Call for Sessions

Topic Suggestions for Educational Sessions in the Santa Barbara Area

The Santa Barbara area offers a diverse outdoor recreation system that connects coastal communities, urban neighborhoods, foothills, and expansive public lands. The region’s network of trails and open spaces spans beaches and coastal bluffs, oak woodlands, chaparral-covered mountains, riparian corridors, and scenic backcountry landscapes. A variety of agencies, nonprofits, land managers, and community organizations work together to provide opportunities for hiking, cycling, horseback riding, nature exploration, and active transportation.

With its combination of exceptional natural resources, year-round recreation, tourism, and a strong outdoor culture, the Santa Barbara area provides a unique setting for exploring the future of trails in California. From managing high-use coastal and urban trails to protecting sensitive natural and cultural resources in the backcountry, the region offers opportunities to share innovative approaches, strengthen partnerships, engage communities, and build more connected and sustainable trail systems.

Santa Barbara-specific proposals are considered highly competitive and will be prioritized during the review process.

Potential topic areas include:

1. Trail planning, development, and design
2. Building sustainable and resilient trails
3. Building and maximizing partnerships
4. Engaging communities and building public support
5. Employing technology and innovation
6. Managing trails and visitor use
7. Interpretation and educating the public
8. Ensuring inclusion, accessibility, and equity

Santa Barbara Regional Issues and Opportunities:

• Multi-agency and cross-jurisdictional collaboration
• Connecting urban, coastal, and backcountry trail systems
• Balancing recreation with conservation and sensitive natural resources
• Managing trails in high-use and high-tourism areas
• Wildfire, drought, erosion, and other climate-related impacts
• Coastal access and connections between communities and public lands
• Designing trails for a diverse range of users and abilities
• Conflict resolution, visitor behavior, and trail etiquette
• Protecting and interpreting cultural and Indigenous history
• Sustainable trail design, construction, maintenance, and funding
• Building trails that can withstand changing environmental conditions and long-term visitor use
• Technology and innovative approaches to trail planning and management
• Addressing unauthorized or unsanctioned trails
• Expanding access to trails for underserved communities
• Partnerships with nonprofits, volunteers, private landowners, and community organizations

Session Title: Limit your title to eight (8) words. Choose a clear and concise title that communicates what the session is about. Catchy titles are welcome, but the title should still give attendees a good understanding of the session content.

Session Description: Limit your description to 200 words. Clearly describe the topic, key takeaways, and presentation format. The description should help attendees understand what they will learn and why the session is relevant to their work.

Educational Objectives: Identify three (3) specific learning objectives for your session. What should attendees know, understand, or be able to after attending? Strong learning objectives:

• Provide practical knowledge, skills, tools, or strategies attendees can apply to their work.
• Identify specific efficiencies, improvements, or outcomes attendees can achieve.
• Consider who will benefit most from the information or skills presented.
• Include opportunities for attendees to discuss, practice, or apply what they are learning when appropriate.

Proposals should focus on education and transferable knowledge, not simply reporting on a project. If your session features a specific project, program, or case study, explain what lessons, strategies, or tools attendees can take away and apply to their own work.

Audience Level: Indicate the level of experience or knowledge most appropriate for your session:

• Introductory: Appropriate for attendees with limited experience of background in the topic.
• Intermediate: Appropriate for attendees with some experience or working knowledge of the topic.
• Advanced: Appropriate for experience professionals seeking specialized or in-depth knowledge.
• All Levels: Appropriate for attendees with a range of experience.

Please briefly describe any specific knowledge, skills, or experience attendees should have before participating.

Session Structure: Describe how the session will be presented, such as a presentation, panel discussion, demonstration, facilitated discussion, workshop, case study, or combination of formats. Interactive and participatory sessions are encouraged. Please describe any activities, discussions, demonstrations, audience polling, small-group exercises, or other opportunities for attendee engagement. Sessions are one hour. Please plan to reserve at least 10 minutes for questions and discussion.

Technology & Presentation Requirements: California Trails & Greenways will provide the laptops and presentation technology used for educational sessions. To ensure smooth transitions between sessions and minimize technical issues, presenters must use the event-provided equipment and may not use personal laptops or other personal devices for presentations. No exceptions.

Presenters must bring a flash drive containing their final PowerPoint presentation and/or other presentation files and ensure that any videos, fonts, links or other materials needed for the presentation are included or accessible.

Session Chair: The session chair is responsible for coordinating the session and serving as a primary point of contact with the California Trails & Greenways planning team. Please provide:

• Name
• Title
• Pronouns (Optional)
• Organization/Affiliation
• Address
• Phone number
• Email address
• 3-4 sentence biography establishing the individual’s relevant experience and credentials

Additional Session Presenters: You may include up to three (3) additional presenters, for a maximum of four (4) presenters total. For each presenter, please provide:

• Name
• Title
• Pronouns (Optional)
• Organization/Affiliation
• Address
• Phone number
• Email address
• 3-4 sentence biography establishing the individual’s relevant experience and credentials

When selecting presenters, consider how each person contributes a distinct perspective, area of expertise, or practical experience to the session.