PA Environment Digest

This spring, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy celebrated the success of its “Trail to Every Classroom” program with an awards gala at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., honoring teachers and program partners from five states, including Estelle Ruppert of DCNR’s Bureau of State Parks.

The award recognizes service and a leadership role in engaging youth recreational and service-learning activities along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.

Con. Tim Holden (D-Schuylkill) presented the award to Estelle, an early and ardent supporter of the “Trail for Every Classroom” program that so far has trained more than 150 teachers in the 14 trail states in ways to incorporate the trail into curricula at every level.

Working with Karen Lutz, Director of the Mid-Atlantic Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Rita Hennessy, NPS “TTEC” Director, and Pat Woods, MSE Director at Lebanon Valley College, Estelle and the Bureau of State Parks became involved in a very special partnership of people who care about educating youth on the values of public lands through experiencing the Appalachian Trail, and developing a land ethic through “conservation civics” taught through schools and communities.

It was an opportunity for state parks staff to share one of their newest education guides—PA Land Choices—along with other outdoor recreation programs and experiences. PA Land Choices and TTEC joined forces to advance the value and importance of place-based education through “conservation civics,” healthy outdoor recreation and service learning.

According to honoree Estelle Ruppert, “there are few state park systems that equal the quality, beauty, dedication, commitment and vision of the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks lead by director John Norbeck—who stands on the shoulders of all the great Pennsylvania conservationists before him. The state park staff, programs, resource management and visitor services are outstanding and continue to provide the excellence of service to all our visitors in spite of a difficult economy. It is the staff, the resources, the ability to push the ‘education envelope’ and the quality of administrative leadership that has made us number one in the nation.”

The 36,000-member Appalachian Trail Conservancy was founded in 1925 by volunteers and federal officials who were working to build a continuous footpath on the Appalachian Mountains from Maine to Georgia. A private nonprofit, it is focused solely on the protection, management, and promotion of the Appalachian Trail.

An underlying goal of new efforts such as TTEC is to recruit the next generation of volunteer stewards of the trail and its protective buffer of 250,000 acres of public lands.

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