Champlain Area Trails Hosts Author McKibben

I spent the loveliest Saturday afternoon of 2011 at the home of acclaimed illustrator and author, Steven Kellogg. Kellogg hosted a lively and family-friendly fundraiser for Champlain Area Trails ("CATS") at his historic Blockhouse Farm in Essex, New York. 70 degrees in a clear blue sky, a light breeze, and the sweeping grounds organically manicured sloping to an immense vista of Lake Champlain – exactly what you dream of when you think "summer day" in the Adirondacks. The postcard-perfect weather and view seemed to join us in celebrating CATS' mission to link communities and connect people with nature. The focal point of the festivities was author and educator, Bill McKibben.

Champlain Area Trails is a local non-profit organization, which, since its inception in 2009, has created (and maintains) 8 miles of hiking and cross-country ski trails in the Champlain Valley. With connections to existing trails, CATS is half-way toward their long-range goal of a 30-mile trail loop between Westport and Essex. CATS will extend its trails to neighboring towns and eventually connect them to trails in the Adirondack Mountains, Vermont, and Quebec. Critical to the success of the trails is the conscientious conservation of the Champlain Valley's vistas, natural areas, farms, communities, and business – economic vitality is a cornerstone of CATS' mission. The CATS Board recognized this and formed The Champlain Valley Conservation Partnership (CVCP) as a program for CATS to protect farms, forests, and clean water, promote local farming, sustainable forestry, and historic hamlets, and develop outdoor education and outdoor recreation-based tourism initiatives.

Chris Maron, Director of CATS, opened the event – which coincided with National Trails Day – with warm introductions under a pavilion on the lawn beside the picturesque yellow farmhouse. Maron passed the mic to the event host, Steven Kellogg – illustrator and author of over one hundred picture books and a recipient of the prestigious Regina Medal for his lifetime contribution to children's literature. Kellogg is a warm, wonderful and generous person who is active in supporting the Adirondack community. As an admirer of his work, I had been looking forward to meeting him – and was glad to find that the heart in his stories is just as present in person.

Kellogg gave a lovely introduction and then presented a beautiful piece he had created to guest speaker, Bill McKibben. One of McKibben's books, "Wandering Home: A Long Walk Across America's Most Hopeful Landscape" was an inspiration for the creation of CATS and describes his three-week hiking adventure from Ripton, Vermont to the southern Adirondacks, where many of the CATS trails are located. McKibben speaks in a relaxed yet engaging manner that enourages a similar attitude in his listeners. He made us laugh and feel at ease at just the right moments while covering topics of direct concern to the CATS mission: community, nature, economic vitality. Behind McKibben, the view of Lake Champlain was immediate and intense – like I could step off of the back of the sloping grounds right into the vast blue water.

After McKibben's remarks, Kellogg invited everyone to come to the barn for refreshments – catered by Turtle Island Café of Willsboro with offerings from Dogwood Bread Company of Wadhams, and serving local beer and wine – as Maron said in his introduction, a great effort was made to feature locally produced food and drink – which was all incredibly delicious. The fiddleheads were a particular treat.

As the families streamed down the hill, I thought of how admirable it was of CATS to make this fundraiser a family event – and not just kid-friendly: the event downright embraced kids. While McKibben spoke, about a dozen children were lead on a nature walk through acres of wildflowers and tall grass cut with winding paths. As the parent of a 20-month-old, all I can say to the other parents out there is: your kids were truly welcome here – there were places for the kids, things for them to do, and people to engage them in good activities. If you've ever been to a grown-up party with your kids in tow, you know exactly what I mean. Kudos to CATS for taking this extra effort, and kudos for making the kids' experience part of the mission, too.

To find out more about future Champlain Area Trails events check back here at our website. For more information about Champlain Area Trails and hiking in the area, check http://www.champlainareatrails.com.