FOOTPATHS

National Trails Day® 2008:Celebrate Our Nation’s Trails

By Ivan Levin

Ribbon-cutting for the Rich Guadagno Memorial Trail, OR. This trail was dedicated to refuge manager Guadagno who was killed on United Flight 93 on September 11, 2001.

National Trails Day® is the largest and only nationwide single-day trails and outdoor celebration designed to promote healthy lifestyles, connect the general public with trails in their communities, and build partnerships to protect trails. Through National Trails Day, the American Hiking Society introduces people to a wide array of trail activities such as hiking, biking, paddling, horseback riding, trail running, and bird watching. Held the first Saturday of June, National Trails Day brings together people who enjoy trails and the outdoors to participate in trail work projects, educational workshops, trail dedication ceremonies, and gear demonstrations.

Trails are life-enriching places. We know that people have a positive response to nature, and getting out on our favorite trails provides us comfort and connection. However, we need to work in earnest to broaden environmental awareness and build a new generation of trail enthusiasts who will work tirelessly to protect our outdoor experiences and natural heritage. This is a daunting challenge, but by working together to “make every day National Trails Day,” we can and will marshal the resources necessary to leave a positive outdoor legacy for future generations.

There are an estimated 200,000 miles of trails across America, including 24 federally designated National Scenic and Historic Trails. Since the early 1920s, trails have owed their existence to the vision and sweat equity of thousands of volunteers who help understaffed and under-funded land managers keep trails repaired and in safe condition. This spirit of volunteerism and cooperation is the impetus behind National Trails Day.

National Trails Day began in 1993 as an event to observe the 25th anniversary of the National Trails System Act. Since then National Trails Day has become an annual rite of spring. Like civic holidays, it has a meaning deeper than the festivities surrounding it. Whether the day involves work, celebration, or honoring dedicated people, it is a time for reaching out to the public and inviting them to enjoy the American landscape. National Trails Day also promotes the idea of trails for everyone. It supports the idea to establish trails as linear parks, close to where people live and work.

National Trails Day has evolved over time. Sixteen years ago, its goal was simply maximizing the number of people who attended particular events and helped bring attention to the effort of maintaining trails. Today, National Trails Day has become an opportunity to dedicate new trails and get some work done on old ones. It is a day owned by everyone — to the point where it’s now common to hear a public official declare, “Our goal is to finish this new trail in time for National Trails Day!”

This single-day event can be used to promote solutions to new challenges. One of the most pressing is the looming public health crisis brought on by sedentary lifestyles. The second is even more grave: For the first time in history, a generation of youths are growing up with no contact with nature. By encouraging families to enjoy this day, National Trails Day can help expose a new generation to the outdoors.

In 2007, more than 1,000 events, bringing together almost 100,000 volunteers, were registered with the American Hiking Society. Residents from all 50 states, as well as Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and Canada were represented. These volunteers donated 175,000 hours of time, or $3.2 million labor hours.

In Oregon and Washington state, there were nearly 50 National Trails Day events held last year. In the Portland-metro area, events ranged from trail maintenance in Forest Park to an event celebrating the completion of the Willamette River Water Trail.

This day last year also saw the dedication of the Rich Guadagno Memorial Trail at Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge near Dallas, OR. This trail is named in honor of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service refuge manager who lost his life on September 11, 2001, aboard United Flight 93. This event also marked the opening of the 1,000th National Recreation Trail.

For 2008, numerous National Trails Day events are planned for Oregon. For a list of a few Oregon events, see page 24 of this issue.

The theme for this year is “Join Us on the Trail,” and each event across the country will spread the message that trails are integral to our lives, and that lifelong enjoyment of nature depends on the collective efforts of all citizens in a community.

For more information about National Trails Day, visit www.AmericanHiking.org.

Ivan Levin is the Trail Programs Manager for the American Hiking Society, a recreation-based conservation organization located in Silver Spring , MD. For more information, visit AmericanHiking.org or contact Ivan at 301-565-6704, ext. 208 or email ILevin@AmericanHiking.org.