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As the lucky Alliance staffer to attend the American Trails National Symposium last week, I shared a call to action and a moment of inspiration from the four-day conference down in Chattanooga, Tennessee. But those big-picture presentations were just the bookends on some really insightful workshops on specific topics. I only got to a small handful of the more than 65 discussions, and my head’s still spinning. But here are a few resources that topped my notes.

• Policymakers like numbers. They like to know how much civic bang they’re getting out of their taxpayer buck. Well, there’s a site where you can calculate estimated use and economic benefit of bicycling infrastructure in your community. Researchers at the University of North Carolina and University of Minnesota have created an online “Cost-Benefit Analysis of Bicycling Facilities” tool that’s 85 percent accurate. Check it out here. (Hat tip to Steve Buchtel, Southland Coordinator at Active Transportation Alliance for including the link in this presentation.)
• Speaking of websites, the advocates at Ozark Greenways helped create a very cool platform for commuters in Springfield, Missouri. By logging on to www.OzarksCommute.com, residents can find biking buddies for their routes to work and use an online calculator to show how much green they’re saving by leaving their car at home. Ozark Greenways also has a neat “Drive Less, Live More” booklet. (I especially like their 10 answers to “The Usual Buts” that keep people from pedaling.)
• It’s common sense that trails promote more active communities and physicians are getting on the bike-walk bandwagon. For a wealth of great stats and case studies about how trails and public lands breed better health, check out “Park Prescriptions: Profiles and Resources for Good Health from the Great Outdoors” — a 2010 report from the Institute at the Golden Gate and the National Park Service.
• I’ve never had the chance to do much mountain biking, so, before the Symposium, I’d never even heard the term “Bike Park.” Turns out, bike parks are increasingly popular ways for cities to engage residents, use marginal land and provide a mountain-bike-like experience in a compact space. Nat Lopes, from Hilride, gave a comprehensive presentation on the topic, referencing his company’s 2010 project in Green River, Wyoming. With videos and schematics, the website alone is a neat resource, especially if you’re considering a bike park in your community.
• Are you new to fundraising and have no earthly idea how to approach, or even identify, appropriate foundations? Want to know what program officers are thinking — from people who make those decisions for a living? Read this presentation from Karen Rudolph, from the Lyndhurst Foundation, and Robin Posey, with the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, to get your bearings.
• And, speaking of money, the folks at the Alliance for Community Trees partnered with American Trails to bring Andy Robinson to town for a fundraising training. Obviously, Robinson himself is an incredible resource, and if he’s hosting a training in your town, sign up. But ACT’s Community Tree Leadership Forum has compiled some really cool advocate primers on key topics. In addition to Fundraising, check out their modules on Marketing, Partnerships and Public Policy.
Posted by Carolyn S on November 22, 2010
Tags: resource library, american trails national symposium
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A Moment of Zen from the American Trails Symposium: “All trails are good”

You may not know Dayton Duncan’s name, but you’re probably familiar with his work. Even if you don’t own a television, you heard the buzz about Ken Burn’s spectacular 2010 mini-series, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.”

Well, Duncan was the man behind the camera, scripting the narrative that earned the 12-part documentary two Emmy Awards for outstanding writing. Yesterday, Duncan served as an inspiring keynote speaker at the American Trails National Symposium.

While his speech related most directly to trails and national parks, I couldn’t help but apply his insight to the broader bicycle and pedestrian movement. Duncan spoke eloquently of John Muir’s spiritual conversion and passionate crusades to preserve our sacred vistas and valleys. Duncan suggested that, in our work to create environments that get more Americans off the couch and into the open air, we are following in Muir’s footsteps. By creating the infrastructure and shaping a culture that better serves the spirit and health of future generations, we are equally immortal.

On one hand, Duncan’s speech made me want to ditch my job, hop on a bike and start pedaling across the country to take in all 58 national parks. But on the other, it framed the importance of the daily grind of bike-ped advocacy. We’re not designating national parks, but Alliance member organizations have a similar, perhaps even more important, goal. We’re enhancing our everyday public spaces to better serve our physical and spiritual wellbeing — and the health of generations to come.

Here’s a few snippets from Duncan’s speech:

“We are a nation more and more urban, more and more disconnected from the natural world, more and more distracted by the virtual realities that engulf us — from meeting friends on Facebook, to talking to people on Twitter, to watching reality shows about real housewives or real kids, and, yes, even spending 12 hours watching a documentary film about national parks, instead of taking 30 minutes to walk in a city park. We’re a nation in desperate need of getting up off the couch and out in open air. Everything you do encourages that noble essential goal, so thank you very much for what you do.

“You’ve heard a lot about trails the last few days and a lot of focus on trails is, very rightfully, about how good they are for people’s health… For me, trails are important, not so much for my physical health, but I think about what they do for my spiritual health; not just strengthening your heart, but touching your heart and transforming your life. There’s an old Native American saying: All roads are good. In other words, it’s not the destination; it’s the journey. It’s not what you set off to find, but what you discover along the way that matters the most. And I’d like to modify that today and declare, All trails are good… All trails are good because they invite you to follow them and open yourself up to experience the world, not on Facebook but face-to-face, not through a plasma screen, but through no screen at all…

“Few of us are John Muir. We may not have his eloquence, his distilled passion, his unbending determination and therefore his immense immortal impact on the world. But all of us understand the importance of national parks, city parks and trails and all the public lands, which he championed. We all here agree that all trails are good because they can open us up to connection to rest of creation and expose us to something bigger than ourselves. All trails are good, not just for our physical health, but our spiritual health — maybe for our spiritual health most of all… That’s why the work you do is so important. Every 100 yards of trails — no, every yard of trail — wherever it is, newly made or restored, makes a difference. Every person you encourage to take one of those trails is made better because of your work. Therefore, like John Muir you are impacting and shaping a future we won’t see, but that we hope will be better than the present.”

Posted by Carolyn S on November 18, 2010
Tags: trails, national parks, john muir, inspiration, american trails national symposium
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