In case you haven’t heard! The Connecticut Trail Census program recently received $206,049.50 in grant funding from the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) Trails & Greenways Program and the Connecticut Greenways Council. UConn Extension’s Connecticut Trail Census is a statewide volunteer-based data collection and education program implemented as a pilot from 2016-2018 on 16 multi-use (bicycle, pedestrian, equestrian) trail sites across the state. With this news, program staff have been busy developing the program methods for 2019 and beyond, increasing the trail site capacity by bringing in additional staff, and improving upon the training materials while continuing to facilitate the trail use data collection by our passionate volunteers. 

Thank you to our volunteers and participating community members for your hard work and support! Together we hope to make the Connecticut Trail Census an efficient and successful model for trail use data collection by volunteers.

Happy New Year from the Connecticut Trail Census as we plan for this THIRD data collection year! In the 3+ years since the program inception, the goal has remained to make a real impact on the state’s multi-use trail systems. With funding applications completed and submitted, planning continues on proposed program improvements in hopes of good news!

On that regard, we are excited to share that we are hoping to be able to provide more support to our volunteer participants in their efforts to complete the program requirements and utilize the program to its full potential. In order to ensure we make the absolute best use of some new and improved program resources as well as maximize its impact and effectiveness, we are re-evaluating program ‘Trail Sites’, or where the infrared (IR) pedestrian counters are installed and an ‘application’ is required from both currently participating Trail Sites and proposed new Trail Sites. Application will take 5-10 minutes to complete and is due no later that Sunday, January 13, 2019.

Follow this link for more information and to apply.