Triangle Greenways Council

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After 30 Years of Service, Larkin Kirkman Will Be Missed PDF Print E-mail
Larkin Kirkman The Board of Directors of the Triangle Greenway Council would like to formally recognize and sincerely thank Larkin Kirkman for his dedication, and unwavering commitment to this organization.

For over 30 years Larkin Kirkman has been a founder, patient leader, and the only Secretary to ever serve the Triangle Greenways Council. His retirement from his position as Secretary in December 2008 is much deserved though his leadership, efforts, and his presence will be truly missed!

Larkin’s service in conservation and trails began in 1977 at a National Trails Symposium. That symposium was the spring board for an organization to be called the N.C. Trails Association. Larkin served as a member of the Board of Directors for the N.C. Trails Association which was actually the pre-cursor to the Mountains to Sea Trail Association.

Through his work with the N.C. Trails Association and his personal interest in hiking and walking trails, Larkin recognized a need for an initiative to advocate for the planning and construction of local trails. These trails could provide a means to be outside, enjoy nature, exercise, recreate our senses and even link our numerous natural and built resources. During meetings with other interested people in his own living room in the early 1980s an organization was conceived that could promote trails and a concept being referred to as “greenways” for the Triangle region. Larkin helped organize the Triangle Greenways Council in the early 1980s and led the efforts to incorporate the Triangle Greenways Council into a non-profit organization in 1984. He became the first, and only, Secretary for the organization serving since its inception.

In 1985, one of the first initiatives of the organization was an application to Wake County for a matching grant in collaboration with another young organization, Triangle Land Conservancy, for three initiatives;
  • Conduct the first inventory of special places of biological interest in the Triangle
  • Prepare a report on the future of the Neuse River, and
  • Build the first 3 miles of trail along the south shore of Falls Lake as a part of the N.C. Trails Association’s Mountains to Sea Trail initiative.
For this third initiative Larkin helped organize the purchase of supplies, materials and volunteer work days along with Bill Flournoy, Chris Bracknell and Jim Hallsey, also founding members of the Triangle Greenways Council. With dedicated hard work, over three miles of trail were completed and remain the cornerstone of the Triangle’s section of the Mountains to Sea Trail.

Larkin led other trail initiatives that also became realities. He helped blaze and cut in the “Woodland Trail” at the then new, NC Museum of Art in Raleigh. That trail has now become the very successful Reedy Creek Greenway linking downtown Raleigh, NCSU campus, Meredith College, the Museum of Art, Schenck Forest, Umstead State Park and the Town of Cary Greenway system which links to the American Tobacco Trail and on to Durham!

The history of this organization, the Triangle Greenways Council, will be forever documented because of the dedication of Larkin Kirkman. He encourages, challenges and inspires us still to continue the efforts he has begun. Thank you, Larkin.

 
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