TRAILS program lands $15k Duke Energy Foundation grant
Oct 2, 2020Rockingham Community College’s TRAILS program has received a $15,000 Duke Energy Foundation Nature Grant.
It is not the first time Duke Energy has shown strong support of TRAILS – an acronym for “Trail Recreation and Adventure Institute for Leadership and Service.” The company provided a $700,000 gift to begin the program in April 2017, the first community college recreational program of its kind in the region. It is designed to teach valuable hands-on skills while remaining grounded in learning through service-inspired leadership.
TRAILS Director Dr. Trevor Flanery applied for the grant seeking funds for adaptive technology to take the TRAILS program virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He plans to purchase outdoor equipment such as a drone, sport camera, mountain bike, etc. to film video for webinars. The money will also provide instructor subsidies and student scholarships for five webinars and/or hybrid online and outside classes.
“I want to work with RCC’s Distance Learning Department, other RCC programs, and community partners to make these webinars worthy of this continuing investment from Duke Energy,” Flanery said.
The Duke Energy Foundation awarded a total of $522,400 in grants this week to 22 organizations, including RCC, to fund environmental projects creating access to nature and protecting species, habitats and water quality in North Carolina.
Three other local entities also received grants. The Town of Madison received $25,000 for infrastructure dam replacement and the creation of a natural whitewater park, and The City of Eden received $15,000 for the restoration of the Matrimony Creek Nature Trail. Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail received $30,000 for a trail and conservation plan for the Belews Lake area, filling a 31-mile gap in the MTS trail.
One of the ways Duke Energy builds powerful communities is through protecting and restoring wildlife and natural resources that communities and future generations depend on.
“We’re pleased to support projects that protect and expand access to North Carolina’s natural treasures, especially as more people are engaged in outdoor activities,” said Stephen De May, Duke Energy’s North Carolina president. “Our company is committed to the environment of our great state.”
For more information on RCC’s Duke Energy TRAILS program, contact Dr. Flanery at (336) 342-4261 ext. 2704 or flaneryt4977@rockinghamcc.edu, or visit www.rockinghamcc.edu/trails.
