January 2021 Update: The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference supports the Natural Areas Conservancy (NAC) and NYC Parks’ Stewardship to run the NYC Parks Trail Maintainer Program. NYC Parks Trail Maintainers are a group of advanced volunteers who steward and maintain NYC’s nature trails to improve the overall health of the city’s diverse natural areas. Becoming an NYC Parks
Inwood Hill Park on the northern tip of Manhattan has seen a lot of positive change in the past two years. I visited the park in 2017 for a scouting expedition to determine what trail work might be needed to bring the trails up to a higher-quality user experience. I’ll admit that as I walked
Our 2019 Trail Conference Conservation Corps crews are hard at work protecting your parks! The Trail Conference Conservation Corps trains, enables, and empowers future conservation leaders by teaching sustainable trail building and stewardship techniques. This year’s Conservation Corps crews include: Our Corps crews engage and teach community volunteers on the responsible use and care of open space
Thank you to all who came out to celebrate and give back to the trails! On June 1, nature lovers and outdoor adventurers throughout the region joined the Trail Conference and our partners to celebrate and give back to trails in honor of National Trails Day. Created by the American Hiking Society, National Trails Day is observed
Our long-time Executive Director, Edward Goodell, has left his position with the Trail Conference. We wish him continued success as he pursues new career opportunities. We thank him for his dedicated service and the growth of the Trail Conference during his 18 years as Executive Director, including securing our award-winning home in the historic Darlington
The Trail Conference is committed to educating and assisting the public in the safe, enjoyable, and responsible use of trails. One of the most successful ways we accomplish this is through our Trail Steward program. This season, Trail Stewards serving through the Trail Conference Conservation Corps will be stationed on the summits of Slide Mountain and Giant Ledge in the Catskills, on the Appalachian Trail at Bear
The Trail Conference expands efforts to protect parks and trails from the threat of invasive species. The Lower Hudson PRISM (our local Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management) is a group of more than 50 organizations and concerned individuals who work together with funding from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to prevent or minimize the harm
Trail Conference volunteers are working hard to protect and improve the trail experience on the Highlands Trail. Everybody knows about the Appalachian Trail—the 174 miles of A.T. maintained by the Trail Conference in New Jersey and New York are well-hiked, with some places seeing more traffic than they can handle. The Highlands Trail, in comparison, is something of a
Our appreciation goes to the following partners and foundations for supporting the work of the Trail Conference in 2019. Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley Community Grants Fund of Putnam County A $2,000 grant supports the Steward Program at Breakneck Ridge.John T. Sloper Community Fund A $2,500 grant trains Stewards and restocks the program’s medical supply kits at Breakneck
American Trails hosts the 24th International Trails Symposium and Training Institute in Syracuse, N.Y., April 28 through May 1, and the Trail Conference will be well-represented at this biennial gathering of trail leaders. Staff and volunteers will be making presentations alongside some of our partners on the following topics important to our mission and in connecting people to
The Trail Conference welcomes Brent Boscarino to our trail family. Brent Boscarino joined the Trail Conference in January as our invasive species citizen science program coordinator. He spent the previous 10 years as a high school science teacher and environmental outreach coordinator at the Poughkeepsie Day School in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and previously the Harvey School
Cheers to 3,000 volunteers, 1,300 steps, and 14 years of the Bear Mountain Trails Project! The completion of the Bear Mountain Trails Project was momentous for the Trail Conference and all our project partners. The Appalachian Trail at Bear Mountain was rebuilt with more than 1,300 granite steps from the bottom of the mountain to its summit—work completed over 14 years
