Welcome the 2018 Trail Ranger Team!

Welcome to the 2018 Trail Ranger team – Trey, Carly, Tim and Matthew! The Trail Rangers are all about providing a consistent and helpful presence on DC’s mixed-use paved trails. We help trail users, engage with trailside neighborhoods, improve trail conditions, and work with city agencies to keep the trails clean, bright, and clear of obstacles. Keep an eye out for them on the Marvin Gaye, Anacostia River, Suitland Parkway and Metropolitan Branch Trails (Click here to see where these awesome trails are!). What’s your favorite snack? Milkshakes – Tim TWIZZLERS! – Trey A simple trail mix of almonds, dried cranberries and chocolate! – Carly Cheese and crackers – Matthew What is your bike story – how did you start and what has the journey been? “I rode a bike as a kid, but stopped riding as a teenager and adult. Three years ago I decided that I wanted to bike from Arlington, Virginia to Dallas, Texas. I bought a bike, did very little training, and started biking to Texas. During this trip, which took me 28 days, I fell in love with biking again and remembered the joy I had of riding my bike as a kid. Since that time, I have been riding my bike often throughout the Virginia/DC area.” – Tim “I’ve been biking since my first year of college… because walking to class is boring. I then started riding more and exploring places I could never get to in a car. Biking is now my favorite hobby!” – Trey “As a child growing up in Gaithersburg, I loved biking on the C&O Canal towpath and on the trails of Seneca Creek State Park. In college in the suburbs of Boston, I took my bike to the roads for the first time; on the weekends, I would pick a new direction, hop on the bike, and ride for a whole day, stopping to talk with people and investigate new places. I regularly biked a few miles to the west to volunteer at an organic farm, and a few miles to the east to attend classes at a different college, and fixed and maintained the bikes at my cooperative house. Thanks to my bike, I connected with and gained an encyclopedic knowledge of quirky locally owned businesses, beautiful parks and preserves, and communities beyond my campus. Now back in my home region, I look forward to connecting similarly with communities across Washington, DC.” – Carly “I learned to bike a long time ago but I never regularly biked anywhere in the city until I bought my first $40 Flying Pigeon bike while living in Beijing. I loved biking in the city – there were protected bike lanes even before America had them! When I moved back to DC after China, I was determined to continue biking. I’ve since lived without a car, relying on my two legs or my bike to get around DC, and I love it so much! I’ll never go back to driving!” – Matthew Favorite thing about biking? “I love being outdoors in nature and being able to exercise at the same time.” -Tim “My favorite thing about biking is being able to customize my bike so it is one of a kind.” – Trey “Creating a sense of place – understanding the characteristics that are special to a particular community – has been a favorite activity of mine throughout my life, whether in my own backyard or in a new state or country. For me, a bike is an unparalleled vehicle for discovering and appreciating the unique features of a place, and easily stopping, continuing, and connecting with people along the way. In urban areas, biking provides the speed and convenience of traveling just about anywhere in a reasonable amount of time, while maintaining close contact and a dynamic, spontaneous interaction with one’s surroundings. “ – Carly “I feel so free! There’s just something about knowing that I can hop onto this machine and go anywhere with my own body. And when I’m on a trail in the middle of a forest, it feels so great to exercise and connect to nature!” – Matthew What are you excited to do as a Trail Ranger this summer? “I am excited about contributing to positive biking experiences on trails in the area and building relationships with the biking community.” – Tim “I am excited to meet other cyclists and encourage more people to ride bikes.” -Trey “I look forward to helping folks who are new to the trails feel inspired and empowered to get on their bikes and ride, and to developing relationships with the communities of regular trail users.“ – Carly “I am so excited to give back to my community! I want more people in DC to bike and the only way we can do that is if we protect our investment and by getting out on the trail and showing friendly faces!” – Matthew Want to join the team? Be outside on your bike with the DC Trail Ranger team this spring and summer on regular shifts! To help make sure all volunteers are on the same page, we are requiring all volunteers with the DC Trail Ranger program join us for a quick orientation. Sign up for an orientation slot here!