Webinar Archive

Accessibility, Connectivity, and the Expansion of Recreational Opportunities with the National Digital Trails Project

Event date December 7, 2021. Learn about the goals of the National Digital Trails Project; TRAILS (Trail Routing, Analysis, and Information Linkage System), a web-based trail planning tool that serves to identify potential routes for connecting existing trails and trail systems; the Nationwide Trails Dataset, a public domain dataset of federal and many statewide trails; the Trail Data Portal that provides a path for authoritative trail managers to upload their trails into the Nationwide Trails Dataset; and, future plans for the project. Both the TRAILS tool and the Trail Data Portal will be demonstrated. Please click here to learn more about the National Digital Trails Project and the presenters. 

A Comprehensive Approach to Inform User Management on Trails and Public Lands

Event date March 1, 2022. Learn about exciting ‘recreation ecology’ research by the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative and partners as well as how researchers and agencies are working to study recreation in western Canada to:

• Map, measure, and model how, where, and when people recreate on trails and public lands (i.e., human footprint and intensity of use)
• Help trail and public land managers gain a more comprehensive understanding of users to inform management and planning needs
• Identify how agencies and volunteer groups can best use multiple sources of data to better preserve trails and public lands and reduce conflict among people and wildlife, and between user groups

More information at https://y2y.net/ and https://recreationecology.opened.ca/

*2022 Key Milestones and 2023 Project Updates

Addressing Disparities in Outdoor Access & Inclusion

Event date June 6, 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic was a catalyst for many in the U.S. to discover or re-engage with outdoor recreation. However, a recent study published in Land reports that the increase in recreation was primarily among white people while recreation among people of color decreased. The study highlights the ongoing disparities in access and inclusion in the outdoors and the crucial need for solutions. In this webinar, presenters discuss the necessity of access and inclusion, propose solutions, and share current initiatives at their organizations that work toward equity and diversity in outdoor spaces. You’ll walk away with a better understanding of the disparities in outdoor recreation and how you can address them in your own work.

Conservation Legacy’s VISTA Programs: Programming for Diverse Conservation and Community Service Projects

Event date August 17, 2021. Learn about how you can become a project sponsor of a dedicated full time AmeriCorps VISTA member to help your organization build capacity through activities such as fundraising, grant writing, research, and volunteer recruitment.

Engagement & Education with the Indigenous Mapping & Research Project 

Event date November 15, 2022. Learn about the Indigenous and ancestral lands your trail or public land overlaps with and how to engage with these communities through the resources and map created with PNTS’s Indigenous mapping and research project (IMRP). The IMRP map showcases the intersection of ancestral lands and national trails and their relationship with Indigenous lands. The IMRP provides resources to help advance National Trail System awareness and education of Indigenous knowledge and stewardship.

Engaging Trail Users through Interactive Mapping with TERRAIN360™

Event date October 11, 2022. Learn about how TERRAIN360™ can create street-level imagery for your hiking, biking, auto-route, waterway or ecologically sensitive location. You will also learn how the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail imagery project started and how it could translate to other National Trails or public lands; benefits of having your trail or land mapped by TERRAIN360™, including, but not limited to, press, tourism, showcasing ecologically sensitive areas, digitally comparing locations over time, and integration into apps or GIS tools with video, audio, images & stories; how you can use TERRAIN360™ to potentially work with Indigenous communities to map culturally significant resources; and, where funding opportunities could exist for you to work with TERRAIN360™ to create a map for your trail or lands.

Increasing Youth Engagement and Diversity on National Trails

Event date September 28, 2021. Wendy Lotze, the Volunteer Program Manager of the Arizona Trail Association and Felicia Hokenstad, the Coalition Leader of North Country Trail Association’s Next Generation Coalition share about their efforts to improve diversity and engagement on National Scenic Trails. Learn about how North Country Trail Association is improving their volunteer engagement efforts, building community, utilizing social media, and how their JEDI committee has been involved with youth engagement. Wendy shares about Arizona Trail Association’s Seeds of Stewardship program which is aimed at engaging youth from gateway communities, the importance of first having a diverse trail community before beginning to create a diverse volunteer pool, as well as how the Arizona Trail Association is working to engage individuals aged 20-40 and embrace the nature of occasional volunteerism.

Land Acquisition 101

Event date May 13, 2021. Learn from J.T. Horn from the Trust for Public Land and Joe Sobinovsky, Realty Specialist at the National Park Service National Trails Land Acquisition office in Martinsburg, WV, about how to begin the land acquisition process, what the process entails, and how LWCF money can be utilized in collaboration with your agency partners. Additionally, you will learn what the role of a Land Trust is in the land acquisition process and how you can work alongside land trusts for successful acquisition.

Land Acquisition 102: Identifying Priorities, Securing Funding, and Working with Partners

Event date June 2, 2021. Learn about land conservation resources with the National Park Foundation, The Conservation Fund, and the National Park Service. The presenters will discuss the LWCF process and resources, grants, and other opportunities to help advance land acquisition projects. They will provide helpful tips to help you prepare for projects and work with federal agencies and nonprofit partners to leverage resources for land acquisition. There will be time to ask questions about the complexities of land acquisition and situations specific to your land acquisition needs.

Make the Most of National Public Lands Day: NEEF Resources and Sponsorship Opportunities

Event date July 20, 2021. The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) will give an overview of the 2021 National Public Lands Day celebration, including important deadlines, links to NPLD planning resources, and information about applying for sponsorship opportunities for organizations hosting NPLD events. NEEF will also provide examples of past NPLD events hosted by trail organizations, both small and large, as potential inspiration for projects on National Trails.

Preserving the Stories of the North Country National Scenic Trail

Event date May 16, 2023. Learn about how the North Country Trail Association has elevated interpretation, engagement, and promotion along the North Country National Scenic Trail by preserving the stories and experiences along the trail using StoryCorps.

Successful Youth Engagement and Partnership on the Iditarod National Historic Trail

Event date May 18, 2022. iTREC! is a yearlong professional development program, with eleven years of success, that provides teachers with place-based, service-learning skills to help today’s youth become lifelong stewards of Alaska’s public lands, natural resources, and cultural heritage. Learn about the structure and goals of the program, how the Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance fostered partnerships that were essential to the success of the education program, teacher success stories and how educational materials and incentives for teachers were developed, and COVID adaptations and challenges encountered.

Thoughts from the Next Generation: The Trail Apprentice Program, Career Interests, and Barriers Experienced by Young Professionals 

Event date December 13, 2022. Hear from PNTS’s Trail Apprentices about what their career interests are and what brought them to the program. They will also share about barriers to getting involved with trails as a young professional and possible solutions to overcome these barriers. Panelists: Paola Hinojosa, Melissa Olivar, Callum Cintron, Maura Hanley, Lisette Perez, María Rodríguez, Karly Toledo

Tribal Consultation Webinar Series. Part 1 of 3: Foundations of Federal Indian Law

Event date July 13, 2022. In this training you will hear from Brett Lee Shelton (Oceti Sakowin Oyate- Oglala Sioux Tribe), Senior Staff Attorney and Joe M. Tenorio (Santo Domingo Pueblo), Staff Attorney with the Native American Rights Fund about the history of Tribal – U.S. Government relations, Federal Indian Law, recent trends in federal Indian Affairs, and Tribal perspectives regarding protection and access to Sacred Places. You’ll walk away with an understanding of the main components of Federal Indian Law, how your work relates to it, and what your responsibilities are in Tribal engagement.

Tribal Consultation Webinar Series. Part 2 of 3: Foundations of Tribal Consultation & Visions of Its Future

Event date August 24, 2022. In this training you will hear from Susan Johnson (Tribal Projects Coordinator, U.S. Forest Service), Dorothy Firecloud (Native American Affairs Liaison, Assistant to the Director, National Park Service), and Eric Chiasson (Regional Tribal Liaison, Tribal and Cultural Affairs-Region 1, National Park Service) about the history of Tribal consultation, the basics of the process, the cultural injustice inherent in the process, and what it could look like in the future. 

Tribal Consultation Webinar Series. Part 3 of 3: Tribal Engagement: Distinguishing Consultation from Coordination

Event date September 29, 2022. Learn about the differences between Tribal consultation, coordination, and engagement, and the responsibilities of different entities to engage in each practice. Hear about successes, failures, and best practices for engaging Indigenous communities from an Indigenous perspective.  Resources

Using a Traveling Map Exhibit for Engagement and Promotion on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail

Event date March 14, 2023. Learn about how the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation traveling map exhibit, Reimagining America: The Maps of Lewis and Clark, has elevated interpretation, engagement, and promotion along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

Collaboration and Engagement 

Engagement & Education with the Indigenous Mapping & Research Project 

Event date November 15, 2022. Learn about the Indigenous and ancestral lands your trail or public land overlaps with and how to engage with these communities through the resources and map created with PNTS’s Indigenous mapping and research project (IMRP). The IMRP map showcases the intersection of ancestral lands and national trails and their relationship with Indigenous lands. The IMRP provides resources to help advance National Trail System awareness and education of Indigenous knowledge and stewardship.

Engaging Trail Users through Interactive Mapping with TERRAIN360™

Event date October 11, 2022. Learn about how TERRAIN360™ can create street-level imagery for your hiking, biking, auto-route, waterway or ecologically sensitive location. You will also learn how the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail imagery project started and how it could translate to other National Trails or public lands; benefits of having your trail or land mapped by TERRAIN360™, including, but not limited to, press, tourism, showcasing ecologically sensitive areas, digitally comparing locations over time, and integration into apps or GIS tools with video, audio, images & stories; how you can use TERRAIN360™ to potentially work with Indigenous communities to map culturally significant resources; and, where funding opportunities could exist for you to work with TERRAIN360™ to create a map for your trail or lands.

Increasing Youth Engagement and Diversity on National Trails

Event date September 28, 2021. Wendy Lotze, the Volunteer Program Manager of the Arizona Trail Association and Felicia Hokenstad, the Coalition Leader of North Country Trail Association’s Next Generation Coalition share about their efforts to improve diversity and engagement on National Scenic Trails. Learn about how North Country Trail Association is improving their volunteer engagement efforts, building community, utilizing social media, and how their JEDI committee has been involved with youth engagement. Wendy shares about Arizona Trail Association’s Seeds of Stewardship program which is aimed at engaging youth from gateway communities, the importance of first having a diverse trail community before beginning to create a diverse volunteer pool, as well as how the Arizona Trail Association is working to engage individuals aged 20-40 and embrace the nature of occasional volunteerism.

Make the Most of National Public Lands Day: NEEF Resources and Sponsorship Opportunities

Event date July 20, 2021. The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) will give an overview of the 2021 National Public Lands Day celebration, including important deadlines, links to NPLD planning resources, and information about applying for sponsorship opportunities for organizations hosting NPLD events. NEEF will also provide examples of past NPLD events hosted by trail organizations, both small and large, as potential inspiration for projects on National Trails.

Successful Youth Engagement and Partnership on the Iditarod National Historic Trail

Event date May 18, 2022. iTREC! is a yearlong professional development program, with eleven years of success, that provides teachers with place-based, service-learning skills to help today’s youth become lifelong stewards of Alaska’s public lands, natural resources, and cultural heritage. Learn about the structure and goals of the program, how the Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance fostered partnerships that were essential to the success of the education program, teacher success stories and how educational materials and incentives for teachers were developed, and COVID adaptations and challenges encountered.

Using a Traveling Map Exhibit for Engagement and Promotion on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail

Event date March 14, 2023. Learn about how the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation traveling map exhibit, Reimagining America: The Maps of Lewis and Clark, has elevated interpretation, engagement, and promotion along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

Strengthening Organizations and Partnerships 

Addressing Disparities in Outdoor Access & Inclusion

Event date June 6, 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic was a catalyst for many in the U.S. to discover or re-engage with outdoor recreation. However, a recent study published in Land reports that the increase in recreation was primarily among white people while recreation among people of color decreased. The study highlights the ongoing disparities in access and inclusion in the outdoors and the crucial need for solutions. In this webinar, presenters discuss the necessity of access and inclusion, propose solutions, and share current initiatives at their organizations that work toward equity and diversity in outdoor spaces. You’ll walk away with a better understanding of the disparities in outdoor recreation and how you can address them in your own work.

Conservation Legacy’s VISTA Programs: Programming for Diverse Conservation and Community Service Projects

Event date August 17, 2021. Learn about how you can become a project sponsor of a dedicated full time AmeriCorps VISTA member to help your organization build capacity through activities such as fundraising, grant writing, research, and volunteer recruitment.

Preserving the Stories of the North Country National Scenic Trail

Event date May 16, 2023. Learn about how the North Country Trail Association has elevated interpretation, engagement, and promotion along the North Country National Scenic Trail by preserving the stories and experiences along the trail using StoryCorps.

Thoughts from the Next Generation: The Trail Apprentice Program, Career Interests, and Barriers Experienced by Young Professionals 

Event date December 13, 2022. Hear from PNTS’s Trail Apprentices about what their career interests are and what brought them to the program. They will also share about barriers to getting involved with trails as a young professional and possible solutions to overcome these barriers. Panelists: Paola Hinojosa, Melissa Olivar, Callum Cintron, Maura Hanley, Lisette Perez, María Rodríguez, Karly Toledo

Tribal Consultation Webinar Series. Part 1 of 3: Foundations of Federal Indian Law

Event date July 13, 2022. In this training you will hear from Brett Lee Shelton (Oceti Sakowin Oyate- Oglala Sioux Tribe), Senior Staff Attorney and Joe M. Tenorio (Santo Domingo Pueblo), Staff Attorney with the Native American Rights Fund about the history of Tribal – U.S. Government relations, Federal Indian Law, recent trends in federal Indian Affairs, and Tribal perspectives regarding protection and access to Sacred Places. You’ll walk away with an understanding of the main components of Federal Indian Law, how your work relates to it, and what your responsibilities are in Tribal engagement.

Tribal Consultation Webinar Series. Part 2 of 3: Foundations of Tribal Consultation & Visions of Its Future

Event date August 24, 2022. In this training you will hear from Susan Johnson (Tribal Projects Coordinator, U.S. Forest Service), Dorothy Firecloud (Native American Affairs Liaison, Assistant to the Director, National Park Service), and Eric Chiasson (Regional Tribal Liaison, Tribal and Cultural Affairs-Region 1, National Park Service) about the history of Tribal consultation, the basics of the process, the cultural injustice inherent in the process, and what it could look like in the future. 

Tribal Consultation Webinar Series. Part 3 of 3: Tribal Engagement: Distinguishing Consultation from Coordination

Event date September 29, 2022. Learn about the differences between Tribal consultation, coordination, and engagement, and the responsibilities of different entities to engage in each practice. Hear about successes, failures, and best practices for engaging Indigenous communities from an Indigenous perspective.  Resources

Trail Land Protection

A Comprehensive Approach to Inform User Management on Trails and Public Lands

Event date March 1, 2022. Learn about exciting ‘recreation ecology’ research by the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative and partners as well as how researchers and agencies are working to study recreation in western Canada to:

• Map, measure, and model how, where, and when people recreate on trails and public lands (i.e., human footprint and intensity of use)
• Help trail and public land managers gain a more comprehensive understanding of users to inform management and planning needs
• Identify how agencies and volunteer groups can best use multiple sources of data to better preserve trails and public lands and reduce conflict among people and wildlife, and between user groups

More information at https://y2y.net/ and https://recreationecology.opened.ca/

*2022 Key Milestones and 2023 Project Updates

Accessibility, Connectivity, and the Expansion of Recreational Opportunities with the National Digital Trails Project

Event date December 7, 2021. Learn about the goals of the National Digital Trails Project; TRAILS (Trail Routing, Analysis, and Information Linkage System), a web-based trail planning tool that serves to identify potential routes for connecting existing trails and trail systems; the Nationwide Trails Dataset, a public domain dataset of federal and many statewide trails; the Trail Data Portal that provides a path for authoritative trail managers to upload their trails into the Nationwide Trails Dataset; and, future plans for the project. Both the TRAILS tool and the Trail Data Portal will be demonstrated. Please click here to learn more about the National Digital Trails Project and the presenters. 

Land Acquisition 101

Event date May 13, 2021. Learn from J.T. Horn from the Trust for Public Land and Joe Sobinovsky, Realty Specialist at the National Park Service National Trails Land Acquisition office in Martinsburg, WV, about how to begin the land acquisition process, what the process entails, and how LWCF money can be utilized in collaboration with your agency partners. Additionally, you will learn what the role of a Land Trust is in the land acquisition process and how you can work alongside land trusts for successful acquisition.

Land Acquisition 102: Identifying Priorities, Securing Funding, and Working with Partners

Event date June 2, 2021. Learn about land conservation resources with the National Park Foundation, The Conservation Fund, and the National Park Service. The presenters will discuss the LWCF process and resources, grants, and other opportunities to help advance land acquisition projects. They will provide helpful tips to help you prepare for projects and work with federal agencies and nonprofit partners to leverage resources for land acquisition. There will be time to ask questions about the complexities of land acquisition and situations specific to your land acquisition needs.

Trail Operations Forum

USDA Forest Service Saw Program Updates

Event date April 4, 2023. Pete Duncan, the National Saw Program Manager with the Forest Service, shared about the most recent Forest Service Saw Program updates.

Interagency Visitor Use Management Council Overview & Guidance

Event date March 8, 2023. Maureen Finnerty, the Visitor Use Management Project Manager with the National Park Service, presented about the Interagency Visitor Use Management (VUM) Council framework and related guidance.

Pacific Crest Trail Association’s Saw Program: Challenges and Successes

Event date April 13, 2022. Learn about the successes and challenges of PCTA’s Saw Program. 

Appalachian Trail Facility Asset Management & Project Planning

Event date February 8, 2022. Learn from the Facility Manager of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail with the National Park Service (NPS) about how the Facility Management Software System (FMSS) has been utilized on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.

2021 Virtual Workshop

November 1-4, 2021. Find the full program with session materials and speaker information here.

Keynote Session: Rethink Outside™: Let’s Tell a New Story!

Anupama Joshi (she/her), Executive Director of the Blue Sky Funders Forum delivered a keynote presentation on the critical role narratives and stories play in enabling partnerships, funding and policy change. She introduced the Rethink Outside™ shared narrative (co-generated and coordinated by Blue Sky Funders Forum) and shared ideas for how you can apply it to your organization’s interpretive and educational efforts.

Working with Corps to Build Capacity and Mobilize the Next Generation of Conservation Leaders

During this session the Corps Network will present about the versatility of Corps programs, how programs can help increase JEDI, how to work with Corps and overcome barriers. The session will end with an interactive activity that will help attendees understand how partners can work together to reach a funded agreement.

Emerging Land Conservation Policy: America the Beautiful, Ten-Year Trail Challenge, and Environmental Justice 

Deputy Assistant Secretary Strickler will provide an overview of the America the Beautiful report, including a discussion about the opportunities it presents for trails, where the administration is now and where it is moving forward, as well as how trails can advance conservation and equity in the context of America the Beautiful. Deputy Assistant Secretary Strickler’s remarks will be followed by a discussion of the Ten-Year Trails Challenge by Brenda Yankoviak of the U.S. Forest Service. Gabriel Otero from the Wilderness Society will then discuss how nonprofit initiatives related to environmental justice and equity will be influenced by America the Beautiful.

Land Conservation on Trails: An Introduction To Proven Tools And Strategies 

This session will present examples and discuss how agencies and their nonprofit partners can expand trail land conservation. Participants will hear about a variety of strategies and real examples for land conservation including planning, mapping, tapping different funding sources and creative partnerships and easements. Presentations will be followed by a group discussion with Federal Land Preservation Office staff and other experts who will speak with session participants about how to start or advance land conservation on trails.

Moving the Needle: Presentations and Discussion about LWCF, Conservation Tools, and Creative Partnerships

This session includes a discussion about how agencies and their nonprofit partners can expand trail land conservation within the framework of America the Beautiful and other priority initiatives. Participants will learn about different conservation tools and receive updates on federal agency LWCF processes.

Opening the Door for Crucial Conversations 

Christine McRae, Executive Director of Native Land Digital, will give a presentation about the background of Native Lands and how Native-Land.ca came about, and how to make a meaningful land acknowledgement. Christine will also discuss the importance of crucial conversations and partnerships and the importance of creating space for indigenous voices. This session opens with an ‘oli (oh-lee) or a chant by Kalikoonāmaukūpuna (Kaliko) Kalāhiki, a Native Hawaiian student at Brown University seeking to recenter environmentalism on Indigenous movements in order to directly address climate change and environmental injustice to set the intention for the session and the workshop day. Carin Farley, the National Scenic and Historic Trails (Lead) at the Bureau of Land Management, follows this chant with a discussion about how the recent partnership between Native Land Digital, BLM, USFS, PNTS, and Ancestral Lands was formed and how the new administration’s priorities have opened the doors for these new and diverse partnerships.

The Native Act and Sustainable Tourism

During this workshop session, Sherry Rupert, the CEO of the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) will discuss the Native Act and what it means for trails as well as the importance of sustainable tourism that honors tradition.

Indigenous Voices: Collaboration and Engagement

This workshop session contains a panel of indigenous speakers who will discuss their collaborative experiences with trails and other public lands and discuss how to manage differences in conversations and create meaningful partnerships. Themes for this panel discussion will include land care ethics, safety and accessibility, and collaborations with trail systems and public lands.

Ethical Storytelling

Nonprofits, volunteer organizations, and federal agencies all use storytelling to promote the trails, yet many organizations struggle to tell stories in a way that cultivates more belonging, represents all stakeholders, and highlights shared narratives. How can we use our storytelling platforms as vehicles for social change? How do we share power in storytelling and remain accountable to local communities? This session invites attendees to move beyond shifts in lexicon and imagery, in favor of embracing methods that challenge assumptions and inspire empathy.

2020 Virtual Workshop

Find session and speaker information and the recording links here.