2021 KTA Mini Grant Awards

November 8, 2021

The Kingdom Trail Association’s Mini Grant Selection Committee once again met to determine awards for the annual KTA Mini Grant cycle. In the nonprofit’s third year offering this opportunity, Kingdom Trails was privileged to receive $42,685 in funding requests for the $25,000 allotted by the Kingdom Trails Board of Directors. The Committee received 10 applications and for the first time since the inception of the KTA Mini Grant Program, Kingdom Trails were able to fund every application in some way, shape, or form- extending the network’s positive impact beyond the trails, to the community fabric that surrounds it. 


Grant recipients were selected through a competitive application process, scoring projects from Burke, East Haven, Kirby, and Lyndon on such criteria as community need, impact, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, public support, and a realistic, effective work plan and budget. Projects must highlight and advance valuable local endeavors that promote recreation, health and wellness, education and training, environmental stewardship, economic viability, heritage and culture, and the creative arts.


The Kingdom Trails Board of Directors, at the recommendation of the KTA Mini Grant Committee, is excited to announce the following recipients of the 2021 KTA Mini Grant awards:

 

Cobleigh Library, Awarded $2,000 to install 2 bike racks, made by Lyndon Institute students, and 1 bike repair station in front of the library for public use, along with educational programming related to use of the repair station.


Village Improvement Society and Powers Park, Awarded $3,000 to add a sign at the entrance of Powers Park clearly directing the community to the location of the park and to finish financing a chair lift to the swimming pool to meet ADA standards.


Town of Burke, Awarded $3,500 to support the purchase of 103-acre parcel to establish a Community Forest for use by Burke residents and visitors for educational purposes and multi-use recreation, plus wildlife habitat and corridors, water quality, and wetland protection.


Kingdom East School District - Hilltopper MTB Club, Awarded $3,000 to cover the expenses of 8 KESD students to join the Hilltopper MTB Club to learn biking skills and participate in races organized by Vermont Youth Cycling.


Kingdom East School District - Outdoor Club, Awarded $2,000 to develop an Outdoor Club for KESD to create opportunities for students to participate in outdoor activities with proper outdoor gear.


Upright Steeple Society, Awarded $2,000

To support the restoration of an 1829 Greek Revival Church that now hosts community events such as meetings, concerts, and lectures, reducing heat loss and preserving the historic windows. 


Town of Lyndon and Lyndon Chamber, Awarded $2,500 to reinvigorate and reinvent the covered bridges in the Town of Lyndon to be great historic landmarks and lively places of the present, including interpretive, educational signage.


Adaptive Sports Partners, Awarded $3,000 to support the NEK community and implement a learn to bike program for people with disabilities. 


East Burke School, Awarded $2,000 to contribute to a Food Forest, providing an educational space, serving as a demonstration center for regenerative agriculture.


H.O.P.E., Awarded $2,000 for the Backpack Program, a charitable food service providing food to children and their families who are facing food insecurity from 8 area schools. 


Kingdom Trails is thankful to all applicants who submitted proposals and we wish all the best in advancing these valuable local endeavors, improving the quality of life for our community. Above all, Kingdom Trails is grateful to our 104 private landowners who so generously allow our trails to cross their beautiful properties. It is because of them that we may continue contributing to our community and offering this program.

 

To learn more about the new KTA Mini Grant program and how to apply for next year’s cycle, please visit www.kingdomtrails.org/kta-mini-grant.org

Leadership Transition Announced at Kingdom Trails and the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative

By Sven Cole • July 25, 2025
Dear KT Community, I write to you today as I begin a transition in my relationship with Kingdom Trails. I have made the difficult decision to take the next step in my professional journey and step away from my role as Executive Director. Serving Kingdom Trails and this incredible community over the past eight years has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I am deeply proud of the work I’ve led and supported, from navigating immense global challenges and natural disasters, to forging incredible relationships, with our landowners and community. And throughout this journey, the Northeast Kingdom has become not just where I live, but truly my home. It’s the place I chose to become a mother and where my family has put down roots. That said, I am ready to explore new ways to serve this community, ways that will allow me to continue growing as a leader. I’ve accepted the role of Interim Executive Director for the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative, where I will carry forward the work I fell in love with through Kingdom Trails: strengthening our communities and supporting thoughtful economic development. In this new role, I’ll have the opportunity to advocate not only for outdoor recreation, which is so essential to the heart of our region, but also for the many sectors that make the Northeast Kingdom such a unique and vibrant place. Please know I remain deeply committed to Kingdom Trails. This is my home, and it will remain my home. I wish to always be an ambassador for KT, including playing a role in ensuring a graceful, responsible transition with care. The Board of Directors and I have committed to this, to ensure continuity, stability, and the trust you hold in this organization. I am grateful beyond words for the opportunity to have served my community through this role, and I look forward to closing this chapter with the same heart and good intention with which I began it. Georgia Gould is stepping in as interim Executive Director to lead the organization through this transition. Georgia has served on the KT Board of Directors since 2021, leading both the Landowner and Trail Advisory Committees. She is a KT Landowner with an impressive mountain biking and cyclocross resume - including a bronze medal in one of her two Olympic bids on Team USA and five career national championships in cross-country and short track mountain biking. Georgia, her husband Dusty, and their two young children are engaged members of the Burke community and the KT team. Her deep ties to the sport of cycling, dedication to providing great trails for all skill levels, and her love of this community make her the perfect choice to lead KT in its next phase. The Board and I are thrilled that Georgia has agreed to lead KT and feel confident that she will hold the mission of the organization at the center as she has throughout her Board service. You can reach Georgia directly and welcome her to this new role at ED@kingdomtrails.org . With deep gratitude, Abby ### Kingdom Trail Association The mission of the Kingdom Trail Association is to provide recreation and education opportunities by managing, maintaining, and building trails to foster the health of our community, surrounding environment, and regional economy. Kingdom Trails strives to accomplish this mission by offering a 100+ mile network of quality, non-motorized, multi-use trails for all levels of ability, incorporating the best of our local scenery and natural diversity. The Kingdom Trails are made possible through the generosity of 106 private landowners. Northeast Kingdom Collaborativ e The mission of the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative is to improve the quality of life for all residents of the NEK through coordinated economic and community development as the vision is a strong, vibrant Northeast Kingdom where we all thrive. The NEKC brings people together to spark positive change in our communities, creating structures that bring partners together across service areas, sectors, municipal and political boundaries to provide solutions for the renewal of the Kingdom. The NEK Collaborative serves as the backbone organization for the federally designated NEK REAP Zone and community partner for USDA Rural Development.

Cannondale Becomes KT's First Corporate Sponsor

By Sven Cole • June 17, 2025
Cannondale Dirt Party a Success
Vermont State Treasurer, Mike Pieciak, speaks at the 2025 Outdoor Recreation Day at the Statehouse

KT is taking action—on the trails and in the Statehouse!

By Abby Long • February 13, 2025
KT is taking action—on the trails and in the Statehouse! This 2025 Legislative Session, KT is teaming up with other amazing trail organizations through the Vermont Trails & Greenway Council, to advocate for H.147 a bill to establish the Recreational Trails Compensation Study. Why does this matter? Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy generates $2.1B annually, nearly 5% of the state’s GDP, that's 2nd in the nation after Hawaii (Go VT!) KT alone drives $10M in economic impact annually. Therefore, the state must recognize and incentivize these generous private landowners, including the 106 who make KT possible and allow public access to trails.
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