AUBURN – LA Trails, the urban trails program of the Androscoggin Land Trust, distributed the LA Trails Map and Trail Guide to each student at Park Avenue Elementary School. Maps were sent home with students during the week before December vacation.

The LA Trails Map and Trail Guide locates and describes 15 parks and trails in Lewiston-Auburn where children and their families can walk, hike, snowshoe, cross country ski or simply explore.

The maps were given to children to encourage exploration of the all-season activities available and close to home.

The program partnered with Austin Associates, Twin City Times, Healthy Androscoggin and Park Avenue Elementary PTO to distribute the maps.

Hillary Eaton of Austin Associates said, “As a member of the Adopt-A-School program, we believe that Park Avenue Elementary, and all of our local schools, have a tremendous resource in LA trails. We applaud the efforts of the Androscoggin Land Trust as they reach out to the community by providing safe trails for families to enjoy together.”

It is a pilot project that may be repeated at other schools.

LA Trails advocates for the development and maintenance of non-motorized recreational trails that connect urban streets and neighborhoods to green spaces and rural trails in Lewiston-Auburn. LA Trails seeks to develop the most comprehensive, accessible and well-used trail system in Maine.

The land trust protects natural areas, traditional landscapes and outdoor experiences in the Androscoggin River watershed by promoting stewardship and supporting a network of public and privately held conservation land.

Visit www.androscogginlandtrust.org for more information.