Fall National Trails Workshop Moves to Virtual Format
With much careful thought and deliberation, a consensus decision was reached earlier today at the Trail Leaders Council meeting to cancel the Partnership for the National Trails System’s in-person Fall Workshop (scheduled for October 26-30, 2020 in Spartanburg, S.C.). This decision was made on the recommendation of the PNTS Conference and Workshop Committee and with the knowledge and agreement of the Board. We know you value face-to-face interactions, but with concerns and so many uncertainties surrounding the coronavirus pandemic and the future, organization budgets, and travel restrictions, we believe it is the right decision.
With change, and there are so many changes we face in 2020, comes opportunity. The Fall Workshop team has begun planning a virtual workshop to be held over nine days at the end of October. The tentative dates are Wednesday, October 21st to Thursday, October 29th. We are excited about seizing this opportunity to innovate, learn, deliver meaningful content, and provide new ways for us to engage with one another.
The draft schedule clusters presentations over a two day period for each theme. We are proposing to intersperse interactive segments including discussion sessions, “open space,” and socials to introduce more opportunities to network, share ideas, and dig deeper into the material presented.
—Expanding Partnerships Within and Beyond Trail Corridors
—Advancing Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
—Increasing Capacity Through Organizational Development
And we know many of you have “Zoom” fatigue, so we are trying to avoid consecutive sessions, limit the sessions per day, and take a break on the weekend. Stay tuned for the exact dates and schedule on our website. We anticipate that a full schedule and details for participation will be available in late July.
We want to recognize RG Absher, Chair of the Fall Workshop Committee, and the Overmountain Victory Trail Association, for their work on organizing the original plans in South Carolina and now being able to pivot with the rest of the members of the team to take the agenda and translate it to a virtual event.
We also would like to remind you of the COVID-19 resources available from the trail community to help keep you informed during these challenging times: https://pnts.org/new/covid-19-updates-for-national-scenic-and-historic-trails/.
If you have any questions concerning this email or this decision, please contact Karen Crossley at (608) 249-7870 (office), (608) 770-1641 (cell) or karen@pnts.org.
We hope you all are staying safe. With great appreciation,
Barney Scout Mann Karen Crossley
Board Chair Interim Executive Director