Welcome to the 2026 Service Awards!
We need you to submit a volunteer who goes above and beyond! We know there are many volunteers worthy of an award and your nominations help us identify those outstanding volunteers who deserve special recognition for their efforts. Nominations for the 2026 Service Awards are now closed. Awardees will be honored on Saturday April 18, 2026 at our Annual Volunteer Appreciation Event. Thank you!
Please note: A volunteer cannot receive the same award twice, with the exception of the Going the Extra Mile and Outstanding Partner Awards. If you'd like to see past award winners please check them out here!
These five categories celebrate those volunteers who embody the Trail Conference’s mission and the award categories reflect our organization’s values statements:
- The Raymond H. Torrey Award for Lifetime Impact
- The Elizabeth Levers Award for Engagement and Inclusivity
- The Jakob Franke Award for Conservation
- The William Hoeferlin Award for Exemplary Leadership
- The Joan Ehrenfeld Award for Responsible Stewardship
These seven categories celebrate a variety of volunteers from newbies to veterans and everything in between:
- The Rising Leader Award
- The Paul Leiken Award for Going the Extra Mile
- The Hit the Ground Running Award
- The Next Generation Award
- The Dedicated Service Award
- The Ken Lloyd Award for Outstanding Member Club
- The Major William A. Welch Award for Outstanding Partner
If you've read through our award categories and are still unsure which award is most fitting for a volunteer, please use our General Nomination Form and our Awards Committee will deliberate that decision for you!
Please note that groups are eligible for award nominations. Group nominations will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis based on venue size and seating accommodations. We strongly recommend selecting 1 or 2 representatives to receive the award on behalf of the group.
If you have any questions, please send an email to [email protected].