a person(s) who has exhibited superior service to their adopted segment of the Buckeye Trail and/or work on the Buckeye Trail Crew. These individuals maintain their segment so that it is always ready and a pleasure to hike. They maintain their records and report hours, travel, and any problems to their supervisors.
Buckeye Trail Crew Hours Awards
Buckeye Trail Crew members are honored by the Buckeye Trail Management Team for the number of hours and drops of sweat they have devoted to building and maintaining the BT during Buckeye Trail Crew events.
The Merrill Gilfillan Award for Visionary Agency Partners
Merrill Gilfillan, an ODNR employee and wildlife biologist, wrote the newspaper article “A Buckeye Trail; So Fair It Is Just An Idea” in 1958 that was the genesis for the Buckeye Trail. Gilfillan was active with the BTA in the early years to see his vision become a reality and then gain momentum to evolve into the nation’s longest loop trail. This award honors visionary agency partners that go above and beyond the call of their position to imagine and implement an improved Buckeye Trail experience. Nominees do not accept the status quo of the trail we love today, understanding that agencies play an important role in the development, maintenance, protection and promotion of Ohio's State Trail.
The Buckeye Trail Business Partnership Award
This award highlights significant and innovative ways that primarily Ohio-based businesses are supporting the mission and vision of the BTA. Any business can benefit the BTA and the BT in a variety of ways. These include financially, promoting the BT and BTA, partnering on outreach events, encouraging employees to volunteer on the BT and many others. The BT circumnavigates the state, through 100 communities with a mission to provide local economic benefits.
The Buckeye Trail Partnership Award
This award honors partner organizations that are assisting with the building, maintaining, protection and promotion of the Buckeye Trail. The Buckeye Trail has not come to be what it is today by the will of the BTA alone. All around the state, these partner organizations have worked hard on their part of our shared vision for the BT.
Ralph Regula Award for Leadership
Ohio Senator Ralph Regula helped designate the Buckeye Trail as Ohio’s State Trail in 1967. Regula was a visionary legislative champion for conservation and outdoor recreation in Ohio and beyond. This award honors those elected officials who have made the BT, or trails in general, a priority. At every level of government the BT and the BTA need the support of our elected decision makers to improve the Buckeye Trail experience. The nominee has accomplished some significant effort that benefits trails in Ohio.
Certificate of Appreciation
This award honors an individual, city, agency, business, or organization that has demonstrated exemplary cooperation and diligence to perpetuate and improve the Trail and Association, and must have helped in some significant way to aid the Association attain an important objective.
The Dr. Roy Fairfield President's Award
Dr. Roy Fairfield was the first president of the Buckeye Trail Association. This award honors those who have either shown exceptional commitment to an assignment(s), or have made some major contribution of special benefit to the Association during the past year. Nominees who would be eligible for a certificate of appreciation can be considered for the President’s award. This award decision is a privilege of the person who currently fills Dr. Roy Fairfield’s original position of BTA President. BTA members may assist the BTA President by nominating other members for consideration.
Buckeye Trail Association Trustee Emeritus
This award is set aside for members of the Board of Trustees as they leave the service of the Board. The nominee should have accumulated at least nine years as a Board Member and must have demonstrated consistent commitment and continued service to the Board, the Association, and the Trail, through exceptional diligence at their assignments and at least one notable achievement to their credit.
The NCTA Honor Awards
The Buckeye Trail hosts 900 miles of the 4,600 mile North Country National Scenic Trail. As a partner of the NCTA, the BTA can award Honor Awards to volunteers who demonstrate loyalty, commitment, and hard work annually to the BTA. Nominations should be submitted to the BTA Awards Committee through the local BTA Chapter or directly to the BTA Awards Committee if the volunteer supports multiple Chapter areas.
NCTA Volunteer Awards
The BTA is a partner of the NCTA, and BTA volunteers who work along concurrent sections of the Buckeye Trail and North Country National Scenic Trail can be nominated for NCTA Volunteer Awards. The NCTA Awards Ceremony is held each year during the annual NCTA Celebration. View the NCTA Volunteer Awards and nominate a volunteer or organization here.