A detour around the repair site, which is located just south of the Polish Line Road and Mullett Lake Road intersection, will be removed and users will be able to once again travel down the trail corridor.

The NCST is mainly used as a snowmobile trail this time of year. This project is funded from a grant provided by the Recreation Improvement Fund.

The Great Florida Birding Trail is a conservation program initiated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in response to the rapidly expanding sport of bird watching.  More than 485 exceptional sites throughout Florida have been chosen based on their quality and compiled into trail guides representing four geographic regions.

The sign installations should be completed by early next year and will help bird watchers find the designated sites throughout the Panhandle. Gateway sites at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, near Tallahassee, and Big Lagoon State Park, in Pensacola, provide extensive trail-related resources, with loaner optics available on site.  They also act as hubs of regional birding information.

Field guides in both English and Spanish also are provided to enable visitors to identify which birds they are viewing.  Additional materials for beginning bird watchers also are available at each gateway site.

The Florida Panhandle offers remarkable birding experiences and fewer crowds, with sought-after species like the red-cockaded woodpecker, swallow-tailed and Mississippi kites, snowy plover, Swainson’s warbler, Sprague’s pipit and a remarkable diversity of winter visitors (including hummingbirds) not typically found in the peninsula.  The Panhandle’s coastline is an important migration corridor for waterfowl, shorebirds, songbirds and birds of prey.

A sign-dedication event, complete with birding hikes, will be held at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge on Jan. 17 at 1 p.m.

The project includes installing large boulders and stabilizing materials to repair damage caused by erosion, and prevent any further damage which could affect the safety of trail users. The work must be finished before the ground is frozen completely in order to be effective.

This project is funded from a grant provided by the Recreation Improvement Fund. The work site is located approximately 200 yards south of the Polish Line Road and Mullett Lake Road intersection. The repair work is expected to begin on Monday, Dec. 15.

A one-half mile detour has been established to provide continued safe use of the NCST during the repair. The NCST is mainly used as a snowmobile trail this time of year. The DNR anticipates the trail will be reopened on or before Friday, Dec. 19, to avoid interruption to trail users over the holiday season.

The Symposium agendaaddresses both non-motorized and motorized issues as well as vision for trails and greenways around the country. Dozens of speakers and keynote presenters will be covering the top topics in the trails community with presentations from across America. Mobile workshops will give participants the opportunity to walk, ride, hike or paddle some of the great local trails around Arkansas.

Besides the educational opportunities found at this biennial symposium, networking with a wide variety of knowledgeable people working on trails today, including advocates, agencies, land managers, designers, planners, technicians, vendors, builders, developers, and enthusiasts, is one of the best benefits of attending this conference. See the Symposium schedule for details.

The Symposium also provides sponsors and exhibitors from across America a place to showcase their products and services.Another highlight of the symposium is the National Trails Awards, which recognizes the people, agencies and organizations that are creating trails for all Americans.

This FREE program will last between two and three hours. It will include a hike over easy to moderate terrain. Bring bug spray and water. You may also want to bring a snack or bagged lunch.

For more information, or to register, please call the Center at 860-455-9534. The Goodwin Conservation Center, located at 23 Potter Road, off Route 6, in Hampton, CT, is a partnership of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, the CT Forest & Park Association, and the University of Connecticut Department of Extension.

The 5K fun run begins from the Nature Center at 8 a.m. The walk starts at 8:15 a.m. Advance registration is $20 and covers the park entry fee and race-logo shirt.

Race- day registration, starting at 7 a.m. at the Nature Center, is $25 and does not include the park entry fee ($5/in-statevehicle, $7/ out-of-state vehicle).  Race shirts are not guaranteed to be available for race-day registrants. Day-of-race registrations require check or cash payment.

This event is co-sponsored by Friends of McCormick’s Creek State Park and the Owen County Family YMCA. Proceeds from the race benefit the park and the local community. For advance registration, call the Owen County Family YMCA, (812) 829-9622. For more information about activities at McCormick’s Creek State Park, call (812) 829-4344.

Natural Areas Program Botanist Todd Crabtree will lead the easy to moderate hike.  Morrison Meadow is renowned for its summer and fall flora, and makes for outstanding wildflower viewing.  Natural areas staff will also be stopping at May Prairie State Natural Area in Coffee County, which features impressive open grassland and is one of Tennessee’s most floristically diverse natural areas.

Participants should bring water and lunch, and they should wear hats and appropriate footwear and bring rain gear. They also should bring sunscreen and insect repellant. Reservations for the guided hike are required and can be made by emailing Todd Crabtree at Todd [dot] Crabtree [at] state [dot] tn [dot] us or by calling (615) 532-0431.

The hike at Morrison Meadow and May Prairie is part of a series of monthly, guided field trips to Tennessee State Natural Areas offered by the department’s Division of Natural Areas.  Tennessee has 79 designated State Natural Areas throughout the state, covering approximately 110,000 acres of ecologically significant lands.  More information about Tennessee’s natural areas program, including a complete list of all natural areas and scheduled field trips, can be found at http://www.tn.gov/environment/na/.

Two awards were presented for outstanding community service — by an individual, and by a group — whose efforts contributed to the re-opening of the Kula Forest Reserve, after 2,300 acres burned in a January 2007 wildfire, and damage was suffered from a severe storm in December 2007.

The award for outstanding individual was presented to Bert Swink, owner of Maui Masonry and Concrete, who donated over $6,300 worth of materials, crew labor and expertise for the reconstruction of the roadside barrier at the concrete spillway along Waipoli Road near the reserve’s entrance. Repairs at this site were critical to allow reopening of the access into the forest.

The second award for an outstanding group was presented to the Kahikinui Game and Land Management Ohana, (KGLMO) for service in the trails and access area. This group donated approximately 100 person-hours of labor to reconstruct several headwalls and culverts along Waipoli Road, the access road to the Kula Forest Reserve.

“We want to recognize and applaud the generous contribution of their time, labor and materials that helped ensure a faster reopening of the Kula Forest reserve to the public, and which allowed our forestry staff to then concentrate on other recovery projects,” said Laura H. Thielen, DLNR chairperson.

“DLNR encourages all wildland recreational users to help protect the Kula State Forest Reserve as it recovers, by obeying all rules and regulations. This will help to ensure that future generations will also have the opportunity to enjoy this very special forest,” said Thielen. For information on how to partner with the DLNR in a community service project, please contact Torrie L Nohara at (808) 873-3508.

The trail was built on land owned by Exelon Corp., owner of the nearby Conowingo Dam. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Exelon have been working together since 2004 to enhance recreational opportunities in the area. The trail is the first of many projects that will grow out of that partnership.

“The reopening of Octoraro Creek is a huge accomplishment, and could not have been possible without Exelon’s generosity and receptiveness,” said Tom O’Connell, assistant director of DNR’s Fisheries Service. “This new recreational opportunity grew out of an open process that included Exelon, DNR and input from local anglers and outdoor enthusiasts.”

“Exelon feels it has a responsibility to open recreational opportunities for people to enjoy the Susquehanna River. The trail provides access to great fishing spots and endless opportunities for the public to appreciate our natural world,” said Vicky Will, Exelon Vice President of Regulatory, Environmental and Safety.

“The Octoraro Creek Trail is a great idea, and an exceptional opportunity for those who love fishing and boating, or who just love the outdoors,” said Leon Senft, representative for the Susquehanna Shad Club. “Exelon was very cooperative and should be commended for their efforts. There are some very happy anglers along the Susquehanna.”

Local anglers are encouraged to participate in DNR’s 2008 Maryland Fishing Challenge. Designed to promote recreational fishing in Maryland, recognize angler efforts and inspire environmental stewardship, the 2008 Maryland Fishing Challenge began April 12 and will run through Labor Day, Sept. 1. Any angler who catches a citation-qualifying fish and enters the challenge may win one of the official grand prizes. To date, more than 1,000 anglers have qualified to win one of the grand prizes, including a 2008 Toyota Tundra 4×4 pickup truck from Central Atlantic Toyota, a boat and trailer package from Bass Pro Shops and $5,000 in fishing gear from Bill’s Outdoor Center.

For the full rules, list of qualifying fish, qualified entrants thus far, and other 2008 Maryland Fishing Challenge information visit www.dnr.maryland.gov/fishingchallenge.

For more information about Octoraro Creek and the Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway, visit http://www.hitourtrails.com/.

Andrea Shea Bishop will take hikers on an easy two-mile loop through the flat terrain of Vesta Cedar Glade in Cedars of Lebanon State Forest. This area is one of the state’s premier sites for the endangered Tennessee coneflower. Many other rare plants grow in this unique cedar glade and grassy barrens ecosystem. Other cedar glade plants include Tennessee milk-vetch, southern prairie dock, purple prairie clover, Gattingers prairie clover, prairie tea, glade privet, fragrant sumac and native grasses.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the beauty of one of Tennessee’s most biologically diverse state natural areas,” Bishop said.

Participants should bring water and lunch, and they should wear appropriate footwear and dress in layers. Sunscreen and insect repellent are also recommended. Reservations are required for the guided hike and can be made by contacting Andrea Shea Bishop by phone at (615) 532-0431 or by e-mail at andrea [dot] bishop [at] state [dot] tn [dot] us by June 12.

Vesta Cedar Glade is a 150-acre natural area in the southwestern corner of Cedars of Lebanon State Forest. Its flat landscape and exposed limestone outcroppings and sink holes are characteristic of the karst topography of the Middle Tennessee’s Central Basin. Many wildflower varieties thrive in the shallow soils of the cedar glade, while the deeper soils of the barrens support perennial bunch grasses like little bluestem.

The hike at Vesta Cedar Glade is part of a series of monthly, guided field trips to Tennessee State Natural Areas offered by the department’s Division of Natural Areas.  Tennessee has 79 designated State Natural Areas throughout the state, covering approximately 110,000 acres of ecologically significant lands.  More information about Tennessee’s natural areas program, including a complete list of all natural areas and scheduled field trips, can be found at http://tn.gov/environment/na/.

To celebrate National Trails Day on Saturday, June 7, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) staff and partners will be participating in a cleanup of 140 acres to be acquired by the state. The property is a “Rails-to-Trails” initiative that includes old rail beds that cross a variety of natural resources and will be a highlight of the Shawangunk Ridge trail system in Sullivan, Orange and Ulster counties.

“The expansion of a key regional trail is being made possible with the assistance of many community partners coming together to volunteer their time and effort to help restore this parcel after years of industrial use,” said DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis. “This is a great project that will connect New York residents and visitors to nature and history with the use of the old railbeds.”

The property once included railbeds of the New York, Ontario, and Western Railway, and of the Port Jervis, Monticello, and Summitville Railroad. The property ties into the Delaware and Hudson Canal towpath to the north and west and provides a level, 8-foot-wide path over a stone culvert above wetlands and streams. The railroad right-of-way runs more than a mile into the existing DEC Wurtsboro Ridge State Forest. The parcel will form a western branch of the 36-mile Shawangunk Ridge Trail, which follows the ridge from High Point State Park in New Jersey to the Mohonk Preserve in Ulster County.

DEC will be acquiring the property using the Environmental Protection Fund, with a price to be determined following the completion of the appraisal process. Trail Conference volunteers will be responsible for building and maintaining the trails once they have been designed with DEC approval, and upon completion of the acquisition, the land will be added to the Wurtsboro Ridge State Forest.

“We are delighted to celebrate the preservation of another key link in the Shawangunk Ridge Corridor which brings the goal of connecting the Catskill Forest Preserve and the Delaware National Recreation Area that much closer,” New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Executive Director Edward Goodell said. “The Trail Conference looks forward to handing this parcel off to DEC so that they can continue the process of restoring the landscape and invite the public in to enjoy this piece of local history.”

“The Land Trust Alliance (LTA) is thrilled to be a partner on this important public access project,” Ethan Winter, New York Conservation Manager with LTA said. “Through the New York State Conservation Partnership Program, the Alliance and DEC are helping to finance public access improvements along the Shawangunk Ridge Trail and other protected natural areas across the state. This project serves as a model for how conservation organizations can work with local and state partners to transform degraded sites into community assets, ultimately enhancing the public’s enjoyment of New York’s rich natural heritage.”

The National Trails Day event will be a day-long celebration of the state’s commitment to purchase the parcel. DEC staff, members of the Trail Conference, and other volunteers will participate in a final cleanup of the property from 9 a.m. to noon, followed by lunch for volunteers and guests. At 1 p.m., a press conference will be held, and from 2 – 4 p.m., hikes and tours of the property will be given.

The public is welcome to attend the day’s activities. Those interested in attending can contact the Trail Conference at (201) 512-9348 or the DEC Region 3 office at (845) 256-3000. Participants will be meeting at Ferguson Rd in the hamlet of Summitville, Town of Mamakating, Sullivan County.

More information about this and other Trails Day events around the state can be found on the Trail Conference’s website at www.nynjtc.org .

“National Trails Day is a nationwide celebration and recognizes the value and significance of outdoor recreational trails to our community and wellbeing,” adds Laura H. Thielen, DLNR chairperson. “I encourage the public to take advantage of the summer weather to ‘take a hike’ on DLNR’s diverse selection of trails across the state.”

Starting at 9 a.m. Na Ala Hele program staff, assisted by community volunteers and members of the Hawaiian Ultra Running Team will install a board walk made of recycled plastic lumber mounted on steel posts along several hundred feet of erosion prone trail. Work will finish by about 5 p.m.

“This project supports our trail program’s restoration goals and will really improve a seasonally muddy and poorly draining section of one of the most popular forest hiking trails on O‘ahu,” said Curt Cottrell, Na Ala Hele program manager. “Hikers are usually forced to walk through the mud or widen the trail by trying to walking around the mud puddles. Thanks to our volunteers, we will make a nice board walk to keep everybody above and out of the mud,” he said.

“Even though we are working on the start of the trail, it will remain open and hikers will be able to get past,” Cottrell said.

Trail crew and volunteers will carry in the materials, help pound in anchor posts, attach all sections of boardwalk, bolt stringers and screw down decking, and apply a slip proof metal surface on top.

The Manoa Cliff Trail, part of the Honolulu Mauka trails system, is 2.3 miles long, and at an elevation of 500 feet, traverses the Ko‘olau mountains through thick, partly native forest.

For information about this trail, and other state-maintained forest trails under the Na Ala Hele trails system, and important safety guidelines, go to www.hawaiitrails.org.

DLNR reminds hikers that statewide weather forecasts predict a dry summer and vegetation may be dry. Hikers, campers and hunters should exercise caution to prevent wildfires on trails and in camping or hunting areas.

For information on the events for the June 7 National Trails Day at DNR properties, see dnr.IN.gov/parklake

“Non-marathon folks are more than welcome to use the trail during the weekend,” said Park Manager Dana Garry. “We just want to let them know that there will be a large number of other users on that stretch of the trail and ask that they be aware of slower-moving users.”

Marathon runners will start from Rochford at 7 a.m. (MT) and finish at the Deadwood Trailhead by approximately 4 p.m.

Garry says that observing proper trail etiquette, such as staying off to one side and announcing yourself when approaching behind another user, will allow all types of users to enjoy the trail comfortably and safely.

For more information on the Mickelson Trail, visit www.MickelsonTrail.com or call. (605) 584-3896.