Wilderness Society is honored for efforts to widen outdoor access
Brown mountains in Sonoran Desert National Monument, AZ
Bob Wick
Accepting Green Globe award, Wilderness Society calls for expansion of Trailhead Direct
The Wilderness Society was awarded King County’s Green Globe award for its work as a “Leader in Access to the Outdoors” and the organization’s commitment to expand the reach of the county’s Trailhead Direct program in Washington, which seeks to ease vehicle congestion, reduce safety hazards, and expand access for all to nearby parks and popular trails. The Wilderness Society praised its partner, the Environmental Coalition of South Seattle, for their work to connect immigrant and refugee communities to nearby public lands and called on the city and county to continue to expand the service to reach more communities across the region.
Statement from Kitty Craig, Wilderness Society Deputy Regional Director - Urban to Wild, Seattle:
“Everyone in Seattle and King County should have an opportunity to enjoy some of the region’s best trails, parks and open space, but too many in our community face barriers that limit opportunities for these kinds of outdoor experiences. This award is a recognition of the commitment of local partners and King County Metro and Parks to reduce those barriers.
We share this award with the Environmental Coalition of South Seattle, and look forward to working with them and other partners to promote the Trailhead Direct service this year. We also hope King County builds on this success by making the program permanent and expanding it to more communities across the county.”
Trailhead Direct has just launched its second full season in the Seattle area, with expanded service to the Tukwila International Boulevard Station and new trailhead drop-off points, including Little Si near North Bend and the Sky Country Trailhead in Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park. The Wilderness Society, Environmental Coalition of South Seattle and others have committed to continuing promotional and partnership efforts through the full season and will organize ridership events throughout the summer.
Learn more about Trailhead Direct's expanded services here:
The Wilderness Society's Urban to Wild program is dedicated to opening pathways to access public lands, so all people can enjoy the benefits of parks, open space, and public land. Rooted in a belief that public lands belong to all of us, the program works directly with communities in Albuquerque, Los Angeles, and Seattle to identify challenges and to advance solutions to increase equitable access to the outdoors.
