Last updated: September 21, 2021
Article
Santa Fe National Historic Trail Fall 2021 Newsletter
Read the latest project updates and completions from the National Trails Office of the National Park Service (NPS).
To print this newsletter, or save it as a pdf: CTRL + P or Right Click with your Mouse, and select "Print."
Photo/Paula Ogden-Muse
National Trails Welcomes New Staff
Paula Ogden-Muse has joined the National Trails Office (NTIR) as the Team Lead for Interpretation. She began her Department of Interior career as a wilderness ranger, interpreter, and then an education specialist at North Cascades National Park. She's also worked for the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge in Wisconsin; Pipe Spring National Monument in Arizona; and, most recently, as the Chief of Interpretation for Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park and Charles Pinckney National Historic Site in South Carolina. She's settling into Santa Fe with her husband, Jeff, a writer who also works in historical interpretation and environmental education. In their free time, you'll find them visiting local museums; walking urban paths and forested trails; and birding every chance they get.
Photo/Faith Welty
Faith Welty has joined NTIR as an Outdoor Recreation Planner in June 2021. Faith holds a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Soon after graduation, she stepped into the role of a Landscape Architecture Fellow with the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) based at the Center for Community and Environmental Design at Purdue University. In her free time, you will find her engaging with the outdoors and cultural arts (very excited to experience more in Santa Fe!). As part of her duties, she will support NTIR in providing planning assistance to local partners and associations along the historic trails ensuring preservation and recognition of our National Historic Trails.
Staff Updates
NTIR is pleased to announce a few changes within the office. Coreen Donnelly is the new lead for the Design & Development Team, and Carole Wendler, who many have worked with as the lead for the Interpretation Team, is now the Deputy Superintendent, replacing John Canella. Congratulations to these staff members on their new positions!
Lillis Urban, who was leading NTIR's feasibility study process for the past year, has moved on. Jill Jensen, one of our cultural resources staff, will be temporarily promoted into the planning position and will be leading the feasibility study process for the next four months. NTIR is conducting feasibility studies for the potential Pike and Emancipation National Historic Trails (NHTs).
Work in the Time of Covid
NTIR staff have been teleworking full time from home since mid-March 2020, and will continue to do so until notified to return to our offices. Meanwhile, personnel are available during regular work hours through their usual email addresses and cell phone numbers. If you need a staffer’s cell number, call 505-988-6098 in Santa Fe or 801-741-1012 ext 119 to inquire.
NPS Photo
American Solar Challenge
Hundreds of young people who are the future of tech and communication traveled over 900 miles along the Santa Fe Trail with solar vehicles for the American Solar Challenge in early August. Seven single-occupant and two multi-occupant vehicles hit the trail with the event start in Independence! The teams next passed through checkpoints and stops on the Santa Fe Trail: Council Grove, McPherson/Midway Motors, Dodge City/Boot Hill Museum, La Junta/Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site (NHS), Las Vegas/High School, and a few extra loops, including Santa Fe. Cars finished on the Las Vegas Plaza.
They verified that hard work, patience, innovation, and flexibility is essential to traveling the trail today as in the past. Teams met new people and interacted with new cultures on their way to Santa Fe. Every participant individually became a Santa Fe Trail Bicentennial Junior Ranger, talking to rangers and volunteers, and putting to paper a design for another forward-thinking vehicle while traveling a remarkable historic route.
Image/NPS
Bicentennial Update
The National Trails Office Bicentennial Committee continues to support the Santa Fe Trail Association’s (SFTA) bicentennial efforts. The committee is available to provide assistance with outreach, awareness, and planning by developing informational materials, digital content, and more.
Members of the National Trails Office will present virtually at the 2021 Santa Fe Trail Bicentennial Symposium. Aaron Mahr, Cory Donnelly, and Em Kessler will present “The Santa Fe National Historic Trail: Visions from Today and the Future Along the Trail.”
Bicentennial events are listed on the Santa Fe National Historic Trail website calendar and StoryMap. Special bicentennial passport stamps (both in-person and virtual) and a Junior Ranger activity are available to commemorate the anniversary. Educational bookmarks were sent to local public libraries along the trail to be given to the public and school groups.
The National Trails Office will host a virtual art contest this fall in commemoration of the trail’s 200th anniversary. Teachers will be invited to have their students create art in their classrooms to submit.
NPS Image
National Historic Trails Wayside/Sign Inventory Application
The mobile application (app) is used to track assets along the trail such as interpretive waysides, museum exhibits, and NHT road or pedestrian signs. The app utilizes a user-friendly interface, similar to a fillable PDF, and eliminates the use of complex and sometimes costly GPS devices. The instructional video for the National Historic Trail Waysides/Signs Inventory App (NHT Asset Inventory) can now be viewed on YouTube. Below is the URL for the training video to provide more information to members regarding the NHT Wayside Signage Inventory App.
There are now 308 waysides/signs that have been recorded by National Trails staff, Santa Fe Trail Association members, and Oregon-California Trails Association members (where the trails overlap). Thank you for the efforts of SFTA members Kelley Judd in recording 76 waysides/signs, and Marta Jardon for recording 95 waysides/signs. Waysides/Signs have been recorded in Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico. If you are interested in joining this effort, please contact Larry Short and Joanne VanCoevern concerning your interest and CC National Trails GIS Specialist Brian Deaton on the email.
NPS image
Interpretive Media Updates
QR Tags Provide Accessibility for Waysides
The National Park Service provides audio description (AD) of exhibits, waysides, videos, and other visitor facing products to ensure everyone has an opportunity to receive the same benefit and enjoyment from these efforts. AD assists those with low vision and blindness to understand what is being shown. Small metal tags with QR codes have been created for several waysides in the Independence, MO, and Kansas City area. They will be affixed to the exhibit base and allow visitors to use their cell phone to access the panel’s AD recording. This will be an on-going effort to provide AD for already existing waysides. QR codes will be included in the designs of future panels.
To hear an example of a wayside AD recording visit: go.nps.gov/CrossingPaths
Mobile Tours
The NPS-wide mobile application (app) is live! NTIR has been working to populate the NPS app with all the interesting and researched content that is being used for the OnCell Tour. This new application brings these wonderful tours to the full NPS audience, introducing anyone using the app to visit parks, to the rich history of the Santa Fe Trail. For any questions, please contact Emily Kessler.
External Projects
NTIR is participating in early conversations with representatives from the proposed Grain Belt Transmission Line to consider any potential impacts to the Santa Fe NHT alignment and surrounding viewsheds. The current planned transmission line will be located in Kansas and Missouri; the transmission line intersects the Santa Fe NHT alignment to the east of Dodge City, Kansas.
High Potential Site and High Potential Route Segment Update
High Potential Historic Site and High Potential Route Segment site visits are planned for sites and segments along the Santa Fe Trail October 7-12. The goal of the trip is to identify additional High Potential resources to the Santa Fe National Historic Trail. NTIR staff is looking forward to getting out on the ground with our trail partners!
Signing Updates
Completed and ordered sign plans:
-
We have successfully ordered 5 separate sign plans for the Santa Fe Trail this fiscal year. These plans are within Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri.
-
The Santa Fe Trail has been one of the most successfully signed trails from this fiscal year!
-
A highlight for the trail is that we were able to order a statewide sign plan for all the roads along Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT)'s right of way resulting in 23 signs that have made their way into the world through the help of our partners and state contacts.
-
Another successful statewide signing effort that has greatly enhanced our ability to move forward with signing the Santa Fe Trail has been with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MDOT), as we successfully signed the states roadways for three counties in Missouri (Saline, Lafayette, and Jackson).
NPS Image
Virtual Trail Stories & Experiences
Have you been following the trails on social media? You may have noticed an increase in articles, virtual visits, and virtual kids' activities. People can't travel to experience the trails in person, so NTIR has been working to bring the trails to your house. You can check out recent and past articles, become a junior ranger, take virtual visits to learn more about trail sites, and more - click the links below!
Connect with the Trail
-
Find us on Social MediaLearn more about the trail on social media!
-
Santa Fe Trail WebsiteLearn more on the NPS Santa Fe Trail website.
-
Contact NTIRContact NTIR or individual staff.