Trails to Tomorrow: Getting Real

Mike Smith | OSI Executive Director

In a digital world the value of experiences that bring us into contact with something real feels increasingly profound and necessary. From emails and zoom calls, to podcasts and apps, some days I marvel at how much time I spend living inside a screen. This is why I love our work in outdoor sport, it’s all about getting real - real effort bringing trails to life, real learning with emerging leaders, real partnerships to activate community - in short, people coming together in the real world because they care. This year alone, for example, we were able to serve more than 25 Maine communities working to create greater access to the outdoors.

This work takes funding, though, and your support is a critical piece of the puzzle. By making a donation this season, you’re ensuring our work can continue. 2025 has been an awesome year, and in a season of gratitude and reflection, we are thankful for the experiences we’ve had helping Maine communities connect with what’s real. Here at home in the Katahdin Region, we continue to work with an incredible network of partners to make the area a model for community-based outdoor recreation with initiatives like the Katahdin Gear Library, Katahdin Area Trails, and collaborative youth programs. These efforts are transforming the local landscape and inspiring progress across Maine’s rural spaces.

Looking forward, I believe we’re all going to need more to keep us grounded in what is real. The outdoors and outdoor sport is a way forward for us and our communities – it helps root people to place and each other, physically not virtually. We are working to build a future where we’re side-by-side and face-to-face with the outdoors and each other. This is what strong communities have always been about, and your support will help us get there.