Dog owners experiences on natural-surface trails

[Michele Biscoe]

Dear friends, 

A representative  from the Callahan State Park Dog Owners Group and I are attending in the 2012 Massachusetts Trails Symposium this weekend, and, because of my involvement with the Fells Dog Owner Group and the Resource Management Planning process for the Middlesex Fells Reservstion, I've been invited to participate on a panel to  share my perspective on what trail-users in my group, i.e. dog owners, might be looking for in our experiences on natural-surface trails..

Please see below for specific questions that have been suggested for panelists to address.

If anyone has a point that you would like me to include in my comments, please share it here.

Thank you!

Best,

Michele

with Strummer (standard poodle)

Begin forwarded message:

<snip>

This will be an opportunity for you, as representatives of major user groups, to share 5-7 minutes each, your perspective on what your users (or range of users) might be looking for in their trail experiences.  Guiding questions might include:

-          Who participates in your activity

-          What makes a great natural surface trail experience for this user group

-          What are some of your favorite DCR places or trail experiences

-          What might be different about your users or experience  from other users

-          What are some of the barriers that your group faces

The idea will be to build some shared understanding among all trail users and managers in the room around the interests of different trail user groups.

Following the panel sharing for a few minutes, will be some group discussion and dialogue. 

<snip>