YOU ARE INVITED! Pathways for Play Webinar

American Trails is pleased to invite you to a special webinar highlighting the newest innovations for engaging children and families on pathway networks. Join us to learn about a unique partnership, the new Pathways for Play best practice guidelines, and National Demonstration Sites being installed across the country.  

Host: American Trails

Presenter and Program Author: Robin Moore, Dipl Arch., MCP, Director, Natural Learning Initiative, North Carolina State University

Sponsor: PlayCore

Date: Thursday, May 26

Join us to learn why so many are Pathways for Play Advocates.

Register Here: http://www.playcore.com/pathwaysforplaywebinar.html

Register now to hold an American Hiking Society's National Trails Day^� event on June 4. This year's theme is: "Made with all Natural Ingredients." There has never been a more critical time to speak up for trails! This is the most important year ever to get Members of Congress to know why trails and greenways provide vital economic, health, and transportation benefits. Contact your Members of Congress - Senators and Representatives alike! Invite them to a trail ground-breaking, to a volunteer work day, or to a National Trails Day. Tell the media about these events, too, and then send news clips to your Congressional offices. Tell them about your success stories and about the myriad of people of all ages and abilities that love and use these trails! See more information: June 4 - American Hiking Society's National Trails Day^� and June 11 - National Get Outdoors Day... 

Share your great photos of National Recreation Trails

Now is the time to take your camera for a ride or hike! American Trails is sponsoring the 2011 contest for photographs of National Recreation Trails across the country. Our annual contest provides awards in several categories and shows off entries (and previous winners) on the NRT website. The goal is to highlight the diversity of the NRTs and to make more Americans familiar with these great trails. The deadline for entries is December 15, 2011. See contest rules and how to enter your photos...

Eastman Kodak Company, The Conservation Fund, and the National Geographic Society team up each year to present the Kodak American Greenways Awards Program. One major element of the Program involves "seed" grant awards to organizations that are growing our nation's network of greenways, blueways, trails, and natural areas. Organizations can receive up to $2,500 in grant funds. See details and application form...

American Trails "SUPPORTING TRAILS" pages provide the facts on current issues and debates and the ongoing efforts of American Trails to continue its 20 years of support for positive policies and funding for trails and greenways. Please join our efforts to document the value of trails and bicycle/pedestrian facilities as transportation infrastructure, and be an active and positive voice in the reauthorization process, economic stimulus proposals, and Federal land management agency budgets. We continuously add news and action items to these pages. Check back often and forward this link on through your networks...

NEWS

Dallas promotes "Happy Trails" safety website and videos

Friends of the Katy Trail and Dallas Parks and Recreation Department have addressed safety needs along the city's walk and bike trails system. A highly publicized death of a jogger in October 2010, when a cyclist crashed into the jogger along the Katy Trail, was followed by a car-and-cyclist collision two weeks later. New signs are proposed for the trails this spring; they're but one piece of a much larger program intended to get those using the city's 270.9 miles of trails to turn down, slow down, and look out. The city's new website is another strategy to promote safety. Read more and see graphics of signs...

Water trail underway would circle Lake Michigan

Officials with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said they expect the trail to become a travel destination for kayakers and other small craft users, the same way the state's bike trails attract visiting cyclists. Their hope is that boaters will use the trail to put together multi-day trips, spending the night at hotels and campgrounds in communities up and down the lake. The proposed route would be 1,200 miles long, the longest freshwater, sea-kayaking trail in the world. Read more...

Montana rail trail bridge will include motorized use

One hundred feet above the water, the century-old railroad trestle will soon have a much lighter load to carry. Its new wooden surface will open miles of former Milwaukee Road passage through the forest toward St. Regis. Instead of electric-powered locomotives, the route should lead bikers, ATV riders, and snowmobilers deep into the western Montana backcountry and out again. Read more and see photos...

Trail signs lead children on a path to learning

The "Born Learning Trail" in Pensacola's Bayview Park is one of a series of park facilities designed to improve health in kids. The Born Learning Trail features 10 signs that encourage families to get active while strengthening young children's literacy skills. The signs instruct parents and children to do activities such as letter identification, singing, skipping, and jumping. The sign systems are sponsored in part by United Way Worldwide's strategies on early childhood education. Read more...

Owner of Segway company dies in fall from cliffside trail

Jimi Heselden, the multi-millionaire owner of the Segway company, died in a freak accident when he rode one of the high-tech two-wheel machines off a cliff. It is believed he lost control of the machine as he travelled along a bridleway close to his estate near Boston Spa, West Yorkshire. Mr. Heselden had bought the Segway company in a deal last December and planned to further develop the machine. Read more and see photos...

FEATURES

Getting kids on trails: some educational and interpretive approaches

What happens when a trail designer (Roger Bell), outdoor educator (Pam Johnson), and interpretive planner (Jenny Rigby) collaborate to strengthen connections between children and nature? It was just what all of us who design and build trails hope for-- the involvement of local interests, imaginative input, respect for natural values, creative ways to engage audiences, particularly children who arrive in school groups and family units. Read more and see photos... 

Analysis of trail policies on power-driven mobility devices

We have gathered quite a few of the new policies to determine how land managing agencies are responding to the new rule on "other power-driven mobility devices" (OPDMD). Not surprisingly, there is a lot of variation. Some of the key issues addressed are: Use of motor vehicles, Speed limits, Use of electric vehicles, Size and weight limits, Trail limitations and assessments, Permits and permission, and Interim policies. Read more...

Mayors support increased funding for bikes and pedestrians

A survey of U.S. mayors of cities over 300,000 shows that 75% support increasing the federal gas tax if a greater share of the funding were invested in bicycle and pedestrian projects. They also want more control, according to the new survey by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. 93% of the mayors urge reforms in federal transportation programs to allow cities and their metropolitan areas to receive a greater share of federal funds directly. Read more...

Featured National Recreation Trail: Clear Creek Trail, Colorado

This greenway runs from the major Denver Metro area trail, the South Platte River Greenway, to the city of Golden. Long portions of the Clear Creek Trail hug the creek margin and lend the feeling of passing through an eastern forest, unusual for the arid climate of the Colorado Front Range. The trail runs through neighborhoods as well as wetlands and conservation areas, and is accessible from several major streets. Read more and see photos...

TRAINING & EDUCATION

American Trails provides workshops on key trail topics

You can host a variety of educational programs on important trails and greenways topics offered by American Trails. Workshops include:

�   Understanding Accessibility and Building Better Trails

�   Universal Trail Assessment Process

�   Trail Crew Leadership Training

�   Creating a State Trails Training Program

�   Working with Developers Forum

Read more about the American Trails workshops...

National Trails Training Partnership meets June 17 in Washington, DC

The National Trails Training Partnership is an alliance of federal and state agencies, organizations, colleges, and businesses working to publicize trail training programs and providers and promote cooperation on training efforts. Led by American Trails, NTTP also hosts an online clearinghouse of training and a wealth of technical resources. We invite anyone interested to join us at the next Partnership meeting in Washington DC. Read more about the National Trails Training Partnership...

Find workshops and training for trail skills across America

The National Trails Training Partnership is an effort by trails advocates to improve opportunities for training for the nationwide trails community. A wide variety of training is available for volunteers and professionals working to develop trails of all kinds. American Trails is working with agencies and organizations across America to promote trail-related training. See details on these and many more opportunities for training on trails and greenways topics in the Online Training Calendar...

Upcoming trail-related training opportunities

June 1-4 - Calgary, Alberta, Canada

   �   International Snowmobile Congress 2011

June 6 - Huson, MT

   �   Defensive Horse Safety

June 7-10 - St Louis, MO

   �   Accessibility Management in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism

June 11-12 - Staunton State Park, Pine, CO

   �   Trail Skills Seminar

June 11-12 - Carlsbad, CA

   �   Tread Lightly! Master Tread Trainer Course

June 19-22 - Washington, DC

   �   American Horse Council National Issues Forum

July 21-23 - Auburn AL

   �   Southeastern Equestrian Trails Conference

August 21-24 - Minneapolis, MN

   �   2011 National Scenic Byways Conference

September 22-25 - Bloomington, MN

   �   National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council Conference

October 2-5 - Fort Wayne, IN

   �   Mid America Trails & Greenways Conference

Look for currently scheduled courses and conferences at www.TrailsTraining.net, sponsored by American Trails and the National Trails Training Partnership. Contact us with your scheduled training opportunities at NTTP@AmericanTrails.org.

NEW RESOURCES

Safe Trails Forum is resource for problem solving

American Trails hosts the online Safe Trails Forum to share information on ways to improve the experience for users while making management more effective. The goal is to continue to improve trail safety and to assure that the risks associated with trail recreation are kept in balanced perspective. The Forum collects resources on liability, insurance, and legal issues; trail maintenance concerns; crime and accident reporting; and provides a forum for discussion. Visit the Safe Trails Forum...

Trail Safety Initiatives presentation from Dallas Parks & Recreation

Immediate Action items among the city's Trail Safety Initiatives that have been implemented or are in the process of implementation include:

�   Increase police presence

�   Implement trail/street crossing improvements

�   Update trail safety guidelines

�   Promote outreach activities

�   Establish the Dallas Trail Safety Advisory Committee

Download the slide show in PDF format (2.3 mb)...

Artistic vision featured on Iowa's High Trestle Trail Bridge

The High Trestle Bridge north of Des Moines, Iowa, was the scene of an opening celebration April 30. The half-mile-long bridge rises 13 stories above the Des Moines River valley and includes spectacular lighting as well as artistic elements built into the structure. Now a unique element of the High Trestle Trail, the 130 foot tall river crossing is one of the tallest trail bridges in the nation. Read more and see photos...

"Pathways for Play" best practices guidebook

Pathways for Play: Best Practices for Children, Families, and Communities is available at no cost to trail planners and others who wish to grow community capital by advocating for playful pathways. Data gathered at demonstration sites, developed as case studies for the guidebook, shows they have quickly become popular family destinations, and use by families has increased. Also, interactive tools on the supporting website www.pathwaysforplay.org allow families to share stories, photographs, and ideas, and discover books and downloadable seasonal activities to help maximize pathway enjoyment. Read more and order the Pathways for Play Guidebook...

Photo gallery: Power lines along trails, railtrails, and greenways

Trails are often built in utility corridors of all kinds, from underground pipelines to electric power lines overhead. There may be hundreds of trails across the country that follow power line corridors. Over the years some articles have raised concerns about electro magnetic fields (EMF) emanating from power lines. However, research seems to find that trails along electric lines are safe. Read more and see photo gallery...

Read more articles, studies, and resources... 

JOIN THE AMERICAN TRAILS NETWORK

 Help American Trails fight for funding and support for trails