2022 KT Mini-Grant program awards area projects!
November 9, 2022
4th Annual KT Mini-Grant Program awards 9 applicants!
On behalf of the Kingdom Trails Board of Directors, the Kingdom Trail Association (KT) is delighted to announce the 4th annual KT Mini-Grant program has awarded funds to 9 applicants around the Northeast Kingdom! KT was privileged to receive 17 applications in 2022 and $73,019 in total funding requested, the largest number of applications and funding requested since the program began in 2019! Kingdom Trails is grateful for all applicants who submitted an application this year, and we are thankful for the positive impact they have as we all work together to foster the health of our shared space and community. Kingdom Trails is grateful to the 105 landowners whose gift of access have allowed KT to contribute to our community and offer this program.
The KT Mini-Grant Selection Committee awarded funds to applicants in Burke, East Haven, Kirby, and Lyndon, all who participated in a competitive application process. These applications met the criteria focused on community need, impact, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, public support, and a realistic, effective work plan and budget. The 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.
Awarded project include:
- Lyndon Town School: Ski and Snowboard Project,
Awarded $5,000:
Lyndon Town School sought funds for scholarships for 6th-8th graders to ski and snowboard at Burke Mountain. These funds allow the school to offer this program free of charge to interested students, essentially erasing a barrier for participation many students faced.
- Adaptive Sports Partners: Bike Trailer Project,
Awarded $2,500:
Adaptive Sport Partners (ASPNC), with the growth of equipment and athletes, will purchase an enclosed trailer to access more athletes in our community and be able to serve everyone who wishes to recreate! The trailer will benefit the community by storing bikes safely, bringing bikes to various partners including schools and community organizations, and allowing athletes with disabilities to access different trail locations, including KT.
- Cobleigh Library: Bike Shed Project, Awarded $2,850:
The Cobleigh Library will
install a shed for storing bicycles for check-out, as well as our Book Bike. The Library has partnered with the Town of Lyndon to provide e-bikes for check out to the local community. This will help more people in the community to learn about biking and be able to bike in a comfortable manner, seeking a healthier lifestyle.
- Town of Lyndon: E-Bike Lending Project, Awarded $2,000: The Town of Lyndon will purchase an e-bike that will be available for checkout at the Cobleigh Library. The outcome will be an opportunity for Lyndon residents and visitors to try an ebike as an alternative form of transportation, in the hopes that overall vehicle miles traveled will be decreased by using an active mode of transportation.
Northeast Kingdom Preschool: Playground Shelter Project, Awarded $4,250: Building Will a shelter in both their infant and preschool play yards, offering the ability to have a dry space to teach, explore, and grow our curiosity on a day to day basis throughout the year. In addition to the shelters, this project will bring an outdoor classroom to their center to be utilized year round offering more opportunities for outdoor learning and exploration.- Town of East Haven, VT: Gazebo Project, Awarded $4,400:
The project will build a 12’ by 14’ gazebo in an area that is between the existing playground and the newly paved basketball court that is adjacent to both the East Haven Community Building and the East Haven section of the KTA trail system.
- Northwoods Stewardship Center: Wildlife Ambassador Program,
Awarded $2,000:
This project will expand capacity to deliver wildlife programs on campus and at afterschool programs. This includes rebuilding a new mew, building the program to include another visiting raptor (perhaps a Kestrel!) and program development around raptors as a key speciality. This will also include development of new program materials for display and travel for the local communities including Burke, Lyndon, Kirby, and East Haven.
- East Burke School: Self-Sufficiency Workshops Project,
Awarded $1,000:
EBS intends to build on the strong foundation they have established for their Self-Sufficiency Workshop Series with improved offerings designed to strengthen students’ skills and self-confidence, engender in them a greater sense of agency in their ability to contribute to their communities, and help them connect more deeply with the people and places that make the NEK home.
- Thaddeus Stevens School: Renovation Project, Awarded $1,000: Thaddeus Stevens School is completing a number of renovation projects at its new East Burke campus to convert the property into a forever home for the school. The renovation projects are being conducted in phases (driven by priority) and the Thaddeus Stevens School Board of Trustees is leading a capital campaign to help fund these renovation projects. These funds will help convert the basement into an art and music space.
To learn more about the KT Mini-Grant program and how to apply for next year’s cycle, please visit
https://www.kingdomtrails.org/kta-mini-grant. Applications will open in late July 2023 and close at the end of September 2023. Any questions can be sent to us at
grants@kingdomtrails.org.
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 Dirt Party a Success
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.
