During the next two days, more presents will be wrapped and unwrapped than at any other time of the year.

In this busy holiday season, take time to give yourself a simple gift – a few quiet minutes on your favorite trail. And while you walk, run or ride, consider one more gift that doesn’t fit under the Christmas tree: a bit of your time in 2016.

With 20-plus Friends groups in the Pikes Peak region, there’s an enormous need for board members.

Hike the Manitou Incline regularly, to the point of being addicted? Well, Incline Friends could use that passion.

A fan of Black Forest Regional Park? There’s a long list of projects that need to be addressed there following the 2013 fire, and the best way to get started is by forming a Friends group for the park.

Can’t wait to hike to the summit in Cheyenne Mountain State Park? The Friends group at the park is just as eager and is creating trail projects that would benefit from your input.

More community support is on every Friends group’s holiday wish list. And it’s not like you won’t be receiving anything in return as all trail users benefit from the work of these groups.

The time commitment isn’t overwhelming. Some groups convene once a month while others meet less. Boards organize work outings and sometimes raise money to support a particular park project. Incline Friends, for instance, raises money to make the challenging hike safer.

One fact that board members often share is the payoff that comes with being involved is much greater than the effort required. Among the perks are new contacts, new friendships and a feeling of being more connected to the community.

So get out on the trail during the next two days and think about joining a board or becoming a member of a Friends group. Someone will help you find the ideal fit.

Speaking of heartfelt gifts, Rocky Mountain Field Institute recently shared its 2015 Garden of the Gods accomplishments with the Parks Advisory Board. RMFI devoted 58 days and managed 1,299 volunteers who worked a total of 6,464 hours – a value of $166,000. This outstanding effort helped put the shine back on the region’s jewel. And that’s a gift – Garden of the Gods Park – we share with visitors from all over the world.

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Davies is the executive director of the Trails and Open Space Coalition. Read her columns on the fourth Thursday of each month in Out There.