Navigating Nature: Trails Maintenance, Safety and Preparedness

With over 17 miles of trails at Fontenelle Forest, it’s inevitable that occasionally visitors may have some trouble navigating their way through the Forest. 

What our staff didn’t anticipate was a podcast episode dedicated to one visitor’s struggle to find his way back to the Nature Center after venturing well off the Riverview Boardwalk. 

OMAPOD, hosted by Tony Bock, is a daily podcast and newsletter with a broad focus on the news, events and people of Omaha. Bock visited the Forest in late October and soon after published the episode, “What happens when you get lost in Fontenelle Forest?”  

Upon hearing this episode, our team reached out to Bock and he graciously agreed to interview (and even brave another hike) the Forest’s Director of Land Stewardship, Michelle Foss.  

Foss was able to provide some insight on what to do if you’re lost on the trails, explain the work that goes into maintaining the Forest’s trail system, and bring back some suggestions from their conversation to help our staff continue to improve our visitor experience.  

Click the links below to listen to the original OMAPOD episode, as well as Bock’s discussion with Foss about trails, restoration efforts and wildlife: 

• What happens when you get lost in Fontenelle Forest?
• Follow-up Part 1 | Michelle Foss responds to ‘lost in Fontenelle Forest’ podcast 
• Follow-up Part II |  Michelle Foss on Fontenelle Forest’s mosaic of wild habitats 

Fontenelle Forest’s trail system was created over 80 years ago. Today, the Forest’s Land Stewardship team continuously works to update and reroute trails for longevity and the safety of our visitors. 

You can learn more about trail maintenance by reading the blog post, Maintaining Fontenelle Forest’s Trails.