University of Arkansas
IN-24: Innovation A

The University of Arkansas has set aside multiple plots of land to help connect a 20-mile soft-surface trail loop known as the Fayetteville Traverse. This project has elements of invasive plant removal, habitat restoration, land management, active transportation, and outdoor recreation. Students will be able to access this amazing amenity from the core of campus. It's friendly to bicycles, walkers, runners, and even hand-bikes. There is a mountain bike element to the trail system, but all of the trail is beginner friendly to the extent that experienced cyclists could ride it on road tires. Creating easy access to nature within an urban environment is challenging, but has a huge return on investment. This trail system will allow generations of students to commune with nature between classes. Some of the land management best practices being deployed are botanical surveys, prescribed burns, invasive species removal, native plant propagation, tree preservation, and low-impact natural-surface trails. The project is a partnership between the UofA and NWA Trailblazers with the support of Ozark Ecological Restoration Inc., City of Fayetteville, UofA Herbarium, UofA Biological Sciences, and The Nature Conservancy.