The Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, invited trail bosses across North East Oklahoma to participate in a sustainable trail design and construction training at the Pearl Jackson Preserve.
We were excited to bring in Mike Crockett of Anthrocene Contracting, based in Silverton, Colorado. Mike has more than 14 years of experience in sustainable trail construction and regularly contracts with the United States Forest Service. Throughout his career, he has trained thousands of volunteers, land managers, and conservation staff in best practices for designing and building durable, sustainable trails.
Mike Crockett of
Anthrocene Contracting
Mike and TUWC board member Stephanie first met many years ago while working in the Conservation Department together at Philmont Scout Ranch in northeast New Mexico. Their shared experience in the field and long-standing connection made it possible to bring this training opportunity to Tulsa.
In conversations with Mike, we discussed a flexible training format that could support trail planning efforts at the preserve. One idea was to offer a smaller session focused specifically on trail design for the forested corridor that had been identified as a potential location for a future trail.
We designed a trail with Mike’s expertise and then began building it using the techniques we had learned. The goal was to create a trail that is sustainable and able to withstand long-term use.
The Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition covered the cost of bringing Mike to Tulsa and also provided lunch for participants during the training. While there was no required fee to attend, we sincerely appreciated any partners who were willing to help offset a portion of the training costs. We felt strongly that investing in this opportunity to build local trail knowledge and capacity was too important to pass up.
Space was limited to ensure the training remained hands-on and effective. For that reason, we asked that the invitation remain limited to the individuals it was addressed to, and we kindly requested that all participants RSVP in advance. It was a day to train the trainers and trail bosses of the Oklahoma trail community.
We were excited to bring together so many outstanding organizations for this training — the City of Tulsa, City of Sand Springs, Keystone Ancient Forest, Tulsa Botanic Gardens, Claremore Trails, Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition, The Nature Conservancy, Muscogee Nation, and Tulsa County Parks.
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