By Jessica Adams (Education Program Coordinator)
From left to right: Matthew, Dany, Mahicans, Juan Carlos and Vincent
If you’ve walked our trails and paused to consider how they’ve been so beautifully crafted, you may have thought about the humans behind them. It takes a special kind of person to build with such care and attention—and we are fortunate to have a core team as thoughtful, respectful, and impressive as the trails they shape.
Earlier in September, I sat down with each member of the trail crew to ask how they got into trail building and what keeps them coming back to a job that many of us might see as challenging at best—and, when the heat and bugs come calling, grueling at worst. I am delighted to share their stories with you as part of a mini-series that introduces the team and stories behind the trails.
How Did You Get Into Trail Building?
The path to trail building was slightly different for each team member.
Team leaders, Mahicans and Matthew, have been with the Trust since the beginning, and bring several years’ experience to the table. Mahicans describes “getting the bug” in the early 2000s after spending a summer in an office job while saving for a mountain bike. At the time, he lived on land with 250 acres and had the opportunity to build bike trails. He quickly immersed himself in the craft, collecting all sorts of resources to learn more. He went on to work with Sentiers Boréals and the Parc d’environnement naturel de Sutton (PENS). In 2016, while at PENS, the Trust approached him to help open up what would become the Scowen Park trails.
Matthew’s story begins in what he calls “the wilds of Arkansas,” where summer jobs as a park ranger gave him a lasting taste for the outdoors. Later, after living a while on the West Coast, he settled in the Eastern Townships of Québec. Trail building became a way for him to reconnect with something he loved, while creating purpose as well as finding his place in his new home region. He first worked with Sentiers de l’Estrie—where he met Mahicans—followed by SEPAQ. Their paths crossed again when the Trust launched Scowen Park.
Dany got his first taste of trail building while patrolling for Sentiers de l’Estrie, where he also met Mahicans and Matthew. After a stint living in Kamouraska, he found himself reflecting on his next move. Asked what his dream job would be, he replied: “Building trails in the forest with Mahicans and Matthew.” Not long after, in 2018, he joined the Trust, helping complete one of the final stretches of trail leading down to Ethan’s Beach in the Wardman sector.
Juan Carlos and Vincent, the two most recent additions to the core team, happened upon trail building by chance. Originally from Costa Rica, where he worked for the Ministry of the Environment for several years, Juan Carlos now spends summers in Québec, returning home each winter. He joined the team in 2022 and has been back every season since.
For Vincent, trail building grew out of his love of hiking. When hiking past crews at work, he would often admire their craft, until finally deciding to leave office life for something more physical. Juan Carlos, having grown up on a dairy farm, and Vincent, having spent eight seasons tree planting, neither is a stranger to physically demanding work.
What Do You Love Most About the Job?
Though their paths here differ, the crew shares a profound appreciation for the work and all it entails.
First, they value the variety and satisfaction. The job requires skills in lumberjacking, carpentry, masonry, landscaping—you name it. From scouting a new area and picking a future line, to placing the final trail markers, they are involved at every step. The work requires muscle, but also thought and creativity, especially in minimizing their impact on the surrounding environment. Each day ends with the tired satisfaction of having worked towards building something that will last.
Then there’s the “outdoor office.” All agree it beats the indoor kind by a landslide. Time in the forest offers endless encounters with wildlife across the seasons. They excitedly shared that while working on the new Burrough’s Falls trail, they spotted a Bald Eagle, Great Blue Heron, Osprey, and Belted Kingfisher. They all make sure to stop and take it all in when these special moments arrive.
Of course, I had to ask about the less glamorous side: weather extremes and pesky insects. The crew didn’t dismiss this aspect of the job, but all agreed it’s something that one gets used to. Dany put it best: “I for sure don’t work for the mosquitos and deer flies, but it’s part of the job and we deal with it.” Working in all the elements builds a certain resilience and tolerance that allows you to enjoy the regular shifts and endure the less favourable aspects as you know nothing is ever permanent.
Building Pathways to Connection
For this dedicated, heart-led team, trail building is far more than shifting soil and moving rocks. They know the importance of what they are creating: pathways to connection. These thoughtfully designed, expertly built trails open spaces for people from all walks of life to experience meaningful moments with themselves, their loved ones, and the natural world.
At a time when life feels fast and access to nature ever more limited, the Trust’s trails represent a true gift to the community. The team is proud to play a role in offering this gift—crafting spaces where connection, wonder, and respect for the land can flourish.
