Trails Gathering

September 26 - 27, 2024

Riverside Regional Park | 2420 Riverside E Dr, Indianapolis, IN 46202

We are excited to announce that the 2024 Trails Gathering will take place September 26-27 in the bustling city of Indianapolis. This event will unite trail enthusiasts from across the state, providing a platform to network and talk about the significance of trails within our communities. Join us to delve into the newest trail connections in the area, receive insights from the Trails Caucus, explore the economic impacts of trails, and partake in many other engaging discussions! This is an event you do not want to miss!

Speakers:

Tentative Agenda:

Thursday, September 26, 2024

9:30AM - 9:55AM Check in and networking

9:55AM - 10:00 AM Welcome from IPRA, Greenways Foundation, and Sponsors

10:00AM - 11:00 PM - Shaping the Future of Indiana Trails with Eric Ober and Erica Briggs

11:00AM - 12:00 PM - State Updates with Carey Hamilton, Indiana State Representative

12:00PM - 1:00 PM Lunch

1:00PM - 1:45 PM - B&O Trail Connection Story - Bev Katterhenry and Judy Kenninger - Speedway Trails

2:00PM - 3:00PM - Creating partnerships in the Community - Indianapolis Cultural Trail - Amy Maisavljevic - Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Inc.

3:00PM - 4:00PM - DNR NextLevel Trails Update with Ross Tepe
and Nathaniel Simmons

4:00PM Trail Walk/Ride on your own

5:00PM Social Hour - Hosted by the Greenways Foundation

Benefits of Eco-Therapy in Community Resources - Miranda Frausto - Earth Charter Indiana

Explore the profound connection between our mental health and nature through an Indianapolis initiative, Proyecto SOL. Created by Earth Charter Indiana, Proyecto SOL provides eco-therapy, a nature-based approach specifically designed to nurture the mental and physical health of local Latine youth. Guided by the philosophy of “using nature as a tool for our mental and physical health,” this program cultivates a more profound bond with the outdoors, encouraging mindfulness, healing, environmental stewardship, and joy.

Nathaniel Simmons
Grants Manager
Indiana DNR Division of State Parks

Hotel Accommodations

A room block has been reserved for our members at a rate of $149 per room at:

HAMPTON INN & SUITES INDIANAPOLIS WEST/SPEEDWAY
2608 Founders Square Dr. 
Speedway, IN 46224

Make reservations here!

Presentations:

Shaping the Future of Indiana Trails - Eric Oberg & Erica Briggs

From visionary trails like the Great American Rail-Trail to exploring the future of State and Federal funding for trails, join the Rails to Trails Conservancy in this interactive session. RTC Midwest Regional staff will share exciting progress on the Nation's first cross continental multi-use trail as well as ask you for your input on your priorities for the future of Indiana State support for trail development and maintenance. They will share what other states are doing in the advocacy and funding realm and ask you to weigh in on ways that you would like to see Indiana move forward.

Indiana DNR Update - Ross Tepe & Nathaniel Simmons

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources will provide an update on the ongoing grant initiatives administered by the department. These include the Indiana Trails Program (ITP) and the Next Level Trails program (NLT). Staff will cover program progress, grant round summaries, new trail openings, and information on future grant opportunities.

Erica joined the Rails to Trails Conservancy team in April 2024. She is passionate about building connected and safe nonmotorized networks and has almost two decades of nonprofit management and public policy experience—primarily working to advance active transportation and thoughtful land use policy in Michigan. Before coming to RTC, she served as executive director of Scenic Michigan. She lives in Ann Arbor, where she serves on the Ann Arbor City Council.

Erica has strong Hoosier roots. Like both of her parents, Erica received her bachelor’s from Indiana University (Political Science). She also holds an MPA from Eastern Michigan University and a Ph.D. in Political Science (Public Policy) from Michigan State University.

Eric Oberg
Midwest Regional Director

Eric Oberg gained his appreciation and love for the outdoors being born and raised in Alaska. His trail interest was piqued when he and his then girlfriend, now wife, trained long-distance sled dogs near Denali National Park for three years. Eric turned the love of trails into an exciting and rewarding career. He led trail-building crews in Denali for six years. This work included everything from survey work across trail-less wilderness to full-scale mechanized construction in the front country of the park.

With a young family in tow, he looked to broaden his career, and the opportunity to join RTC presented itself in 2007. In the years since, he has worked extensively throughout the Midwest and entire country with trail groups, decision makers and business leaders on trail projects of all shapes and sizes. He has particularly enjoyed working in some of the Midwest’s finest urban areas, a stark difference from the native village on Kodiak Island where he spent his childhood.

Eric enjoys time with his wife and two children, as well as cycling, gardening and bluegrass music.

Represents Indiana House District 87. Serves as the Democratic Caucus Chair in the Indiana House of Representatives. First elected to the House in 2016. Served as a nonprofit executive and a small business owner. Has worked in the environmental field for more than 20 years. Named one of the Indianapolis Business Journal’s Forty under 40 in 2010. Enjoys biking with her family on Indy’s trails and greenways.

Nathaniel Simmons started with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources in 2018 as a Trails Coordinator. His first couple of years with the DNR were marked by work grant administration with the Next Level Trails program as well as GIS mapping and work on the 2021 Indiana Trails Plan. In 2020, Nathaniel began working on other grants programs, primarily the Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). In 2022, Nathaniel became the Grants Manager for the Community Grants & Trails Section of Indiana State Parks. He holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) degree from Ball State University.

Ross Tepe
Trails Manager - Community Grants and Trails
Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Ross Tepe started at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources in 2021 as a Trails Coordinator. His primary role included managing Next Level Trails grants and GIS mapping, helping manage applications like the Indiana Trail Finder and program dashboards. In 2023, Ross became the Trails Manager for the Community Grants & Trails Section of Indiana State Parks. He holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) degree from Ball State University and a Bachelor of Science in Geological Sciences from Indiana University Bloomington.

Miranda Frausto (she/her) is the Latino/x/e Outreach Coordinator at Earth Charter Indiana. Earth Charter Indiana is a statewide environmental nonprofit focusing on climate action, environmental justice, and youth empowerment. Miranda’s primary program is Proyecto SOL, meaning Project SUN in Spanish. Proyecto SOL is a bilingual, park-based, eco-therapy program for Latine youth in Indianapolis. Proyecto SOL currently serves 3 IPS schools and their K-8 Latine students each fall semester, with the goal to expand to more locations in the future. Miranda is a certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy.