Trail Finder

CT Trail Finder Badges Inspired by UConn Students

Posted on by

Written by Laura Kelly

In May of this year, a new module was launched on CT Trail Finder: Earn Badges! With a free account, users can add trail logs to their profile. Users can now earn digital badges when adding trail logs that match the badges’ criteria. Badges can be earned for a multitude of accomplishments, from completing one’s first trail, to mountain biking 133 miles – the approximate width of Connecticut! Some badges are partnerships, like the Connecticut Forest & Park Association limited-time badge for completing a trail during Connecticut Trails Day weekend, June 7-8. Other badges are awarded for exploring multi-use pathways, river trails, and urban trails, for getting on the trail with family and friends (developed with the PATHS program team), and several other engaging challenges.

Recently, five additional badges were launched based on ideas from University of Connecticut students who were enrolled in a course about nature-based outdoor recreation resource management. Students presented the ideas to their classmates and peers at the end of the course and were given the option to pursue turning their ideas into real earnable badges on CT Trail Finder.

We worked with five students to bring their badges to life. They include badges for exploring waterfront trails on the Long Island Sound and CT’s large rivers (Waterfront Whimsy), taking and sharing trail photos with CT Trail Finder (Photography Fiend), exploring rock scrambles (Scrambled!), following trails to waterfalls (Waterfall Chaser), and participating in multiple activities (Jack of All Trails). Students provided preliminary badge designs and criteria, and we ensured they fit within the parameters of the CT Trail Finder system. Kara Bonsack, Graphic Designer at UConn Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR), used the students’ designs as inspiration for designing the final digital badge graphics.

There are now 27 earnable badges on CT Trail Finder, with additional seasonal and special event badges planned. This collaborative project has resulted in a badge collection unique to Connecticut Trail Finder’s platform, highlighting the special attributes of our trails and encouraging exploration of the rich outdoor recreation opportunities available here.

Badges on CT Trail Finder

Shout-Out to Fairfield Conservation Department!

Posted on by

We would like to recognize Fairfield Conservation Department! This department was the first of its kind in the state, with open space areas that provide views of forest, lake, river, salt marsh, and more. I spoke with director Tim Bishop, who is interested in updating and modernizing Fairfield’s open space trail maps so that more people have access to accurate information about outdoor recreation opportunities available in town. This may even include helping Fairfield residents find new trails they never knew about! This is exactly what we love to help with at CT Trail Finder, and have worked with them to publish nine of their trails on https://www.cttrailfinder.com/.

Grace Richardson Open Space Area, Fairfield, CT. Also pictured are Conservation Director Tim Bishop and the Town of Fairfield seal.

Fairfield continues to protect parcels to enhance connectivity between open space areas, providing trail users with more options and safer corridors. Another of Tim’s goals is to make maps for some larger trail networks available on Avenza. We are thrilled about our partnership with Tim and the Fairfield Conservation Department and about providing services that can help them meet their goals! 

Shout-Out to Westport Conservation Department!

Posted on by

A warm shout-out goes to Westport Conservation and Parks and Recreation Departments!

Bench overlooking the river on a Westport town trail
View from Saugatuck River Trails

The CT Trail Finder team is proud to work with them to create a digital guide to the open space area trails managed by the town and partners (shout-out to Aspetuck Land Trust)! A sincere thank you to Colin Kelly, Conservation Department Director, who spoke with me about how Westport’s original illustrated open space maps and the CT Trail Finder online maps have complemented each other.

As one example, Colin gave credit to student interns who have been using the illustrated trail maps to guide them in collecting geospatial trail data using Avenza.
We are excited to help our Westport partners build a digital trail database to help trail users find outdoor recreation features, like shoreline access. We also enjoy seeing the creative approaches that Colin and partners have used to connect smaller trails, paths, and public recreation areas together to help people imagine new ways to explore Westport open space, such as the Saugatuck River Trails. Find a new Westport trail to enjoy this week!

Shout-Out to the Still River Greenway Committee!

Posted on by

It’s our pleasure to highlight the managers of the Still River Greenway, a multi-use paved trail along the Still River in Brookfield, CT. Many thanks go to Jay Annis, Still River Greenway Committee Chair, longtime Brookfield resident, and outdoor recreation enthusiast, for speaking with me.

wide flat pathway on a sunny day with green vegetation around
Still River Greenway
Following a Brookfield resident survey in 2001 that revealed a desire for a walking/biking path, Jay was tapped to lead the committee that would bring such a path to life. After 15 years of work with the Parks and Recreation Department, the Still River Greenway Committee saw the greenway opened in 2016. Now, the collaboration continues with an extension of the greenway as part of the in-progress Norwalk River Valley Trail. From Jay himself, “our town project has changed into a much bigger project that benefits everyone”.
Still River Greenway is in the CT Trail Census program, with trail use count data going back to 2017, assisting advocates with garnering support. It was also published on CT Trail Finder in 2024, viewed as a way to promote trail use and support for trail projects, and to encourage enjoyment of local experiences when pairing trails with trailside services. We sincerely appreciate our partnership across the CT Trails Program! Explore the trail here!

Shout-Out to Quiet Corner NEMBA!

Posted on by
Photo: CT Trail Finder; QCNEMBA

We’re pleased to feature an exciting new partnership! On CT Trail Finder, Quiet Corner New England Mountain Bike Association (QCNEMBA) helped publish Pomfret Forest, an extensive multi-use trail system directly off the Air Line State Park Trail in Pomfret, that they have designed with mountain bikers in mind. Many thanks to Christian Smutnick, QCNEMBA Vice President, for speaking with me about their recent work building, maintaining, and connecting folks to trails in the northeast corner of CT.

QCNEMBA shares our goal of increasing trail accessibility – such as with our interactive trail maps open for anyone to access from a web browser. They often map their own trails, which helped streamline CT Trail Finder map preparation. They are also interested in connections between trails and local businesses through tourism, tying in with our trailside services. QCNEMBA is active with unique programs, such as Wednesday Women’s rides (pictured here), and Gear Locker, in which used mountain bikes are donated, quality-assessed, and lent to new riders to help reduce initial cost barriers.

Pomfret Forest is a victory for QCNEMBA, and an awesome addition to CT Trail Finder – go check it out!

Shout-Out to Joshua’s Trust!

Posted on by

We want to shout out our partnership with Joshua’s Trust! The land trust organization has been operating since 1966 preserving land in Northeastern Connecticut, with many team members, volunteers, and stewards pouring their hearts and souls in. A special shout-out goes to Paul Pribula – mapping whiz, former JT board member, and current volunteer steward – who spoke with me about starting the GIS mapping process at the organization. Paul is proud to be part of the large team effort at JT, naming many other Most Valuable Players in their constant efforts for land preservation to protect local flora and fauna and boost climate change resilience. We are thrilled to help share trail maps and information and connect JT’s trail maps with other trail networks in the Northeast region, by which visitors can enjoy the fruits of their decades of labor and admire all the local lands have to offer.

Photo: CT Trail Finder; Coney Rock Preserve

 

Shout-Out to Farmington Canal Heritage and River Trails!

Posted on by

We want to shout out Farmington Canal Heritage Trail and Farmington River Trail managers and volunteers for all their work with CT Trail Finder! The time, care, and miles they have put in to keep trail info up-to-date, easy to access, and helpful has been invaluable to us and trail users alike. A special shout-out to volunteer Norm Berg, who collected coordinates and descriptive information for points of interest, infrastructure, accessibility, amenities, and parking lot conditions, while coordinating with us to get the best information onto CT Trail Finder so trail users know what to expect. Norm also talks with people on the trail, getting to know what they need and sharing that knowledge with us, and promotes CT Trail Finder via signage and word-of-mouth. We really appreciate working with Norm and all our volunteers!

A paved trail with a wooden bridge extends through a deciduous forest with green spring leaves. A person with a white and red shirt and a green helmet is bicycling on the trail.
Photo: Norm Berg; Farmington Canal Heritage Trail

Welcome Emily!

Posted on by

Trail intern Emily M

We are excited to announce that we have a new intern here at UConn CLEAR and the CT Trail Program!

Emily Markelon is an environmental studies and journalism student at the University of Connecticut, planning to graduate in the fall of 2024. She is the Twitter and Facebook chair for UConn’s chapter of Her Campus, a nationally recognized online women’s magazine, and she is the Director of Administration for her sorority Alpha Omicron Pi. 

Emily will be working primarily on CT Trail Finder, specifically trailside services to start, and we look forward to applying her skills and talents to other aspects of the program. Welcome Emily!

 

Connecticut Trail Finder is Hiring! Apply for the Paid Student Internship, Fall 2021

Posted on by

Connecticut Trail Finder Paid Student Internship, Fall 2021

Supervisor contact: This internship will be co-supervised by Laura Brown, Community & Economic Development Educator – New Haven County Extension Center, Contact- Laura Brown: Cell 608-886-0655 laura.brown@uconn.edu and Kimberly Bradley, CT Trail Census/Trail Finder Coordinator Cell 860-581-3130 Kimberly.bradley@uconn.edu

Office location: Remote. Weekly online meetings (computer required) will be required.

Background:
The CT Trail Finder http://cttrailfinder.com/ will be a free, interactive mapping site designed to help Connecticut residents and visitors find hiking, walking, snowshoeing, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and paddling trails across the state. Our goal is to help people get out, be active, and explore our state’s treasures. Detailed trail description pages will allow users to view the trails, get essential information, submit trip comments and photos, find nearby geocaches, and a whole lot more. Users will be able to track trail experiences, noting trails that they have completed, their favorites, or ones they want to visit.

Tasks/Responsibilities:
This internship will involve assisting with communications, outreach, and technical aspects of the CT Trail Finder including: developing topical social media postings for Facebook and Instagram, supporting development of narrative for trail postings, working within website platform to publish trail information, assisting with in-person outreach events, participating in team coordination meetings. The student should have excellent communication, writing and organizational skills, and ability to work effectively independently as well as coordinate with a professional team involved in overseeing these projects.

Date ranges and work times: Remote. Weekly online meetings (computer required) will be required and some travel around the state may be required to fully participate in the program. Interns will have the opportunity to be present in an office in New Haven or Haddam as needed but the majority of the work hours will be self-managed. Dates and work hours will be mutually agreed upon at the start of the internship.

The intern will have the opportunity to:
• Learn about the multiple values of trails as resources for recreation, health promotion, and economic or tourism development;
• Learn how state agencies partner with local and private conservation organizations to advance and promote outdoor recreation.
• Enhance their skills in educational communications (writing and verbal presentation skills) for a public audience

Mentorship commitment:
Trail Finder Coordinator Kim Bradley and Community & Economic Development Educator Laura Brown will work closely with the intern to discover key learning objectives and interests. The intern will be required to participating in weekly team coordination meetings. We would also encourage the intern to participate in trainings, meetings and activities around the state proving them with connections and career contacts in our program partner organizations such as the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Connecticut Forest and Park Association and the National Park Service. We will also support the student in identifying additional related learning and career opportunities following the internship experience.

Compensation: $15/hour, ~10 hours per week for 10 weeks. Total compensation will be $1,500 with potential for continuing through the Spring and Summer semester.

To Apply: Please send a short cover letter expressing interest and resume to laura.brown@uconn.edu and kimberly.bradley@uconn.edu. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis with estimated start date October 4, 2021.

My Environmental Story: An End of a Chapter

Posted on by

Author: Khadija Shaikh

This summer, I got an internship with a newly grant-funded project, the Connecticut Trail Finder. It was the first environmental-related job I ever held and to say I am sad that it is ending today would be an understatement. You see, this summer was not only a positive experience but a healthy one. I was grateful enough to learn about resilience, perseverance, and assertiveness. The rapport that was established between me and my supervisors was one I had dreamed about when first entering the workforce. 

 

Being a Muslim Indian woman who chooses to wear Hijab, it can quite difficult for me to believe in myself and be proud of the career path I have chosen. It is not just due to the stereotypical Indian parental and societal pressures but also because of the lack of representation in the environmental field. Just recently did I declare myself an environmentalist because for so long I never really understood how a Muslim Indian woman who chooses to wear Hijab fit into this dominating white discipline. Instead, of positive experiences, I hear of marginalized members being mistreated and tokenized in the workplace due to their lack of matching the stereotypical white, male, “tree-hugger vegan” of an environmentalist. Due to these encounters and insecurities, I was fearful to apply for an internship, afraid that I would quickly join the group of discriminated marginalized environmentalists. However, this fear lessened as I began my summer internship. 

 

My supervisors have continuously and constantly supported and encouraged me to be a “go-getter”. From even before I started my internship, during my interview, I remember feeling at ease speaking with them about my passions, experiences, and career goals. They responded with such excitement and with such cheer that it felt like they wanted what was best for me. I really appreciated that. At the beginning of each week, my supervisors would check in with me to establish the goals and priorities for the week, but also see how I was doing mentally and emotionally. This summer was intense for personal reasons, however, the relationship I had with my supervisors allowed me to be honest during my weekly check-ins and know that my supervisors were my advocates. 

 

The summer internship was not all easy though, it challenged me. As I mentioned previously, I learned what it meant to be assertive and how important it is to be. Prior to this internship, I was passive when relaying my ideas and opinions, I would never come forth with my own until I felt comfortable enough to and even then, that was rare. I wasn’t brought up in a household where I could freely speak my mind, and with the lack of diverse representation in the environmental field, it felt even harder to be able to feel valued enough to voice my concerns. However, the team I worked with during my internship made it a point to ask me for my thoughts and for what my goals were for the internship. It was a relationship in where my team members wanted me to grow and thrive. I felt appreciated and as if I ever needed help, there would be plenty of people more than willing to offer. 

 

This summer I got an internship. One that provided me with an expectation of a healthy work environment, role models who exhibit perseverance, and values of assertiveness and honesty. I am thankful for this experience, however, I am a bit upset that it was such a great one because now it will be ending. I know it is for the best, I have opportunities lined up for the future, but now I have this expectation and knowledge of what it’s like to work in a place where you are encouraged constantly to speak your mind and push for the projects that you want to make happen. I just hope that I continue to have experiences such as this one. 

 

Thank you Kimberly Bradley and Laura Brown for your endless support and love, I appreciate both of you. Thank you to the rest of the CT Trails Team and partners, I have had such a wonderful time working with all of you, I hope our paths cross sometime soon. 

 

As we say farewell to Khadija Shaikh for all of her time and hard work, we also would like to say if you ever want to contact us, please feel free to at trails@uconn.edu.