Teachers invited to bring the AT into their classroom

Teachers and educators interested in incorporating the Appalachian Trail into their lessons ad classrooms can apply to the Trail to Every Classroom program, a series of three workshops led by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

The program encompasses the fundamentals of hiking, environmental stewardship and ethics, GPS technology, grant writing, an opportunity for backpacking, networking and curriculum writing specific to the educator’s instructional subject.

More than 275 teachers along the Appalachian Trail corridor from Georgia to Maine have gone through the workshops, including several teachers and students in Macon and Jackson counties have graduated from the program, and in turn many have developed their own outdoor-oriented curriculums to offer their students.

All lodging, meals, and materials are included. Deadline is March 15.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or www.appalachiantrail.org/TTEC

Appalachian Trail ambassador appointed for WNC

Mary Bennett has been selected by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy to serve as a volunteer trail ambassador for Franklin in Macon County.

Franklin has been designated an official Appalachian Trail community.

Bennett will serve as a community liaison to the ATC and the Nantahala Hiking Club to encourage volunteerism and stewardship of the Appalachian Trail at the local level.

Bennett has lived in the Franklin community for nearly 20 years and enjoys the mountains and forests in the Nantahala region. She is an educator, horticulturalist, hiker and has section hiked much of the AT. She enjoys designing environmental service learning opportunities for students and leading nature-oriented activities for families. This is her second year as an Ambassador.