Hello Catamount family!
We’re reaching out earlier this year for our Annual Fund ask with inspirational opportunities to support and tough challenges to overcome. Our foundations are not yet stable.
After a year of damaging weather, including flooding and a very light winter, your backing is vital to help us balance financial hardships and reach sustainability.
Beyond climatic conditions, we need to move out of our indoor home in the McCullough’s historic Giles Chittenden Homestead as soon as possible. Thanks to a recent $126,500 VOREC Planning Grant, we can fund much of the blueprint phase for a new ADA accessible building to house Catamount’s Trail Hub, camps, programs, events, offices, equipment and more.
You can help fill the gaps in our yearly and planning budgets. A gift to our 2024 Annual Fund will support operations and allow is to move into the permitting and construction phases for the new building.
At the same time, we’re working on complex permits to revise and upgrade the entire 25+ mile trail network. Our primary goals are to reduce impacts, increase year-round resiliency and usability in a changing climate, add fun learning areas and improve sustainability, accessibility and navigation.
Producing a viable plan requires extensive data gathering, deep terrain and habitat awareness, awareness of historical perspectives, and application of appropriate trail standards. While we have some of the best easy trail experiences and first adaptive-friendly routes in VT, our trail planning highlights the goal of improving access for all abilities and uses too.
The work is time-consuming and expensive, but absolutely vital to the long term health of the network and the COFC. With your gift to the 2024 Annual Fund, this dream moves closer to reality.
Visit our website for more information, sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media to stay up to date on these projects and more. Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you on the trails and sharing in your adventures at Catamount!
Sincerely,
John Atkinson
Executive Director
~
Amanda Preston
Operations Manager
~
Andy Coddington
Trails & Facilities Manager
~
Maggie Brown
Guest Experience Coordinator
~
John Homiller
Guest Service Specialist