DPNC is pleased to announce its selection as a recipient of a Two For The Trails grant from Connecticut-based Athletic Brewing Company, America’s largest non-alcoholic brewery and a Certified B Corporation™. Launched in 2018, Two For The Trails is the largest annual environmental grant program in the craft beer industry. The program pays homage to Athletic Brewing co-founder and CEO Bill Shufelt’s family tradition of toasting post-trail adventures with two brews.
The Nature Center has received grant funding totaling more than $10,000 in support of a year-long trail and bridge restoration project on the DPNC and Coogan trail network. “We maintain more than 10 miles of trails throughout the properties we steward, with connections that provide safe alternatives to transportation via hiking and biking routes,” said Executive Director Davnet Conway, “so it is fitting to partner with a health-conscious company like Athletic Brewing. We are so grateful for this grant which will allow us to purchase the materials to repair or replace numerous bridges and stairs throughout our trail system.”
Two For The Trails helps cover funding gaps on outdoor projects with a transformative impact on local and national communities. Each year, Athletic Brewing accepts applications to fund projects related to trail construction and maintenance, waterway protection, environmental education, and stewardship around the world. Since 2018, Athletic has awarded nearly 400 grants totaling $4.3 million and helped to fund over 500 projects across the U.S., UK, and Canada…
“Our Two For The Trails program has blossomed into one of the most impactful of its kind over the last five years,” said Athletic Brewing Co-Founder and CEO Bill Shufelt. “Funding for these projects is essential to ensuring that future generations can continue to experience the beauty and wonder of our natural world, and we’re proud to do our part in fostering corporate and environmental responsibility.”
As a culminating event to the DPNC Athletic Brewing Bridges Project, DPNC will host “Mr. Bill’s Woodland Ramble,” on Saturday, June 1, 2024, a hike coinciding with CT Trails Day. The event, named for DPNC mascot and Great Horned Owl Mr. Bill is a fundraiser in support of DPNC’s environmental education and wildlife rescue efforts. Registration for the event will open in 2024 at dpnc.org.
Interested in volunteering with the Athletic Brewing Company Bridge & Trail Project or other trail maintenance needs at DPNC, Coogan Farm and other properties under DPNC stewardship? Contact us at [email protected].