My wife and I have volunteered with this organization on 4 different projects in the Bay Area over the past 3 or 4 years; 3 were trail-building, 1 was trail-maintenance. All were with a great group of 100 to 150 people of all ages over a long weekend. All meals (which were excellent) were provided free by VoCal, Everything (work teams, tool distribution, food prep, etc.) was extremely well organized by volunteer leaders. We especially liked seeing what a huge amount of progress could be made in so short a time when a large number of people are organized productively. We also liked the fact that there were a lot of young people (we can be counted among the "active elderly") out having a good time in the outdoors and helping to make it better.
I am a regular volunteer at Big Basin and VO-Cal had organized an event there in the fall of 2008. Since then I have been an avid VO-Cal volunteer/crew leader. It is amazing the diversity of volunteers and how they make it all work harmoniously. Being a crew leader I saw the intense coordiation and energy required to pull off each event successfully. And everyone has made an incredible inpact on both the parks and community. It is both hard work and incredible fun. I plan to attend every event and bring recruits. I have made great friends through volunteering and also feel great about my contributions. You can be kitchen crew, camp crew or trail crew. There are task for young and older, you decide and can do both. At the end of the day it's free beer/wine/great food and the party begins. Great time. Hope to see you out there. Tell them Frannie sent you.
I can't believe the energy and enthusiasm of this group. They are well organized (a rarity) and provided me with one of the most rewarding weekends I had all year. An incredible group of volunteers were friendly and welcoming - I went alone and left with friends. I've never been treated better as a volunteer - amazing food - showers - tons of fun - and we worked so hard and made such a difference in a local park. I have raved about this group to everyone I know.
Volunteers for Outdoor California is the best thing that has happened to Bay Area Trails in many years. They have organized and trained a volunteer trail army that they mobilize for weekend long opportunities to construct new trails and maintain neglected ones in state, city, county, regional and national parks and land trusts in the Bay Area. This is accomplished by a training program for crew leaders so that as many as 200 volunteers can be divided into effective teams so that a large project can be broken down into small enough chunks that each crew can handle. V-O-Cal is outfitted with trail tools and kitchen equipment so that large groups of volunteers can be fed for an entire weekend and build new trail, or reroute trail that needs it, or restore neglected trails for the years ahead. V-O-Cal volunteers have a great time camping out while doing what basically is hard work and the espirit de corps is remarkable. Arduous work is followed by great meals, campfires and socializing that at times includes entertainment, swimming and other aspects that nobody would expect. This is a first-rate noon-profit that has enriched not only the Bay Area open spaces that have benefited from its efforts, but also the lives of everyone who has participated. Many of us have made new friends, explored new parks and open spaces, sharpened our trail, organizational and leadership skills, and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Which is probably why so many volunteers keep returning for what is basically hard physical labor...