Bring new outdoor initiatives to life in your community.
Create new trails.
Open a community gear library.
Launch enriching new outdoor programs and events.
Creating an active, outdoor community isn’t the result of one successful project, it’s the ongoing work of many different groups and individuals putting in the effort to grow resources, infrastructure, and experiences that make the outdoors, and human-powered outdoor sport, accessible and sustainable.
It can feel overwhelming to figure out where to begin or how to move forward. Sometimes it feels like pure magic or luck, but it’s not.
It starts with intentional planning & design.
In this two-day event we are hosting two workshops focused on bringing outdoor initiatives to life in your community. You can choose from one or both days.
These hands-on, interactive sessions will give you the space and support to help your dreams find action.
In each workshop you will learn
The critical elements for planning & design
Actionable practices for engaging community input
Building durable partnerships to launch and manage initiatives
Developing a plan with clear and actionable next steps
Thanks to our hosting partner, Skowhegan Outdoors, these workshops will take place over two days at the Skowhegan Outdoors Basecamp in Skowhegan, ME, and will include
Interactive classroom sessions
Hands-on guided field-based sessions
Open Q&A with instructors and peers
Opportunities to assess and discuss your own community’s challenges with experienced professionals
Itinerary
Day 1: Trails Planning & Development
Thursday, May 16th, 2024 - 9 AM to 4 PM
Topics Include
Understanding the trail development life cycle
Elements of sustainable trail planning, design, construction, and maintenance
Learning trail anatomy and terminology
Exploring contemporary trail theory and how it relates to modern trail development
Investigating different recreational user types and experience goals
Understanding and comparing grade and slope, and how they apply to trails.
Strategies for creating trail development within communities
Day 2: Activation through Gear Libraries, Programs, and Events
Friday, May 17th, 2024 - 9 AM to 4 PM
Topics Include
Identifying the key ingredients of gear library operations and management.
Evaluating what you’re trying to create and who it’s for.
Developing risk management practices that allow ongoing improvement and interation.
Exploring successful partnerships across organizations and sectors to bring initiatives to life.
Building a pipeline of involvement and capacity building
These workshops are open to anyone interested in learning more about developing greater access to human-powered outdoor recreation in their communities. This includes program directors, non-profit leaders, community outdoor advocates, land managers, and civic leaders and decision makers.
Check Out What Others Have Said About Learning in OSI’s Workshops.
“I really enjoyed the combination of classroom time and time spent in the field. It made it much easier to understand and process the information being taught.”
“All instructors were extremely knowledgeable and were easily able to articulate all information during each session.”
“Great use of scenarios to get ideas and concepts going, then turning groups loose to evaluate their own ideas.”
“The course content was perfect.”
This course is being taught by OSI Staff & Partners.
Steve Kasacek, Director of Trail Development & Education
Steve Kasacek brings over 10 years of professional consulting experience to the Outdoor Sport Institute team. With an education and foundation in civil engineering focusing on stormwater management and restoration, Steve brings years of low impact design, natural resource protection, and sustainable trail expertise to OSI’s Trail Development initiatives.
Steve has worked in over 20 states helping communities navigate complex trail development projects from vision to management. He has assisted with more than 1000 miles of high-quality trails planning and design and has directly managed over 50 miles of trail construction, helping land managers, government agencies, organizations, and communities secure more than ten million dollars in funding for natural surface trail projects.
Steve brings his passion for local capacity building to the variety of workshops and trainings he leads for volunteers, land managers, and professionals. He is dedicated to growing local pipelines of leadership to support trail projects big and small.
Josh Bossin, Executive Director, Maine GearShare
Josh has a B.A. from Johnson State College and an M.A. from Ohio University, both in the fields of Outdoor Education and Recreation. He worked for NOLS as a Mountaineering Instructor in Alaska and as a Climbing Guide in the Northeast for a number of years. He also served as a professor of Outdoor Education at Sterling College for 6 years. Most recently, prior to coming to Maine GearShare, he served as Associate Dean of Work-Experiential Learning and chaired the college's Risk Management Committee. Josh has been involved with Maine GearShare for a year through both committee and consulting work. He brings many years of experience in the outdoors, equipment rental operations, gear repair, and administrative management to his role as Executive Director of Maine GearShare.
Mike Smith, Executive Director, OSI
Mike Smith has worked at the intersection of outdoor leadership, recreation, and community development for over 20 years. His technical background includes titles such as raft guide, sea kayak guide, high school ski coach, backcountry trip leader, whitewater kayak instructor, and bike shop manager. He is a registered Maine Recreational & Sea Kayak Guide, ACA Whitewater Kayak Instructor Trainer, Swiftwater Rescue Instructor, BICP Mountain Bike Instructor, and a Wilderness First Responder.
Mike’s passion, however, is in helping people discover new possibilities in themselves and their communities through the outdoors. It’s this focus that has defined his career and lead to the co-founding of the Outdoor Sport Institute in 2016. Mike has spent over 15 years working with schools, non-profits, businesses, land managers, and local governments to find creative and sustainable solutions to enhancing human-powered outdoor recreation. A dedicated teacher, Mike brings the lens of leadership development to all OSI’s efforts. He understands the value of investing in relationships, and the tenacity required to truly build local capacity.
*Course Tuition - $145 for one-day / $245 for both days
Register and pay securely online. We stand by the education we provide. If you’re not satisfied with your experience, we’ll refund your money. It’s as simple as that.
Our hosting partner for this training is Skowhegan Outdoors.
All sessions will be held at the Skowhegan Outdoors Basecamp in Skowhegan, ME.
The Outdoor Sport Institute & Our Community
Our mission is to empower resilient, active outdoor communities. We are a 501c3 non-profit organization. Through OSI you can access resources, support, and a network of peers to connect with and share ideas.