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20th American Trails National Symposium

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS
Chattanooga, Tennessee ~ November 14-17, 2010

 

 

"Trails: The Green Way for America" is the theme of the 20th American Trails National Symposium, to be held in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Nov. 14-17, 2010.

To help us develop an exciting and motivating program for the Symposium, we invite you to submit ideas for presentations in support of the Symposium’s theme. We expect to offer 60 concurrent sessions, each lasting 75 minutes. Proposals are due by April 30, 2010.

See programs that were presented at the 2008 American Trails National Symposium

For questions, contact Program Team Chair: Jeff Hunter, Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition, PO Box 2142, Chattanooga, TN 37409 - jeff@safc.org - (423) 322-7866.

Download the Call for Presentations as a pdf (225 kb)

 

 

 

 

 

Call for Presentations/Topics

To help us develop an exciting and motivating program for the Symposium, we invite you to submit ideas for presentations in support of the Symposium’s theme. We expect to offer 60 concurrent sessions, each lasting 75 minutes.

Another opportunity, in a smaller scale format, to display information about your project or issue to a wide audience is creating a poster. Posters will be displayed in a common area throughout the Symposium. Individuals displaying posters will also have an opportunity to share their "story" and to meet with interested attendees at designated times during the Symposium.

The Program Committee is particularly seeking presentations that introduce new ideas, convey useful strategies, identify lessons learned, and strengthen participants’ existing skills and knowledge — in the spirit of the Symposium theme. Potential topics for presentations include, but are definitely not limited to, the general topic areas attached.

Submissions

The Program Committee looks forward to receiving your ideas. Due to the tremendous number of proposals expected, we will not be able to accept every proposal, and we may combine individual proposals with similar topics to create a Panel Session. If you know of someone who would complement your proposal, please forward the Call onto them.

We anticipate over 150 presenters. We hope you understand with these numbers, we are unable to cover expenses, so speakers are expected to pay the Symposium registration fee and travel expenses. We have been fortunate enough to keep the registration rates the same for the past few conferences and will not be raising the rates this year. It is considered an honor to present in front of your peers. A limited number of scholarships may be available to offset some costs. But these scholarships are primarily for presenters outside of the trails community that wouldn’t otherwise be attending.

To submit a proposal, please refer to the submission instructions below.

Proposals are due by April 30, 2010

 

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Please submit the following information for your proposal by April 30, 2010. Please limit your response to items 1 through 5 to a single page, left justified, 11 point font minimum:

1. Proposed Title of Presentation (think creatively).

2. Describe the presentation and its purpose.

3. List three learning objectives.

Example 1:

Topic: “Armored Crossings – A Bridge Under Troubled Water”

Objectives:

• To explore alternatives to bridge building
• To outline how to repair and prevent erosion in trouble-prone areas
• To list alternative ways to reinforce loose soils

Example 2:

Topic: “Transportation Alternatives, Connectivity, and Walkability”

Objectives:

• To describe how land use and transportation facilities affect transportation mode choice
• To discuss initiatives and methods to improve walking and bicycling conditions, leading to improved quality of life
• To list types of facilities and land uses that support walking and bicycling for destination-oriented trips, as well as for recreation

Suggested verbs for writing learning objectives include:

count - define - describe - identify - list - name - outline - read - recall - summarize - recognize - reproduce - state - write - discuss - give - estimate - examples - predict

Do not use:
know - understand - appreciate - enhance- grasp - improve - learn

4. What benefits do you expect that attendees will gain from your presentation?

5. How will your proposed session relate or contribute to the Symposium theme: "Trails: The Green Way for America?"

6. Under what general topic area(s) do you think your proposal falls? Please refer to the list of potential topics attached.

7. Which presentation type do you propose? Choose your first priority from the following:

a. Individual Presentation (single speaker)
b. Panel Presentation* (we recommend only 2 people on a panel, but definitely no more than 3)
c. Posters — displayed throughout the length of the Symposium

8. Please list your anticipated speaker(s), along with their title and affiliation/organization (speaker(s) can be changed later).

9. What is your contact information? Please provide the following:

a. Name
b. Title
c. Affiliation/Organization
d. Address
e. Phone Number
f. Fax Number
g. Email Address
h. Website Address (if applicable for your topic or organization)

* If proposing a Panel Presentation, please provide the same contact information for each speaker and the moderator.

10. Please list any anticipated A/V equipment needs.

11. Tell us if you object to your presentation being taped. We are considering the possibility of taping sessions. Please state if you object to having your session taped and include any comments with your proposal. Your submission grants American Trails permission to record your presentation unless you specifically state "I object to having my session taped."

In order to expedite the presentation review process, we require that all proposals be submitted electronically (email or CD). If possible, save the document in Rich Text Format (RTF) or Microsoft Word (doc) and scan for viruses prior to submission. Applicants are welcome to submit up to two attachments (documents, photos, brochures, publications, videos, etc.) that help to further describe or clarify the topic/presentation. Attachments need not be in electronic format, but they must be submitted with the proposal.

Deadline for submitting proposals is April 30, 2010

To submit by email, send your proposal and any electronic attachments in the same email:

jeff@safc.org (Please type “NTS Proposal” in the subject line.)

To submit by disk, mail your proposal on disk and any hardcopy attachments in the same envelope to:

MAILING ADDRESS:
Jeff Hunter, Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition, PO Box 2142, Chattanooga, TN 37409

SHIPPING ADDRESS:
Jeff Hunter, Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition , 825-C Merrimon Ave. Asheville, NC 28804

For questions regarding the program or submitting proposals, please contact the Program Team Chair: Jeff Hunter, Tennessee Field Organizer, Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition, PO Box 2142, Chattanooga, TN 37409 - jeff@safc.org - (423) 322-7866.

The Program Team will review all submissions and contact session coordinators and presenters no later than July 9, 2010.

 

Presentation Topics to Consider-(other topic ideas welcome)

• Advocacy– build and sustain advocacy for trails organizing; lobbying; outreach

• Benefits of Trails– the triple bottom line – economic, environmental and health: other benefits; recognizing and promoting

• Building Strong Organizations for Trails– leadership;how to recruit, organize, educate, implement organizations;board selection and development; liability; membership; fundraising; use of volunteers; website development

• Cultural/Historical Issues – trail development in historical context; preserving working landscapes; diversity of users; preserving/using historic structures; working with Native Americans; the arts

• Design and Construction – sustainability; accessibility; Universal Trail Assessment Process; design standards; mapping; viewshed analysis; funding; trail-building techniques, materials, products and equipment; specialized construction practices; hybrid contracting; citizen-built trails; signage;multi-season and multi-use trail design;minimizing user conflicts;art and trails

• Economic Issues– ecotourism; greenways and trails to support infrastructure; projects in low-income areas; projects in brownfields

• Educational Opportunity of Trails– trails developed or used as non-traditional classrooms; teaching opportunities for history, natural history, geography, survival skills, cultural issues, orientation/geocaching, or other topics

• Environmental Issues– stewardship; benefits; impacts of projects; designation and protection of ecological infrastructure; wildlife interface; trails as a resource management tool; global/green living

• Funding– public funding, private sources; creative funding; funds for operations and maintenance

• Future of Trails– anticipating change; emerging technologies, trends; new trail users or user groups; meeting the needs of changing demographics

• Health– health benefits of trails; promoting trailsfor mental, physical, social, and spiritual well-being; partnering with/engaging the health community

• Information Systems – internet/websites; software applications; GIS/GPS

• Land Acquisition – strategies; tools for acquiring, partners, mineral rights, NIMBY’s

• National Trails System – future of the system; partnerships, management, NRT program

• Natural Disasters and Trails – impacts on trails, reconstruction strategies; trails for access

• Operations and Maintenance – funding; partnering; volunteers; effective management organizations;equipment; cost-effective maintenance

• Partnerships– partnering for trail funding, construction, or maintenance;partneringwith agencies, different trail user groups, developers, private landowners, utility companies, stakeholders; coalition building; consensus building tools; sustaining long-term relationships; diversity

• Policy– legislation; funding, federal highway funding reauthorization; compliance; liability; access; user fees

• Promoting Greenways & Trails– selling benefits; fundraising; media; special events; designation and recognition

• Safety and Security on Trails– building safe trails; changing perceptions; emergency access and communications;trails as community watch

• Shared-Used Issues & Solutions – examples of working models; creative solutions for cooperation

• Signage, Wayfinding, Interpretation–best practices, working with land managers; new solutions to old problems

• Trail System Planning– objectives; laying out the trails; agency involvement & cooperation, environmental impacts; funding; regional and national connectivity; crossing boundaries; ecological infrastructure; master planning; the urban/rural interface; shared use; user conflicts; alternative transportation; rails with trails

• Trail User Groups– opportunities to partner; securing easements; shared-use; design; operations; maintenance; funding

• Water Trails– design; facility needs; management; signage

• Wilderness & Trails – primitive tool skills and volunteer recruitment in a digital age, management issues

• Youth and Trails– engaging youth in design, construction, operations; getting them on the trail

 

Registration and Accommodations

Online registration will be available in the near future. But to help you plan now, the cost of the Symposium will range from $325 early registration for an American Trails member to $450 for regular registration, non-member (we have been fortunate to keep the registration rates the same for the past few conferences, and will not be raising the rates this year). Lodging at Symposium host hotels starts at $99 plus tax (a limited number of rooms will be available at the prevailing government per diem rate at the time of the conference; currently the rate is $87). Hotel information will be released in February. The main events and Exhibit Hall for the National Trails Symposium will be held at the Chattanooga Convention Center.

Learn more about the 20th American Trails National Symposium on our website or contact the American Trails office at (530) 547-2060 or by email at Symposium@AmericanTrails.org.

Download the Call for Presentations as a pdf (225 kb)

 

 

 

 

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American Trails, P.O. Box 491797, Redding, CA 96049-1797
(530) 547-2060 • Fax: (530) 547-2035 • trailhead@americantrails.org