Trailspace Blog October 2006
Tag! You're It: Tagline Contest Open
In the October newsletter we announced our search for a memorable Trailspace tagline in the “Tag! You’re It!” contest. The right tagline captures the essence and character of who you are and we knew that you, our users, could help identify what makes Trailspace unique.
We’ve already received a number of entries (thanks to everyone who’s submitted so far!), but we want to hear from still more of you. So get the creative juices flowing and tell us (in eight snappy words or less) what you think Trailspace is all about and send it in an e-mail to tagline@trailspace.com.
To be fair to all submitters I won’t share any of the taglines we’re already received. Once I started reading them though it occurred to me that not only were we getting some good suggestions from you guys, we were also seeing the different ways you view us. It’s a bit like a psychology experiment—quick, name the first things that come to mind when we say Trailspace! On the flip side, duplicate entries (and there have been some) are also interesting.
Now we want to hear from you. So submit as many taglines as you like now through November 30. There’s no purchase necessary. The person with the tagline we like best will get a gift certificate to a major outdoor gear retailer (we’re confirming the details) and a selection of Trailspace swag, in addition to ultra-cool bragging rights. Every suggestion also will be entered into a random drawing for yet another gift certificate and more Trailspace stuff.
1% FTP Update: Acting Locally
Back in August I announced our membership in 1% For the Planet. I also promised to update you on exactly where Trailspace’s 1% goes. First up is our own local land trust, the Belgrade Regional Conservation Alliance. Dave and I have been members of and volunteers with BRCA for several years and it seemed fitting to make Trailspace’s first 1% donation to a local environmental organization (remember that axiom, “think globally, act locally”?).
Since its 1988 inception, BRCA has protected 1,000 acres in central Maine through land acquisition and conservation easements. It also spearheaded a project to protect 5,600 acres (so far), which contain the county’s highest peaks, miles of pristine streams, several wetlands, and five undeveloped ponds. This Kennebec Highlands area (which I can see in autumn colors from my front window) has miles of trails on which our family regularly runs, hikes, mountain bikes, and cross-country skis. BRCA is also working to protect the threatened water quality of the seven lakes in the Belgrade Lakes watershed.
So what are the environmental threats in your town? Sprawl, habitat and wildlife loss, deteriorating water and air quality? And who, if anyone, is fighting those threats? To find regional, statewide, and national land trusts at work in your area visit the Land Trust Alliance online.
And while acting locally is a great start, we’ll be extending further 1% donations to other local, national, and international environmental organizations. So stay tuned.
Walk to School on October 4
Wednesday, October 4, is Walk to School Day. Let me tell you why I think this seemingly simple event about walking is important, not only for children, families, and communities, but hikers, backpackers, and cyclists too.
I walked, and later biked, my way to and from school from nursery school through sixth grade (that’s three different schools). I never thought much of that freedom then, but two decades (plus) later, I know it gave me a certain amount of independence: the independence to navigate myself, and my overloaded backpack, from one spot to another, alone or with a friend or two for company. If it rained I took an umbrella. When it snowed I wore my boots. I don’t recall my parents ever giving me a car ride anywhere that was within walking distance, and most places were.
I know some of you are thinking, it’s a different time now. No kidding.
Walking anywhere has become a much rarer feat today. As communities and their schools sprawl out, opportunities for kids (and adults) to safely walk or bike around their town are being lost. In 1969, 42 percent of students walked or bicycled to school; in 2001, only 16 percent of students walked or bicycled to or from school. Even I couldn’t walk to school now if I returned to my Connecticut hometown; the new elementary school is located across town and next to a busy intersection.
No one wants children to travel through dangerous areas of course, but shouldn’t we all have a right to safely walk or bike where we need or want to go? And in terms of keeping kids safe, opportunities for more physical activity are sadly needed. More than 61 percent of 9- to 13 year-olds don’t engage in organized physical activity during non-school hours; and 22.6 percent don’t participate in any free-time physical activity. But get kids walking and they’re likely to be more physically active throughout the day.
Oh, and then there’s the fuel consumption and air pollution from driving and bussing kids around. And what about how little time kids spend outside anymore (for more on that issue read Richard Louv’s thought-provoking Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder).
Safety, physical activity, concern for the environment. Wow, walking to school doesn’t sound so simple anymore.
So visit www.walktoschool-usa.org to find a Walk to School Day event near you and learn about how to make communities more walk- and bike-able. Have kids? Find a way for them to walk or bike, even partway, to school on October 4 or another day. Don’t have kids? Go for a walk or ride around your town and see how foot and pedal friendly it is for everyone.
Walking to school on a sidewalk may feel a bit different than hiking on, or off, a trail, but it all starts with putting one foot in front of the other. And if we can help kids do that now, maybe we’ll see them out on the trails later.
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