By Ned Baier, AICP

Florida Greenways & Trails Foundation, President

As I sit down to write this column, it is hard to believe that my tenure as President of this non-profit organization and our 7,800 followers and dozens of sponsors is near the end of year one. Time does not stand still, and there is still much I want to do before I pass the baton. The stated mission of the Florida Greenways & Trails Foundation (FGTF) is to advocate for and help create a statewide system of connected greenways and trails.  Since 2001 FGTF has built a team of volunteers and supporters from across Florida who are committed to the proposition of “doing well by doing good,” and who foster positive relationships with the public, our state agencies, local governments, environmental organizations, advocates, and business  creating a network or interconnected Greenways and Trails. You can see the tangible difference we are making together.

A priority for me is recognizing and thanking our 10-person volunteer Board of Directors, our 25-person Honorary Board and our volunteers and sponsors. Through nine months of this year our team totaled 1,168 volunteer hours. Wow! Our Board members work extremely hard. They travel to out of town meetings. They organize events. They do speaking engagements. They organize conferences. They act as FGTF community liaisons. They are a working Board. We have raised money for our FGTF events. We also like each other and have fun working together. It’s been a wonderful experience for me personally during my two years on the Board.

Special thanks to our Executive Board members: Vice President Kim Delaney, PhD; Treasurer Mike Stephens; and Secretary Harry Barley! It takes a team working together to do good things. A great example of team work is the planning and execution of the  statewide FGTF Greenways & Trails Summit in 2025. The two-day summit is scheduled for February 5 & 6, 2025 in Venice, FL. Day 2 of the summit will learn and discuss how Greenways and Trails can be aligned with the Florida Wildlife Corridor. The summit program, registration, and hotel information can be found HERE.  

Volunteering is importaint because it benefits the community, the environment, and the individual. The act of volunteering not only benefits the recipients but also brings a sense of fulfillment and purpose to those who volunteer. It fosters a sense of connection and shared responsibility while helping to build stronger, more resilient communities. There are innumerable other ways in which we can all make a positive difference in our communities.  For example, we can volunteer at our local food bank; at a local soup kitchen; with the nearest Habitat for Humanity chapter; by organizing a food drive in your neighborhood and/or office; organizing a local park or highway trash clean-up; coordinating a holiday toy drive; serving on your local school’s parent teacher organization; and/or running for local community office.  The possibilities are endless. 

I hope that as this year progresses, you will take a moment to reflect on how you can give back, both to this organization and to your communities.  The contributions you make are noble, charitable, and make a difference.   I hope you will answer this call to arms and join our own army of Greenways & Trails volunteers dedicated to improving our communities. Together, we can move forward by giving back.