Super Steward Pathkeeper Aimi Li Forges New Trails

Aimi Li has been a Super Steward Pathkeeper with the NAC for two years! She’s a longtime Queens resident and when she’s not on the trails she is a painter at a fine arts studio in New York City.

We caught up with Aimi to hear about her experience as a Pathkeeper and the story of how working on NYC trails inspired her to volunteer on the Appalachian trail. Read on below to get to know Aimi!

What inspired you to become a Pathkeeper with the NAC?

I have always loved hiking and working with my hands and being surrounded by the all-encompassing sublimity of nature, especially after the rain, when everything smells alive. After attending a few volunteer events one spring, planting trees and picking up litter, it made me feel even more connected to the trails we walk on and the trees we look upon. There is immense community and a sense of healing doing trail work with other like-minded folks who want to learn and give back to nature.

What is one of your favorite memories volunteering in NYC natural areas?

AL: There are so many wonderful memories! But if I had to pick one in recent memory, it was one Saturday in May where volunteers and community members planted over 500 trees in Forest Park! It was inspiring seeing so many groups coming together to make our forests more resilient. The weather was perfect and I was joined by good friends I made volunteering at Forest Park.

Tell us about your experience with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy! How did you get involved? What was the experience like?

AL: I actually heard about it from Gabe (NAC’s Urban PATH Program Training Manager) at a volunteer appreciation luncheon last year! It was completely new to me, but after doing some research, I wanted to devote a longer period of time to doing trail work and also challenge myself to something that is out of my comfort zone.

Joining the ATC’s Konnarock crew turned out to be one of the most memorable weeks of my life. On the first night, we arrived at Basecamp in Sugar Grove Virginia, where we were greeted with a delicious home cooked meal and got to meet other volunteers from around the country. Everyone was there for the love of trails and excited to make a difference. The next morning, we gathered our gear into the van and headed to our worksite near Hot Springs, North Carolina. Once we arrived near the worksite, we set up our home for the week. Our days started at 7am with breakfast and plenty of coffee and a stretch circle. Our project was to relocate an old trail which means we had a create a new one. We did lots of sidehilling and backsloping, transporting bags of rocks and logs of wood. The work was arduous but incredibly rewarding, with teamwork at the heart of it. Our crew leaders were knowledgeable  and patient, teaching us how to build quality trails that will last for generations to come.

Through this journey, I gained invaluable experience working in the field, made new friends and came back home more excited to get back working on our trails!

What would you say to someone considering becoming a Pathkeeper?

AL: You won’t regret it! There is so much to learn about our natural areas and it has so much to give and it is a wonderful privilege to be able to to help keep it green and equitable for everyone!

Learn more about the Super Steward Urban PATH program.