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News From The Elizabeth River Trail Foundation
March 31, 2022
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Welcome Spring, get on the Trail!
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Greetings, Trail lovers,
Spring has arrived in Norfolk and we're dusting off the pollen, making trail meetings, taking lunches to the park and lifting our faces to the sun. This spring truly feels like an awakening, a time to gather and greet one another again. We hope to see each of you on Celebrate Trails Day, April 23rd as we hold a ribbon cutting for the official opening of a new ERT Trailhead at the Water Street Open Space. Read on for more Celebrate Trails Day details.
This month we celebrated women, participated in a National Cleanup effort and received some amazing trail poems submissions from the community. We'll be featuring the selected Trail poems in April for National Poetry Month, but I wanted to share a note that I received from a Trail lover who captures a bit of what the ERT means to her. This comes from Obelia Akanke a former Norfolk resident.
"Even though I spent most of my childhood and young adult life here, I’ve never actually heard anyone say, “Elizabeth River Trail.” We simply went to see family or friends and attended events. I was here when First Calvary Baptist turned 100, swam at the Huntersville Center, stood on Tidewater Drive for parades. On Saturdays, I walked from Rugby Street to Waterside, watched the guys sing as they made fudge, shopped for an item, bought lunch, and walked back. My first dentist was Dr. Selden in the buildings by the MLK monument downtown. My mother remembers when Church Street would be blocked off so that she and her friends could dance. My mother and I both graduated from ODU. I have memories from almost every part of Norfolk that now extend to my children and my daycare clients. I’ve never paid attention to a trail outside of a park. The ERT is just part of the route I take as I travel down memory lane or live new experiences in the city that held the people I loved most."
Thank you, Ms. Akanke for sharing your memories. We're so honored to be part of your journey.
I also had the opportunity to share the Trail and our City on the Virginia Outdoor Adventures Podcast and hope you'll have a listen.
As we emerge outside, consider the ERT as your partner for plans, events and outings. There's something for everyone and we are always happy to welcome new community partners. It's spring friends, let's hit the Trail!
Happy trails,
Kindra
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Scenic views, historic sites, museums, restaurants, breweries, and cafes are just a few of the many attractions to explore on Norfolk’s Elizabeth River Trail. Kindra McDonald Greene, Executive Director of the Elizabeth River Trail, shares the highlights of the 10.5-mile multi-use trail located on Norfolk’s iconic waterfront.
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Celebrate Trails Day Preview
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Join us at the new Water Street Open Space near Harbor Park as we Celebrate Trails Day on April 23rd. This National Rails-to-Trails Conservancy event is in its ninth year and the ERT is so happy to be a part of the celebration! There will be activities along the trail the whole day offering something for everyone, but we're kicking off the festivities from 10:00 to 1:00 at Water Street with a 10:00 ribbon cutting ceremony featuring City of Norfolk dignitaries and the Office of Coastal Resilience.
Join us for workouts from the November Project, Poetry Hour featuring Nathan Richardson as Frederick Douglass and the Hampton Roads Youth Poets, as well as demonstrations from Tidewater Wooden Boat Workshop, Direct Performance Physical Therapy, food trucks and more. Follow our social media for a full list of activities for the day. Get outside and enjoy the Trail!
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The ERT teamed up with Next Step to Success and Norfolk ARTS to bring the City of Norfolk's poetry on the pavement project to the trail. These teens spent a day adding "words" of art to the Water Street Open Space and Plum Point Park Trailheads. The next time your strolling or rolling by, stop to read these uplifting poems that reflect the diversity of our community.
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Women's Bike Ride and Great American Cleanup
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The annual International Women's day bike ride this month was a great night to roll out in sisterhood. We even had some women dress for the occasion in classic suffragette attire. Did you know that bicycles played a direct role in women's empowerment? It's true! Read a bit of this fascinating history here. Thank you to Social Cycling Norfolk and Smartmouth Beer for hosting this event.
The Great American Cleanup had a great turnout with close to 20 people collecting more than 100 pounds of trash from the Chelsea district to Plum Point Park. Thank you volunteers and Benchtop Brewing for hosting our crew. There's never a shortage of opportunities to cleanup. When you pitch in and put litter in its place you're keeping it out of the Elizabeth River and our watershed.
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Events and Volunteer Coordinator Hired
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We are so excited to welcome Lily Sun to the ERT Foundation. Lily jumped right in this week to finalize plans for Celebrate Trails Day and Bike Month. If you see her out on the Trail, be sure to say hello! Please find more about her and the new position here.
Want to be included on our volunteer roster? Email hello@elizabethrivertrail.org
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Tour de ORF featuring a pre/post ride PT clinic- April 3
Live Life Fresh Boombox Bike Ride - Every Saturday
StoryWalk series at Weyanoke - Currently on view
Celebrate Trails Day - April 23
Give Local 757 - May 10
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Is there anything more spring than a bike basket full of flowers? @ana.matopoeia |
The Coast Guard Eagle has landed. @cityofnorfolkva |
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That last sliver of spring sunshine. @kljwatercolors
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Taking flight on the Trail. @fish1775
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For more, follow us on social media:
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