Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation (CCPR) is seeking volunteers to assist with a 2017 trail study that will occur from Aug. 7 to Aug. 13 along the Monon Greenway in Carmel. This is CCPR’s third round of participation in the trail study this year. The survey will be conducted by the Eppley Institute through Indiana University. The survey’s intention is to collect information regarding trail use, benefits and economic value and measure health factors as related to trail usage. This study follows up the nationally acclaimed 2001 Indiana Trails Study that provided valuable data to trail managers, trail advocates and the State of Indiana.
Volunteers are welcome to work along the trail individually or in pairs and will have a variety of two-hour shifts from which to choose. Weekday morning, mid-day and afternoon shifts are available. There will also be a short training session at a time and date to be determined. Registered volunteers will be notified when the training is scheduled.
“We’re excited to learn about our trail users and how they use the trails we have here in Carmel,” said Rachael Fleck, volunteer project coordinator. “Volunteers will help us a lot with the data collection in this groundbreaking study. It would be difficult to accomplish without them.”
Those interested in volunteering for this project should register online at www.carmelclayparks.com/volunteer. There will be a total of four, seven-day data collection periods. The first two data collection periods occurred in April and June and one more collection period will take place later this year in October. Trail counters will also be utilized along the nine trails to capture head counts. Data from the trail counters will be used to compare user patterns statewide.
For questions regarding volunteering with CCPR, please contact Rachael Fleck at rfleck@carmelclayparks.com.
About Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation
Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation (CCPR) holds the Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) for parks serving populations of 75,001 to 150,000. As an accredited agency, the department serves the recreation, fitness, and nature needs of the community, manages and develops existing spaces and resources and creates a sustainable future for parks and recreation programs through a financially viable and environmentally conscious parks system. CCPR manages and maintains more than 500 park acres and numerous recreation facilities, including the Monon Community Center and The Waterpark. In addition, CCPR has partnered with Carmel Clay Schools to establish Extended School Enrichment (ESE), a before and after-school care program for K-6 students located at all eleven Carmel elementary schools. The Summer Camp Series is a component of ESE that offers 12 different summer camps accommodating children ages 5-15. For more information, visit www.carmelclayparks.com.