This fall, hundreds of enthusiastic runners participated in trail events ranging from 2 to 26.2 miles. From smooth carriageways in Rockefeller and the Ramapos to singletrack trails in Sterling Forest, these venues are helping runners connect with the Trail Conference and our mission. 2nd Annual Sterling Furnace Half Marathon and 7-Miler Organized by Trail Conference Board member…
What a difference a year can make! The Welch Trail Education Center (WTEC) is blossoming into a seasonal home for our Conservation Corps members and a budding environmental center. With the COVID-19 vaccine came the help of volunteers which made all the difference. Last year, it was only my father, husband, and two sons pitching in. This year, it…
Every Christmas before I turned 10, my parents would load up the car and drive my sisters and me 400 km (about 250 miles) from Lagos to our village in Edo state to visit our grandparents. We drove through the tropical rainforest dotted with red sand anthills and thick bush as far as the eyes…
The volunteers of the Trail Tramps made significant improvements along the Briarcliff Peekskill Trail in New York’s Westchester County thanks to the support of a donor. In 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic began, hiker Mark Perreault walked the Briarcliff Peekskill Trail in New York’s Westchester County and became concerned about the trail’s need for extensive…
New Board members Sreeni Nair, Kalyan Ghosh, Barbara Evans, and Carol Ann Benton were appointed to the Trail Conference Board of Directors in November at the Trail Conference Annual Meeting. Sreeni Nair lives in Mercer County, N.J. He has been an avid hiker all his life— first, in the mountains of India, and later in the…
A vital tract of land needed to secure the route of the Terrace Pond North Loop in New Jersey’s Wawayanda State Park has been permanently preserved thanks to the Trail Conference, our partners, and our supporters. The beautiful 2.5-acre parcel between Wawayanda State Park and Abram S. Hewitt State Forest was purchased from private owner Norma Schadegg in October.…
As we close 2021 and look forward to a new year, we send our gratitude to the trail community and all who believe in the power of nature. Thanks to you, the Trail Conference continues to be an incredible force multiplier, recruiting and training more than 2,500 volunteers who care for and protect our region’s natural areas…
To remain an impactful organization, we need to grow and evolve. There is a delicate balance of old and new. What do you do for the encore to a Centennial celebration? That’s a tough question to answer, considering the Trail Conference has successfully fulfilled its mission of providing access to the best system of trails…
The Nominating Committee of the Trail Conference presents the following candidates for the Board of Directors for three-year terms and At-Large Voting Members for one-year terms. These nominations will be voted on at the Annual Meeting to be held on Sunday, Nov. 14, via a virtual Zoom call from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. If you have agenda items to suggest,…
Following the recent heavy rainstorms, the bridge near Glynwood Road on the Perkins Trail in Fahnestock State Park was washed out. The stream was nearly impossible to cross during high water. To fix the crossing and regain access to trails in this area of the park, volunteer Trail Supervisor John Magerlein led a group of volunteers and…
The 93.3-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail in New York means so much to the people who live near it. To Katharine Spector, a 40-year-old interior designer, wife, mother, and ultrarunner from Kent Cliffs, the A.T. is a quiet oasis and place to connect with her family in nature. It was the proving ground on which she…
Centennials are always worthy of celebration. This fall, the Trail Conference finally gets to celebrate its 100th birthday— even if the party is a little late. (No one could have anticipated a pandemic, after all.) In commemoration of the milestone, a century of the Trail Conference’s volunteer-powered conservation and stewardship legacy is documented in the…
