Kara Woodrik, Executive Director, Portland Trails, Led an 8-Mile run from Presumscott River Preserve to Celebration Today!

By Carol McCracken  (Post # 1,236)

“This is a pretty phenomenal accomplishment,” said Kara Woodrik, executive director of Portland Trails this afternoon at the East End celebration of the completion of the  31.2 miles (not 28 mile as previously reported) trail that connects Sebage Lake to the Atlantic Ocean – here in Portland.  Portland Trails added three new links to this trail to help complete it.  Several on the Presumpscott River and one on Canco Road.

Woodrik had just finished running the 8 miles from the Presumpscot River Preserve  with 9 other runners and about 10 bikers.  Portland now has 40 miles of Trails Woodrik said.   Of the Bayside Trail whose lack of use has concerned some, Woodrik  said the Bayside Trail was built with a different approach to trail building. It was built and expected to attract users to it following the redevelopment of the area. That long awaited development  appears to be well on the way to becoming a reality since Federated Companies and the city now agree on specifics regarding the sale of city property on  Somerset Street.  On the other hand, the Back Cove Trail is heavily used and was built with that expectation since the area around it was already well developed.  Woodrik, who joined PT in April is from California originally.  Previously she worked at the Audubon Society, Falmouth.  She has a graduate degree in environmental sciences.

Hill resident and Portland Trails trails manager, Jamie Parker, said:  “This is a regional trail.  PT is always happy to connect to a regional trail to broaden our base – beyond our borders.”

For more background information, please visit Post # 1,233, dated 10/1112 herein.