We're running a little Challenge over on the Transit & Trails blog that involves stories and $100 gift cards to REI.
Do you know any young people - "young" here defined as 15-25 years old - that like to go outside? Or who perhaps need to go outside?
Hop on over and do your part to revive some brain cells.
Do you want to take a group on a hike?
Do you dream of going into nature but don't know how to plan for it? Perhaps you work with kids. Maybe you work with seniors. Possibly you are part of a club, church, synagogue, temple, or some other community. If you're in Contra Costa County and you want to take groups outdoors, then we have a workshop for you.
Join us on May 19 from 10:30-12:30 at the Concord Library (2900 Salvio Street, Concord). In partnership with the Contra Costa County Spare the Air Resource Team, Transit and Trails will lead this workshop that provides tools, tips and tricks for planning a hike or a camping trip. Come learn from someone who has taken an uncountable amount of groups onto public transit and into the outdoors. See how we can all go camping without a car. Walk away with knowledge you can use now.
PLUS! There is funding available! Must be present to learn more. This workshop is free and it's for sure going to be fun.
Register here. Questions? Contact Jessica Williams at jwilliams at communityfocus dot org.
Spring has sprung, the sun is shining, and it's Earth Day. What better thing to do than go outside and soak it all up? And do you think you could leave your car at home?
Thanks to some tips from Weekend Sherpa and a little help from Transit and Trails, you can. It's easy. And it might be more fun.
We'd love to hear about what you do to celebrate. Will you tell us in the comments?
Happy Leap Year!
On this very special day that happens every 4 years, we are excited to announce 4 exciting new ways that Transit and Trails is expanding its reach.
THE FIRST: Remember the Triple Threat? It’s a 128-mile bicycle ride up Mount Hamilton, Mount Tamalpais, and Mount Diablo in one day, using public transit to get between the three peaks. Nine riders completed all three peaks last year (plus seven who did two peaks, and one who did one):
Photo by Lech Naumovich
But riding 128 miles and climbing 10,000 feet on a bicycle isn’t for everyone. The parks where this ride takes place ARE for everyone. The trains and ferry they take to crisscross the Bay Area ARE for everyone. And so we announce a new name and an expanded event:
We’re thinking bigger than bikes. The day will include opportunities for:
Check out the website and stay tuned for more information about how you – how everyone! – can participate. Registration for riders will open on March 26. Sponsorship and partner opportunities are available. Contact Annie Burke at annie@openspacecouncil.org with questions and ideas.
THE SECOND: There is so much more to Transit and Trails than a map of trailheads, trips and campgrounds. There’s a vision that more people get outside and use low-carbon intensive ways of getting there. There are ideas and dreams and plans and conversations. There are a lot of trips outside to check out those transit connections, take in the vistas, and soak up that fresh air. And so we’ve created a way to share some of these stories with you:
Take a look, bookmark it, let us know what you think in the comments, and if you feel so inclined share it with friends. We'll post ways of getting outside, what to see and do while you're there, information about the Alt. ride, fun links and videos, and more.
THE THIRD: Our iPhone app has been available for download for about a year now. We’re happy to announce that all you Android phone users don't have to wait too much longer. Stay tuned to our blog in the next week or so to find an app that you can call your own. Here's a sneak peak at what you'll soon be able to download:
THE FOURTH! A dedicated group of trusted partners has been making Transit and Trails better. They have been adding trailheads to our database and making them available to you. The Trailblazers, as we like to call them, are a knowledgeable group of outdoor enthusiasts who know the Bay Area like the back of their hand. The include:
Are you interested in being a Trailblazer? Email Ryan at ryan@openspacecouncil.org to learn more about what’s involved.
Photo by Bonnie Lewkowic. Trip information is here.
Well, that’s it. That’s our big leap. More ways to expand Transit and Trails so that more people use it to get outside. More partnerships. More ways of telling the story about Bay Area parks and trails. More ways of connecting people to this beautiful place we call home.
What do you think? Tell us in the comments.
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Our regularly scheduled Wednesday post, Open Space Happenings, will resume next week.
We have been working on things behind the scenes. The very small staff at the Open Space Council have been dreaming big and making big plans. And we're almost ready to share. Come back here on Wednesday to see what kind of big leap we're about to take.
Remember last week when we asked for your thoughts and stories about Transit and Trails? A lot of you took our online survey with the hopes of winning a $50 gift certificate to Gather restaurant.
We are happy to announce that
Kate from San Francisco
has won!
Thank you, Kate, for sharing your experience with Transit and Trails with us! We hope that you will enjoy the delicious food and beautiful setting that Gather offers.
And thanks to all of you who took the time to take the survey! We love hearing from you. If you didn't take the survey or have more to say, send us an email at annie at openspacecouncil dot org.
Have you wondered how to actually use Transit & Trails?
Do you need (want) to get something at your local REI store?
Join us for the Transit & Trails REI tour this fall!
Bay Area Open Space Council’s Ryan Branciforte will give a digital presentation of some of his favorite Bay Area hikes, accessible by public transit. Join Ryan as he hikes from Sausalito to Stinson Beach through the magnificent Marin Headlands, to the spectacular summit of Mount Diablo from Walnut Creek, along the East Bay ridgeline from Richmond to Orinda, and along Sweeney Ridge above Pacifica. You’ll take in the sweeping vistas from the summit of Mission Peak in Fremont, and head out backpacking on the Ohlone Regional Trail. Learn how to use the interactive web site of the Transit & Trails, research public transit-accessible hikes, trailheads, and campgrounds throughout the Bay Area’s 1.2 million acres of protected lands.
The tour dates are:
All shows start at 7pm. See your local REI's calendar for registration details.
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