Trail Conference Awards 2013

December 09, 2013
New York-New Jersey Trail Conference

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Trail Conference Awards 2013

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Trail Conference Annual Awards are determined by the Board of Directors upon recommendation by the Volunteer Committee. The following awards were made in 2013.


 

William Hoeferlin Award: This award recognizes Trail Conference volunteers who have demonstrated exemplary service to trail maintenance, management and/or trail land protection.

Mark Liss, Fair Lawn, NJ

Mark was first chainsaw certified in 2001 and has been clearing blowdowns from our trails ever since. As a Trail Supervisor and chainsaw crew leader in our West Hudson South region, Mark was especially active in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, leading and participating in volunteer efforts to clear hundreds of trees from trails in Harriman State Park and at the Tenafly Nature Center.

Frank Keech, White Plains, NY

Frank has been an active member of our West Hudson South Trail Crew for nearly 20 years. He has worked countless hours on dozens of trail crew work trips, and has always been willing to make that extra effort to ensure that a job is done well. Frank has maintained trails in Fahnestock State Park for many years, and continues to maintain the Osborn Loop Trail in Hudson Highlands State Park. Frank has been and continues to be an outstanding volunteer worker on trails both east and west of the Hudson.

Ron Luna, Pine Brook, NJ

Ron Luna has served as our Trail Supervisor for Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area in Morris County since 2005, developing an excellent working relationship with the Morris County Parks Commission. Ron is out checking his trails daily; immediately after Hurricane Sandy, he walked all the trails and then accompanied the sawyers on every trip to clear blowdowns. Ron has also taken on several signage projects for the Trail Conference, working with his son to build the Universal Signage kiosk/bench for trail heads in West Milford, NJ, and the prototype bollard marker for the Lenape Trail in Essex County, NJ.

Doug Senterman, Elka Park, NY

It’s probably safe to say that Doug was volunteered for trail projects long before he volunteered himself. The son of long-time Catskill Trails Chair Pete Senterman, Doug was often out on trail with his father and brother Jeff (now a Trail Conference staff member). Doug has taken on many volunteer roles: shelter caretaker from 2000 through September 2006; Supervisor for Lean-tos from May 2009 through October 2012, and Chair of our Catskill Lean-to Program since October 2012. In addition, this past summer Doug spearheaded the effort to replace the Kingpost Bridge in Platte Clove.


 

Ken Lloyd Award: This award recognizes members of Trail Conference member clubs, or the member club, who have demonstrated exemplary service to trail maintenance, management, and/or trail land protection.

Herb Hochberg, Scarsdale, NY

Herb has been an active member of the Westchester Trails Association since 1972. He was the club’s trails chair in the 1970s and ’80s and recently took on the post again, as it is one he loves. Herb has a special talent for nurturing maintainers and making them feel truly appreciated. Herb has also served his club as treasurer, membership chair, and board member. In 2011, WTA made Herb a life member. They expressed their appreciation for his contributions again by nominating him for the Trail Conference Ken Lloyd Award.



Leo Rothschild Conservation Award: This award is presented to a person or organization that has made a significant contribution to the protection of our trails and/or the natural lands that surround them.

Seth McKee, New Paltz, NY

In 2005, Seth joined the Trail Conference Board of Directors and immediately became its point person on conservation and advocacy matters. It was a natural fit with his professional position as Land Conservation Director for Scenic Hudson. Seth advanced the Trail Conference land protection goals even through the “great recession,” culminating in the acquisition of 525 acres on the Shawangunk Ridge in 2012, his last year as Conservation Committee Chair. Perhaps even more important was his stewardship of the transfer of hundreds of acres of Trail Conference-protected land on the Ridge to the NY Dept. of Environmental Conservation. (Read more about Seth in our Summer 2013 Trail Walker, page 1.)



Honorary Life Membership: This recognition conveys life member status and the right to vote at Delegate's meetings. Usually given after long years of service to the Trail Conference.

Jack Shuart, Hackensack, NJ

The fact that our certified sawyers still have all their fingers and toes can be attributed largely to the teachings of our principal educator and mentor in the fine art of chain sawing and safe operating procedures, Jack Shuart. In addition to those classes, Jack has also instructed many volunteers in the care and feeding of the one- and two-man crosscut saw. In what little spare time ha has left after his work with the New Jersey Forest Service, Jack also contributes his expertise to the NJ Search and Rescue team and joins them for trail maintenance outings in the Pequannock Watershed. Jack has done all of this over many years, and with little recognition. He has our profound thanks and appreciation.

Joan James, Salisbury Mills, NY

Joan James began volunteering with the Trail Conference in 1991, helping to develop the Shawangunk Ridge Trail. For her work on that project, Joan received our Hoeferlin Award in 1997. Joan has helped with trail and bridge-building projects at Storm King, Schunemunk, and Minnewaska State Parks, the Wappinger Greenway in Dutchess County, Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks, the Shawangunk Ridge, and multiple areas of the Long Path, among others. She maintains the Bobcat Trail on Storm King and the Western Ridge Trail on Schunemunk, and continues to be a go-to person for several of our trail crew leaders, helping with tasks that range from blazing to rock work. We thank Joan for 20-years-and-counting of trail volunteering.

Estelle Anderson & Robert Jonas, West Milford, NJ

Estelle and Bob began their Trail Conference careers separately, Estelle in 2001, Bob since at least 1987—but have been a Trail Conference dynamic duo since 2008, when they began co-chairing the Central Jersey Trail (CJN) Committee and serving on our Volunteer Committee. They were valued members of the Volunteer Committee, helping to develop the Volunteer Handbook and Youth Policy and instituting awards for length of service. In their past five years as CJN co-chairs, Bob and Estelle have developed an outstanding cadre of supervisors and maintainers of whom they are rightfully proud. In addition, they have represented the Trail Conference at numerous tabling events and run Intro to Trail Maintenance workshops. They know and understand the importance of developing good relationships with trail partners and recruiting and nurturing trail volunteers.

Bob, also known as the Tool Czar, has an enviable cache of tools and tool savvy and shares both generously. He received the Hoeferlin Award in 1993. Estelle enjoys supporting and recognizing our volunteers and helping them do their job better. In 2008, she received the Hoeferlin Award.