A Pretty Special Saturday

Greetings TARTans,
This past weekend TART Trails hosted our Spring Work Bee where over 200 folks took to the trails, rolled up their sleeves, and got to work to help get the trails in ship shape for the summer season ahead. I got to spend a few glorious hours on Saturday with a hearty crew on the Buffalo Ridge Trail between West Middle School and the YMCA. It was so great to be with friends and families who chose to give their time and talent to the trails on the most beautiful spring day. There were folks new to TART, first time volunteers, seasoned veterans, and even one of the founders of the Buffalo Ridge Trail (thank you, Tim!) I am so humbled to get to work alongside community members that so clearly care and so graciously give back. Thanks to everybody who came out on Saturday. You made a real difference on the trails, but more importantly, reinforced the sense of community ownership and care for the places we share.

Julie Clark, Chief Executive Officer

Transformational Trails
Last week, TART Trails' Ambassador Gabe Schneider of Northern Strategies 360 and Julie Clark presented to the Michigan Senate Committee on Economic and Small Business Development. The hearing was in support of Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance's (MTGA) $150 million request to establish a statewide fund to support the completion of transformational trail projects that improve the quality of life for Michigan families and support the economic development of Michigan communities to attract and retain talent. The reception from the committee was very supportive and we'll share more updates on this exciting opportunity for trails across the state as progress is made. More here for your viewing and listening pleasure!

SPECIAL THANKS

Many thanks to the Michigan Trails Fund for their generous grant to the Acme Connector Trail. The 1.8 mile trail, slated for completion this year, will help residents and visitors safely access businesses, existing trails, and recreation opportunities and launches the southern leg of the Nakwema Trailway. Thank you Michigan Trails Fund for helping connect communities!

Much love and gratitude to the more than 200 volunteers and Ambassadors who showed up, cleaned up and left the trails and trailheads in beautiful, sparkling clean condition at our annual Spring Work Bee! These do-gooders spanned 5 different trails across two counties and miles of trail all in 2 hours. Check out the photo album here.

Safety first! Many thanks to our partners at SEEDS and the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy for inviting some of our staff and Ambassadors to participate in a "world's most dangerous tool" (aka chainsaw) safety training.

Many thanks to the Jim and Diana Huckle Family Foundation for their transformational gift to the Three Mile Trail! It is because of the generosity of our Three Mile Trail Donors and project partners, that we were able to best position this project for inclusion in the recent federal spending bill approved by Congress and signed by President Biden last month. We are now able to begin the next phase of this project, design and engineering. Thank you Jim and Diana Huckle Family Foundation for your catalytic contribution, providing significant momentum to get this collaborative project off the ground!

Check out our full event calendar for more events further down the trail...

TART TRIVIA

We talk about them A LOT, but what exactly is a TART Trails Ambassador?
To sum it up, this core group of volunteers are the heart and soul of our organization. They help maintain the trails, volunteer at events, steward visitors and new trail users, build trail, speak up and support a non-motorized network, serve on committees, and more. They are full of passion with a purpose and their actions help to improve the health and wellbeing of our communities and keep the trails safe and welcoming for all.

Want to learn more about what it takes to be a TART Trails Ambassador? Join us this Saturday!