Thread Trail Outreach Coordinator Amanda Anderson and Thread Trail Project Director Ann Hayes Browning holding the Women’s Impact Fund grant award plaque.

The Thread received a $52,600 grant from the Women’s Impact Fund on May 16 that will provide funding for volunteer training, trail building and outreach initiatives.

Grant money will be used to train two groups of 16 volunteers as Trail Masters. Launched last year with grant funding from Advantage Carolina, the Trail Masters Program is a four day trail-building and maintenance certification course led by Trail Design Specialist Owner Mike Riter.

Volunteers will learn the latest techniques of sustainable trail design, construction and maintenance through classroom and hands-on trainings. After completion of the course, the volunteers will be certified as Trail Masters and able to lead volunteer trail-building efforts along Carolina Thread Trail routes throughout our 15-county footprint.

The addition of 32 new Trail Masters – which would bring the total to 48 by the end of 2013 – will allow The Thread to double the amount of volunteer hours specifically dedicated to trail building and move towards monthly volunteer workdays (hosting approximately 50 volunteers per workday). Trail Masters have already logged more than 400 volunteer hours since September of 2011.

“The Women’s Impact Fund grant will enable us to take our volunteer program to the next level”, said Ann Browning, Carolina Thread Trail project director. “By harnessing the energy of volunteers, we’ll be able to add and maintain trails, increasing the impact on our region’s quality of life.”

This grant will also be used to create a new interactive web-based trail map that will provide locations, points of interests and information about open trails on The Thread. The map, which will be located on The Thread’s website carolinathreadtrail.org, will provide trail users, supporters, partners and volunteers with a more comprehensive knowledge of open trail segments and ways to support The Thread.

The purpose of the Women’s Impact Fund is to maximize women’s leadership in philanthropy by engaging and educating its membership, increasing charitable contributions and strengthening communities through the impact of collective giving. The Women’s Impact Fund is designed to achieve greater levels of community impact by building an inclusive membership of women interested in the power of collective grantmaking.

Catawba Lands Conservancy is the lead agency for The Thread.

A community open house will be held on Tuesday, April 24, 2012, from 6-7 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, located at 801 Henkel Road in Statesville. Residents can attend the meeting at any time during the open house.

With funding from the Carolina Thread Trail, Iredell County is contracting with HadenStanziale to conduct a trail corridor study. The study will help determine the best trail alignment through the Fort Dobbs area. Representatives from HadenStanziale, Iredell County, City of Statesville and the Carolina Thread Trail will be in attendance to provide a project overview, answer questions, address alignment concerns, and explain the corridor study and decision-criteria process.

The project team will analyze and evaluate all landowner and public comments before recommending a final preferred trail alignment. At the conclusion of the study, another public meeting will be held to share that proposed alignment and explain the next steps in the implementation process.

In 2011, Iredell County – along with numerous municipalities – adopted a county-wide master plan for The Thread. Trail master plans provide a long-term vision for the development and implementation of trails and greenways within a county and its communities.

Currently, 90 miles of The Thread are open to the public in North and South Carolina with 14 active corridors under development.

Click here to learn more about the benefits of The Thread and trails! 

The challenge grant demonstrates Duke Energy’s commitment to CLC in an effort to inspire other corporations and businesses to see the importance of supporting various conservation initiatives. Duke Energy will match donations dollar-for-dollar, up to $50,000. The announcement was made today at CLC’s Annual Corporate Breakfast.

“Duke Energy remains committed to Catawba Lands Conservancy’s continued dedication to land conservation and stewardship. It’s why so many of us love this region and what attracts newcomers to make it their home,” said Jenny Ward, sustainability engagement manager at Duke Energy and CLC board member. “But we cannot be content with our accomplishments to date; we must continue to seek innovative ways to help advance this mission. We hope other business leaders will join us in this
important effort.”

CLC Executive Director Tom Okel said this grant will greatly support CLC’s fundraising initiatives by helping to raise awareness, attract more corporate support and help other donors feel that their money will go farther to protect wildlife, clean water, farmland and natural open spaces.

“Duke Energy has been an important partner for CLC and The Thread for many years. Given the company’s profile, this gift will go a long way in helping us garner more support and interest for conservation in our region,” said Okel. “This is a difficult fundraising climate, and whenever donors know that we have the corporate support of Duke Energy, it will help raise the bar of commitment from others.”

CLC invites its corporate, foundation and government partners to a breakfast each year to thank them for their commitment and highlight the accomplishments and successes achieved by CLC and The Thread from their support. This year’s breakfast was hosted by K&L Gates, LLP in Uptown Charlotte. Duke Energy is also committed to increasing its employee volunteer hours to support CLC’s land conservation and stewardship goals for 2012.

CLC is a nonprofit land trust that is dedicated to saving land and connecting lives to nature, and conserves land to protect clean water, wildlife habitats, farmland and public connections to nature via The Thread and natural open spaces. Established in 1991, CLC today conserves 162 properties, totaling 12,356 acres of land and serves Catawba, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg and Union counties. CLC is also the lead agency for The Thread.

Ann was honored for her efforts in advancing greenways, trails and open space in the Charlotte metro region at a recent event by Sustainable Charlotte and UNC-Charlotte’s Graduate Program in Urban Design.

Sustainable Charlotte presented 10 awards in various categories to community leaders from local nonprofits, government agencies, businesses and schools, and honored them for their efforts to help realize ‘Charlotte 2030: A Sustainable Vision for Our Region.’ The organization and its vision support initiatives that are making a difference in local communities by “building a vibrant and sustainable future for the region.”

“One of the greatest things about working on the Carolina Thread Trail is meeting wonderful leaders across our region who are making their segments of The Thread a reality,” said Ann. “I am so honored to receive this award, but credit should be disseminated among many, many team members and partners.”

Ann brought her lifelong passion for trails, conservation and green space to the The Thread in 2006 when the 15-county, two-state initiative was in its infancy. As project director for The Thread for the past six years, Ann has been at the forefront of building community and philanthropic support and collaboration for the initiative – helping to bring more than 70 different communities together in the region to advance trails and public access.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about kids being able to run and play outdoors, families exercising and enjoying recreation and nature together, communities having alternative transportation options and cities and towns realizing economic revitalization
through trails and green space,” said Ann.

Developing the grant program – through which catalytic private funds are awarded to communities for planning and building their trails – is just one example of Ann’s collaborative leadership, says Catawba Lands Conservancy Executive Director Tom Okel. Catawba Lands Conservancy is the lead agency for The Thread.

“Under Ann’s leadership, The Thread has evolved from a concept to a reality that has been embraced by 72 local communities throughout the region,” said Tom. “With more than 1,300 miles of trail now planned and 90 miles on the ground, this award is a great tribute to what Ann and her team have accomplished. It also reflects the importance of The Trail as a regional conservation project.”

Ann is a graduate of Davidson College and currently serves on Davidson’s Board of Trustees. She also holds a MBA from the Kenan-Flagler School at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Forgetting conventional wisdom, a hiker breaks the overall speed record on the Appalachian Trail.

“Records are made to be broken,” says long-distance hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis. “It’s not the number. The method and the approach are what matters more at the end of the day.”

For the last 40 years, men have held the Appalachian Trail record. In the last 20, it’s been confined to an elite club of ultra runners who typically covered the requisite 30 to 50 miles per day in an 11- to 13-hour period. Conventional wisdom suggested that breaking the record would mean running faster with the same strategy. And a new record holder would most certainly be male.

Pharr Davis, 28, took the standard strategy and turned it upside down. Moving from north to south, she covered the trail’s 2,181 miles by hiking for 16 hours a day beginning at 4:45 in the morning and walking well into darkness. To stick to an average pace of 47 miles a day, she slept on the trail or at road crossings to eliminate needless commute times to and from the trail. Her husband, Brew Davis, served as the support crew.

Pharr Davis trained by hiking rather than running—and the novel approach worked. By the time she reached the trail’s southern terminus at Springer Mountain, Georgia, she had trimmed 26 hours off the previous record with a time of 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes.

“Exploration can be twofold. It can be going to a new location or it can mean pushing through a physical boundary,” says Pharr Davis. “We were exploring what people thought was possible, for what was possible on the Appalachian Trail, and what was possible for a woman and a hiker.”

—Fitz Cahall
National Geographic Magazine

THE INTERVIEW

Adventure: Why chase this record?

Jennifer Pharr Davis: In a lot of people’s opinion, the Appalachian Trail record is the toughest trail record in the world because it has such a long history of attempts. The idea was that my best was good enough for the overall record on the Appalachian Trail. I wanted the ultimate challenge. I didn’t want to do anything less or anything easier.

A: Why the fascination with the Appalachian Trail?

JPD: One, it’s home. There is a comfort when I’m in the Appalachian Mountains. Second, the Appalachian Trail and this mountain chain feel very wise. They are some of the oldest mountains in the world. The mountains seem to hold their secrets close. You have to work to discover them. Third, I had a life-changing experience the first time I thru-hiked the AT. I was 21. I hiked by myself. I really knew nothing about long-distance backpacking. I was not adventurer of the year; I was idiot of the year. I got struck by lightning. I had my eyes freeze shut in a snowstorm. I was followed by some male hikers I did not want attention from. I even came across a suicide on the trail. It was the hardest five months of my life. But as time passed I realized how much I had changed. I had experienced so much positive growth. It left me longing to go back to the trail.

I returned in 2008, then again in 2011. If we are able to have a family, I want to do it with my kids. And when Brew and I retire, I want to hike it again. My ultimate goal isn’t to set a record. It’s to have a lifelong relationship with the trail.

A: You had your doubters. There have been some high-profile but unsuccessful attempts at the record in the last five years, all by male ultra runners. Did that give you pause?

JPD: Most people told me this was impossible. That there was no way I was going to set the overall record; that common sense said that it had to be set by a male; that it had to be an elite trail runner. There was a solid group of people who believed in me. In the face of all that disbelief, having that support network was invaluable.

I just want women to know that they have the same options as men, whether that’s a thru-hike, a day hike, or a record, or going out for the weekend.

Trail records are a very fringe sport, but the interest and popularity are growing. I think as it continues to evolve, women are going to feel more connected to it now, because they know they have the ability to go out and do something amazing on the trail.

A: If you could pick just one highlight, what would it be?

JPD: Clingmans Dome in Tennessee. I got there just after sunset. There was this afterglow in the Smokies. You could see the lights of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Usually there are a lot of tourists, but I was up there all alone. It was still and silent.

Also, I love seeing moose. I love seeing black bears. I am a fanatic about animals. It was always a huge boost. It’s like taking an energy shot if I got to see a mama black bear and two cubs. I saw 36 bears. I really love to hike, all day every day.

A: Was there a low point?

JPD: I contracted shin splints on the fourth day. I’d never had them before. There were times where I would put my foot down and my leg would just buckle because of the pain. I decided I was going to walk until I could no longer crawl or stumble down the trail. I also got sick while I was in New Hampshire, in the hardest point of the trip. I was physically sick. I had terrible diarrhea. I was basically falling apart at the seams. I wanted to quit. My husband talked me past it. That was my lowest point, but it was also one of the highlights because, at that moment, my husband believed in me more than I believed in myself. Then there was never any looking back.

A: Any good-luck charms?

Having my husband there was my biggest lucky charm. My lasting memory of this summer is more than an athletic accomplishment. To me it’s a love story, the power of what two people accomplish when they believe in each other. He was my encouragement. If we missed a meet up or road crossing, he would know my thinking and where I would meet up with him. He was making such a sacrifice, it made me want to keep going. I was going to move forward until I physically could not. Overall, there wasn’t a lot of time for superstition.

This article and photo are from National Geographic Magazine. Find the article on the National Geographic Website: http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/adventurers-of-the-year/2012/jennifer-pharr-davis/

Cherokee County: Feb. 28, March 1 and March 6
Cherokee County is hosting another round of community meetings to get feedback from residents on preliminary trail recommendations for the Cherokee County Greenway Master Plan. The meetings will be held Feb. 28, March 1 and March 6. Read more.

Shelby: March 8
We’ve been working with residents, community groups and property owners in Shelby for the past several months and we’re now ready to present the final trail alignment recommendations for a trail along the First Broad River. Read more.

Please mark your calendars for the following race/walk events and activities: 

April 21 – Run For The Money: You can register now to run, walk or donate to the Catawba Lands Conservancy – the lead agency for The Thread – via the Gaston County Community Foundation’s annual fundraiser, Run For the Money. When you register and select CLC, your race donations and proceeds will benefit Catawba Lands Conservancy and of course The Thread too. For more information, go to http://www.cfgaston.org/runforthemoney/default.aspx or the CLC website.

April 28 – Belmont Rail Trail 5K Run: The City of Belmont and Belmont Abbey College are sponsoring the first Rail Trail 5K Run to raise funds for the city’s rail trail project that will become part of the Carolina Thread Trail. The race will be held on April 28, from 9-11 a.m., on the campus of the college. Please contact AdrianMiller at amiller@cityofbelmont.org
if you are interested in volunteering or participating in the race. For more information about the rail trail project, please visit the city’s trail project website.

“Run For Your Life” Trail Club: Looking for a group of runners to run trails with? If so, “Run For Your Life” is looking for you. They have a new trail club and are looking for more runners. The next time you’re at one of their four local store locations, just ask for a list of trails and trail club information. Soon, we’ll add sections of The Thread to their list. In the meantime, enjoy your run on a local trail and like “Run For Your Life” on facebook or follow them on twitter.

The grant award amount, community information and the use of the grants follow:

• Town of Stanfield, Stanly County – $20,000
Funds awarded to the Town of Stanfield will be used to construct approximately 2,000 linear feet (.5 miles) of paved Carolina Thread Trail through Pete Henkel Park in Stanfield. This segment of The Thread, as part of an overall master plan for the park, will connect Stanfield Elementary School, new sidewalks and residential walkways with the center of town. The town has sought grants from other entities to support the construction of the trail.

• City of Shelby, Cleveland County – $75,000
Funds awarded to the City of Shelby will be used to acquire land and trail easements along an 8-mile segment of the First Broad River corridor. This corridor has been identified as a priority segment in the adopted Carolina Thread Trail Master Plan for Cleveland County Communities, and is currently undergoing a corridor design to further define a route for the trail along the corridor. Land acquisition will be focused on the First Broad River corridor from the Historic Trestle in Shelby south to the YMCA Riverbend Golf Course.

These grants were the first to be awarded as part of The Thread’s new quarterly implementation cycle. Grants from The Thread will help communities build trails that will add to the 85 miles of trails that are currently open to the public throughout The Thread’s 15-county footprint. Both Cleveland and Stanly counties have adopted county-wide master plans, making their cities and towns eligible for grant funding from The Thread.

To date, The Thread has awarded more than $6.1 million in catalytic grants to Carolina Thread Trail communities and trail projects, including grants from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund for land acquisition.

Grant applications for the second quarter of the 2012 implementation grant cycle are due April 5, 2012. For more information, visit carolinathreadtrail.org or contact Carolina Thread Trail Grants and Community Coordinator Randi Gates at 704-376-2556 x217 or randi@carolinathreadtrail.org.