FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Friends of the Nature Trail special interest group started to enhance and extend the Saint Michaels Nature Trail - Connecting all parks, the pool, a possible future YMCA, and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in Saint Michaels.

St. Michaels, Maryland May 5, 2010

Saint Michaels, MD - The Friends of the Nature Trail (friendsofthenaturetrail.org) special interest group has been started today to honor the opening of the Saint Michaels Nature Trail. The goal of the new group is to enhance the existing trail and to work on a future expansion, connecting it to include all parks, the pool, a possible YMCA, and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in Saint Michaels.

As you travel into the Town of Saint Michaels, you cannot help but notice the presence of a tremendous addition to community.  A beautifully laid out Nature Trail extends from the Eastern town limits to Railroad Avenue. The trail starts at the Marea waterfront community with trail parking across the street from the community pool, continues over San Domingo Creek across a gorgeous old-style covered wooden bridge and explores nature along the south side of the town - in fact connecting two parks within the town.   

Carolina Barksdale and Thomas Campi, at the time on behalf of Rotary were among a handful of citizens who approached the Town of Saint Michaels originally to initiate the project over seven years ago. They have now formed Friends of the Nature Trail to preserve the Saint Michaels Nature Trail legacy to enhance and extend the Trail to maximize its benefit.  “A big community effort made this Nature Trail a reality.  It allows children to safely travel throughout the town and has given everyone a great opportunity for outdoor enjoyment and excise.  The trail has already made an unbelievable impact in such a small time” said Carolina Barksdale who knows well the value of good planning as a real estate broker with Lacaze Meredith Real Estate in Saint Michaels. 

“Many will not realize that this is a trail that was initiated and supported by the people and friends of Saint Michaels.  If it wasn’t for them, the Town of Saint Michaels would not have their trail today.   This Nature Trail was a gift to the Town and the Community from these people” said Carolina Barksdale and Thomas Campi, Jr., the co-founders of the Friends of the Nature Trail. 

Thomas Campi, Jr. added “it’s truly wonderful and triumphantly ironic that within our current day and age, creative finance can do so much good – as it always should” speaking as the Managing Principal of Bay Wealth Retirement & Trust in Easton.

The initial vision of a Trail was to make it possible for children to walk from their residences in town to the parks and the pool, to create a safe biking and walking opportunity for citizens and visitors, and also to fulfill an important environmental lesson to always appreciate the nature surrounding us.  “As the saying goes, once you build the first mile (actually 1.3 miles today), the rest follows.  Now the Nature Trail has the opportunity to be even more – to connection to the potential new YMCA site through the Perry Cabin Ball Park.  We could eventually extend it down to Bozman and beyond and up the road to Easton.  The sky is the limit.”  Lastly they added, “This is terrific example of what one can achieve with vision, hard work, and the support of the people within a community.  Thank you to all the Nature Trail supporters.”

To become a Friends of the Nature Trail member or if you are interested in making a donation in the future, please send an email to info@friendsofthetrail.org  or c/o Friends of the Nature Trail, Thomas R. Campi, Jr., 19 Bay St. Suite 1, Easton, MD 21601.  

For further information, please contact one of the founding members: Thomas Campi, Jr. at 410-822-4144 or Carolina Barksdale 443-786-0348.

Join our list of:
Founding Members:

Carolina Barksdale, Lacaze Meredith Real Estate, Saint Michaels 443-786-0348
Thomas Campi, Jr., Bay Wealth Retirement & Trust, Easton 410-822-4144
Primary Sponsors:
Environmental Concern, Saint Michaels 410-745-9620