Elizabeth Burger, Sunflower Foundation Vice President of Healthy Communities, was in Reno, Nev., earlier this week participating in the 2023 International Trails Summit, co-hosted by American Trails and the Professional Trailbuilders Association.
But Elizabeth was more than just a participant as she joined a panel to discuss the topic of Sustaining the Momentum of the Trails Community, where she provided a rural perspective and spoke about Sunflower Foundation’s role in providing grant funding and learning opportunities for trail organizations in Kansas. She stressed the importance of developing hyper-local trails, such as those in city parks, and how they can contribute to the overall trail movement.
Scott Linenberger, principal of Kay-Linn Enterprises in Boulder, Colo.; Ryan Chao, president of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy; and Shari Schaftlein, director of the Federal Highway Administration‘s Office of Human Environment joined Elizabeth on the panel.
Later in the week, Elizabeth led a workshop designed to help participants better understand the direct connections trails have with many aspects of health and how trail advocates and builders can work with health philanthropy on collaborative projects that are meaningful to both sides.
More than 900 participants from 48 states and 12 countries attended the summit, which provided a venue for trail and outdoor enthusiasts to learn, build relationships and find solutions to the challenges of developing and improving outdoor recreation opportunities for all.
The summit included more than 140 sessions, included nationally and internationally prominent presenters, and provided informative and interactive workshops covering a broad range of issues.