filed under: conservation
A TRAILSNext™ presentation
Learn how trail steward and trail-building programs have worked to make the public better informed and more responsible trail users while protecting the resource.
by Hank Osborn, Director of Programs, New York - New Jersey Trail Conference
| Overuse and misuse of the most popular outdoor destinations are threatening the ecological integrity of these special places. In the greater New York metropolitan region, the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference is taking a leadership role in coordinating stewardship efforts to keep up with growing threats. There is no one answer to solving this issue; it is our belief that we can create better outdoor experiences through user education, public participation, and sustainable, on-the-ground solutions. The Trail Conference has joined with land managers and local partners to begin a multi-phased stewardship approach on the Appalachian Trail, at Breakneck Ridge, and in the Catskills. Learn how trail steward and trail-building programs have worked to make the public better informed, more responsible trails users while protecting the resource. Because when trails are used responsibly, they protect both the people who use them and the environment that surrounds them. Learning Objectives: Participants will enjoy an increased awareness of the effectiveness of Trail Stewards to increase public safety and protect the environmental resource through on-the-ground education of outdoor ethics, and how this program complements efforts to build and maintain sustainable trails. |
Hank Osborn is an avid outdoor educator and advocate. He joined the Trail Conference staff in 2013 as East Hudson Program Coordinator. In 2020, Hank became the Trail Conference's Director of Programs. Hank has a long history and a deep passion for the outdoors. He began maintaining trails as a boy in Garrison, N.Y. and later, as an adult, chaired the Garrison School Forest Committee; was appointed to the Philipstown Greenway Committee, and became a Hudson Highlands Land Trust hike leader. Hank has taught geology, environmental science and ecology at the high school level and served as associate professor of physical education and rowing coach at Columbia University and Dartmouth College. Hank graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in Sociology and Geology and did graduate work at Dartmouth College with a focus in environmental studies. He has completed two National Outdoor Leadership School courses and currently serves on the Beacon Greenway Committee. Hank is President of the Board of Directors of the Friends of Fahnestock and Hudson Highlands State Parks. He lives in the Hudson Highlands where he and his wife enjoy hiking the trails with their children.
Contact: [email protected]
This research investigated the influence of several use-related, environmental, and managerial factors on soil loss on recreational trails and roads at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, a unit of the U.S. National Park Service.
All-Terrain Vehicle Sustainability Assessments
The sustainable management of ATV use is an expensive proposition requiring careful design, construction, and maintenance of ATV trails.
This research assessed the condition and sustainability of the trail system at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, a National Park Service unit that partners with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in the management of this unit.
The Influence of Layout on Appalachian Trail Soil Loss, Widening, and Muddiness
This research investigates the influence of layout and design on the severity of trail degradation.
