Champlain Area Trails (CATS) is raising the funds needed to complete a trail improvement project using something new for CATS: a crowdfunding program offered through Adirondack Gives, part of the Adirondack Foundation. 

The Get Out of the Mud! campaign will provide the $1,500 needed to complete the Bobcat Trail Improvement Project; the Essex Community Fund previously provided $1,500 for the project in memory of two early CATS supporters, Bruce Klink and Baird Voorhis.

The trail improvement project includes redoing the Bobcat Trail parking area surface (no more ankle-deep mud in rainy weather!), installing a split-rail fence on three sides and relocating the registration box.

Adirondack Gives is a crowdfunding website created by the Adirondack Foundation. It connects fundraising campaigns with people who wish to donate to local causes. Each campaign on the Adirondack Gives site has been vetted by Adirondack Foundation’s staff and is tax-deductible.

“Crowdfunding is a new opportunity for CATS,” said CATS Executive Director Chris Maron. “It gives supporters the chance to target funds directly to a project they care about and it also introduces CATS to people who want to donate to worthy causes in the Adirondack region and may not be familiar with our work.”

To reach the Get Out of the Mud! Campaign, go to https://adirondackgives.org/campaigns/get-out-of-the-mud/

Champlain Area Trails (CATS) is a nonprofit organization that creates and maintains hiking and cross-country ski trails in the Champlain Valley, with the goal of linking communities, connecting people with nature promoting economic vitality, and protecting natural areas, farmland, clean water, and scenic vistas. For more information on CATS programs, visit http://www.champlainareatrails.com/ or call the CATS office at 518-962-2287.