MALT Makes Progress with New Director

On Sept. 17, the Middlebury Area Land Trust (MALT) hired a new executive director, Carl Robinson, to oversee all of the current and future projects in store for the organization.

The land trust was incorporated in 1987 with a mission to preserve green space in the town of Middlebury. Since then, they’ve expanded their reach to the surrounding towns and have preserved over 2,000 acres of land. In addition, MALT created and continues to maintain the well-used, 16-mile Trail Around Middlebury (TAM).

Just a few weeks ago, MALT held its ninth annual fundraiser “TAM trek” to raise money for ongoing repairs to the trail over the course of the next year.

One of the organizers for the event was intern Emma Loizeax ’13 who spent this past summer maintaining the MALT trails and working on a mapping project for the TAM.

“The TAM Trek was great — good turnout,” said Loizeax.

Loizeax noted with appreciation the sizable turnout of Middlebury students, representing a large portion of the 100 people who went.

“The entire women’s cross country team showed up, [which was] probably half of the number of people that were there,” said Loizeaux. “The Middlebury Mountain Club was [also] out there.”

President of the Mountain Club Tess Sneeringer ’14 said she really enjoyed the event.

“I guess my main take-away,” said Sneeringer, “was how much of a tradition the TAM Trek itself really is and how enthusiastic the organizers and long-time participants were.”

Looking ahead, Robinson said that MALT will do things a little differently to drum up even greater support and interest in the TAM Trek event.

“Next year’s going to be our 10th,” said Robinson, “and we’re going to try and bump that up a little bit. As far as the activities we do, we’re still having conversations about what [those] will be. If it will be more of a running event like a 5k or run the whole trail. We have some participants who do that now, but we [might] make it timed, [adding] a little bit of a competitive nature.”

In addition to maintaining the TAM, MALT is also working on a few other projects in conjunction with other state and national groups to provide green spaces and particularly trails as ways for people to get out and enjoy nature.

One of the big projects MALT has been working on is a new stretch of trail that will connect the TAM to the trailhead at Snake Mountain, providing hikers with access to the mountain’s trails and beyond.

“That trail has been laid out by a couple people,” said Robinson, “Emma [Loizeaux] and then John Derrick, who is our trail expert. They’re very excited to be working with the National Parks service, adding another ‘spur.’”

While this additional spur, or section of trail, will open up walking access to Snake Mountain for Middlebury hikers, the project also has a national scope as well.

“One project that we’re working on,” said Robinson, “is the North Country Trail. It’s a national scenic trail which currently goes from North Dakota and ends in Crown Point, N.Y. The national parks service is looking to continue that trail and connect it to the Appalachian Trail. It’s a pretty exciting project.”

Crown Point is a mere 15 miles away from Middlebury and the goal of the project is to build out the trail so that it extends through to Middlebury, joining with the TAM briefly, and then runs south to connect with other larger trails.

“The idea is,” added Loizeaux, “that you [can] hike from the Dakotas across the mid-west through New York state to Crown Point and then across … through Addison County to the Long Trail, then south on the Long Trail to the Appalachian Trail.”

Thus, the small five or six mile stretch between the TAM and Snake Mountain has become more significant in conjunction with these larger efforts.

“They’re just about to officially open the trail that I helped build this summer,” said Loizeaux. “We’ll be inaugurating that with a hike that I will be leading on Oct. 20.”

With reference to this project and others, Robinson expressed his happiness to be involved with a group organizing volunteers for public good, much like organizations he had worked with in Arizona before settling in Middlebury with his wife seven years ago.

“I’m happy to be part of MALT and doing a little more for the community,” said Robinson, as well as “being back into [a] volunteer organization to help enhance Middlebury.”

Back in Arizona where he earned his bachelors degree in parks and recreation, Robinson worked for groups like the Coconino County Parks and Recreation Department and the Flagstaff Biking Organization, bringing together volunteers to maintain, develop and appreciate trails and parks in that region.

After seven years of working part-time at different jobs in the area and providing primary care for his kids, Robinson felt ready to step into this larger role with MALT.

“It’s exciting,” said Robinson. “I’m glad to be part of the organization.”

For more information on the Oct. 20 unveiling of the new section of trail marked out by Loizeaux, call the MALT office at 802-388-1007.