carrie's blog

We're looking for a summer intern!

 

Max Mukelabai Diversity Internship Program

 Thank you to the Conservation Trust for North Carolina for funding this position.  

Marketing and Event Management Intern

Location:  Durham, NC

North Carolina Rail-Trails (NCRT) is seeking a Marketing and Event Management intern to prepare for their annual 5K fundraiser and help with general marketing of the nonprofit and their mission.  The intern will report to the executive director and gain valuable skills in relationship building, marketing, planning and organizing events, budget management and volunteer coordination.

Event responsibilities include:

  • Working with a graphic artist on the event logo;
  • Creating a marketing plan and budget for the event;
  • Creating a Facebook presence for the event;
  • Setting up online event registration and marketing for participants;
  • Writing press releases on the event;
  • Obtaining event permits.

He or she must be willing to ask for sponsorship donations for the events raffle.  The intern will also draft a thank you letter to participants and sponsors and write a short report about lessons learned and recommendations for the next event.

General Marketing responsibilities include:

  • Updating existing web content
  • Creating new web content
  • Search engine optimization, ramping-up Facebook presence
  • Creating new or updating existing presentation materials (PowerPoint, tabling, brochure, etc.)
  • Working at least one information event


The intern will work a total of 400 hours between June 3 and August 12.  Preference is given to rising juniors, seniors and graduate/professional students. Minority students are encouraged to apply.   

Qualifications: Applicants must be proficient in all Microsoft software applications and have above-average communication and organizational skills. He or she must also be able to multitask, think outside the box, think on their feet and troubleshoot problems.  The intern also needs a friendly & outgoing personality, the ability to work independently, problem-solve and multi-task, a willingness to supervise volunteers, and have a very strong attention to detail. 

 Compensation: This is a paid internship.  A stipend of up to $3,000 for an undergraduate and $3,300 for a graduate student is offered based on qualifications and experience of the applicant.

How to apply: To apply for this internship, complete this form and email your resume and cover letter to Carrie Banks, executive director at North Carolina Rail-Trails, by email at execdirector@ncrailtrails.org(Application is due March 1st). Please email with any questions.   Click HERE for a PDF of the job description.

Marcia H. Cloninger Rail-Trail is growing

Lincolnton's Marcia H. Cloninger Rail-Trail is growing! A new section of this popular rail-trail is scheduled to open December 15th...just in time for those New Year's Resolutions!

Cloninger



Board Member's book featured on CNN

We are so proud of our board member, Tony Reevy!
Pictures from his new book O. Winston Link: Life Along the Line are currently being featured on CNN. Check it out and re-live some rail history today.
The book will be published October 1, 2012.  

O. Winston Link photographed the Norfolk and Western, the last major steam railroad in the United States, when it was converting its operations from steam to diesel in the 1950s. Link’s N&W project captured the industry at a moment of transition, before the triumph of the automobile and the airplane that ended an era of passenger rail service. His work also revealed a small-town way of life that was about to experience seismic shifts and, in many cases, vanish completely. Including a collection of more than 180 of Link’s most famous works and rare images that have never before been published, O. Winston Link: Life Along the Line offers a moving account of the people and communities surrounding the last steam railroad.

Rail-Trails = Sustainable Tourism

Researchers from New Zealand and Austrailia expound on the many wonderful characteristics of rail-trails.  Dr. Ariann Reis and Carla Jellum of the University of Otago just released a study on rail-trails and tourism.  The key finding "The relatively low development and maintenance costs associated with rail trails, the educational opportunities available due to historical significance of some railway lines and the potential for community involvement can be considered significant facilitators for the development of a a strong tourism product based on rail trails.  For more information continue reading here.

RTP Reauthorized through 2014

The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) has been reauthorized for two more years.  The RTP is the funding program that has sustained state trail programs for the past two decades.  The RTP will receive $85 million in annual funding for the next two fiscal years.  Since the RTP was first authorized in 1991, the program has become the foundation for state trail programs nationwide, providing essential partnerships among diverse trail enthusiasts, government officials, and national organizations in the conservation recreation and transportation fields.  The Leaders of the Coalition for Recreational Trails (CRT) credits this success to the RTP's Congressional champions, Senator Klobuchar(MN), Representative Petri(WI) and Representative Michaud(ME).  The CRT also thanked the coalition's member and thousands of grass-roots advocates, who contacted their Congressional delegations repeatedly during the year-long reauthorization process to express their support for the RTP and explain the importance of RTP-funded trail projects to their communities.

Lowe’s Donates Money for E & A Rail Trail Suspension Bridges

Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation has awarded a $25,000 grant to Elkin Valley Trails Association.  The grant will be used for the building of two 90-foot suspension footbridges over Elkin Creek on the Elkin & Allegheny Rail-Trail.  The funds will help expand the existing trails and greenways to Stone Mountain State Park.  Marshall Croom, chairman of Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation, shows that Lowe's understands the importance of and supports the efforts that enrich the lives of their customers and neighbors. 

Marshall Croom states “By supporting organizations like the Elkin Valley Trails Association, we believe we are contributing to a cause that’s important to our customers and employees and helping build a stronger foundation for the children who will be tomorrow’s employees, homeowners and community leaders.” 

North Carolina Rail-Trails is the fiscal sponsor of the Elkin Valley Trails Association.

Please visit the Trails Association's site for more on this story and see Lowes Community Programs for more on their community/educational efforts.

Southern Part of the American Tobacco Trail Closed as of June 11, 2012

Beginning June 11, the southern portion of Durham’s American Tobacco Trail will be closed for 13 months between N.C. Highway 54 southward to the Chatham County line. Trail parking on Fayetteville Road near New Hope Church will also be closed.  This portion of the trail is set to reopen by March 2013.  The new portion of the  trail going from N.C. Highway 54 to Renaissance Parkway and the bridge construction will be done by July 2013.

The project will include paving a 10-foot-wide asphalt path on 2.8 miles of existing trail; installing 1.4 miles of new trail, and installing a bicycle and pedestrian bridge over Interstate 40. The .7 mile section from Scott-King Road to the Chatham County line will have both a 10' wide asphalt section and an adjacecent 6' wide section with a granite screenings surface.

The trail is closed for your safety during construction. Please note that the trail will not be passable during this time period.

During construction trail users wanting to connect to or from the sections in Chatham and Wake Counties may want to look at this detour routing posted on Map My Rides https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/fullscreen/73395606/

Bike, Kayak, Run, and Eat at the Erwin Wilderness Challenge

The Erwin Wilderness Challenge is an event dedicated to encouraging an active lifestyle for the health of our community; bring awareness of the natural and recreational amenities available in Erwin and surrounding areas; and to celebrate Erwin’s capacity and desire to work, live, and recreate as a community. Part of the proceeds of this event will help support Team Pope’s participation in a nation-wide readiness competition.

JUNE 2, 2012

Bike: 10 Miles

Kayak: 8 Miles

Run: 3 Miles

Eat: All You Can Handle!!!

 

For more information and Registration visit https://www.erwinchamber.org/wilderness-challenge.cfm

National Trails Day

National Trails Day® is a celebration of trails that evolved from the report of President Ronald Reagan's President's Commission on Americans Outdoors. In 1987, the report recommended that all Americans be able to go out their front doors and within fifteen minutes, be on trails that wind through their cities or towns and bring them back without retracing steps. The recommendation, dubbed Trails for All Americans, became the impetus behind several public and private parties joining American Hiking Society in launching National Trails Day® in 1993.

Trails do not just magically appear for our enjoyment; it takes many hours of planning, labor, and negotiating to develop them. National Trails Day®, the only nationwide celebration of trails, increases awareness about trails and celebrates the hard work and support of many people and partners -- including volunteers, land agencies, and outdoor minded businesses. It is also a day to introduce people to the many joys and benefits of trails.  To continue reading about National Trails Day visit https://www.americanhiking.org/National-Trails-Day/Info/

Celebrate National Trails Day with the Historic Gold Hill Rail Trail Hike

 The hike is June 2, 2012 and will begin at 9:30 AM at the E.H. Montgomery General Store in the Historic Village of Gold Hill.  The hike will trace the roots of pioneers who sought for gold in the once famous gold mining boom town.  Gold history will be retold as the Rail Trail passes through Gold Hill Mines Historic Park. 

For more information