The eye-opening death of George Floyd has made so many organizations stand up and say, “Enough. We must change.” The Trail Conference was one of those voices. Our passive approach to diversity, equity, equality, and inclusion (DEEI) for the past 99 years has contributed to society’s acceptance of discrimination and racism. In January, the Trail…
The injustice faced by Black communities across America has made the need to listen, learn, reflect, and change imperative. All aspects of society must examine their behavior and do better. This includes the Trail Conference, particularly if we are to hold true to our mission and values. We have been listening to the conversation and reflecting…
Finally, what you’ve all been waiting for: 13 years since the last revision, the new, 8th edition of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Trail Maintenance Manual (TMM) is now available at nynjtc.org/tmm! This edition was written by a committee of the Trail Conference’s Policy Council consisting of Walt Daniels, Bob Gurion, Phil Heidelberger (subcommittee chair),…
Thanks to your generosity, over $11,000 was raised and then matched by the Haas Family during our Earth Week campaign. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1FSBiQagP8 Your support funded our innovative efforts to digitally train our volunteer force in sustainable trail building, maintenance, and invasive species identification, which enabled us to hit the ground running as fieldwork resumed. Thank you for “paying it forward” and doing your part…
Subaru is committed to giving back to local charities and doing their part to protect the environment. That philanthropic spirit is helping to fuel the training and support of Trail Conference volunteers this season. Liberty Family of Dealerships Shares the Love During Subaru of America’s annual Share the Love event, Liberty Subaru in Emerson, N.J., named the Trail Conference as a…
In this time of uncertainty, one thing that has been clear is just how essential the Trail Conference is to our region. Like never before, our partners, government officials, and communities have been looking to us for guidance on safely visiting parks and trails. We know that through this pandemic, we are safest at home. But we…
The 2020-21 New York State budget has passed with a strong focus on environmental protection, including $300 million for the EPF and authorization to create the Restore Mother Nature Bond Act. Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Legislature agreed to a $177 billion budget on Friday, April 3. Cuomo said of the budget, “It would have been very easy to say,…
When we say volunteers are our superheroes, it’s not an exaggeration. There are some names synonymous with the Trail Conference. They are the founders, volunteer leaders, presidents, and executive directors who formed and shaped this organization into a 100-year-old nonprofit that, in good times and bad, has never failed to help connect people with nature. You’ll find…
As trail lovers, we are excited to see how many people have sought refuge in nature during this time of uncertainty. As leaders in the trail community, we have a responsibility to encourage our volunteers and the public to remain vigilant about staying home and doing their part to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. We couldn’t…
Update 5/15/20: On May 15, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo reopened statewide certain low-risk businesses, including landscaping and gardening, and certain outdoor recreational activities. Since NYS covers a large portion of the trails we oversee, the Trail Conference is following this lead for the resumption of our volunteer activities with guidelines that follow the advice of…
Governor Cuomo’s Executive Budget includes a $3 billion Restore Mother Nature Bond Act, the largest environmental bond act in State history. The governor’s Climate Change Plan invests in environmental conservation and resiliency, supported by the $3 billion Restore Mother Nature Bond Act. This bond act is designed to reduce flood risk, create resilient infrastructure and revitalize critical fish…
Update May 15: On May 15, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo reopened statewide certain low-risk businesses, including landscaping and gardening, and certain outdoor recreational activities. Since NYS covers a large portion of the trails we oversee, the Trail Conference is following this lead for the resumption of our volunteer activities with guidelines that follow the…
