Workshop: Designing Ecologically Sound Environmental Systems along Trails
Presented by the WTN Trails and Environmental Systems Task Team
How do we design and manage environmental systems along trails and at trail facilities in ways that are ecologically sound, socially acceptable, and operationally realistic? Too often, solutions are treated as universal—whether digging a cathole for human waste, installing a composting toilet, or applying standard approaches to water and energy systems that can waste water and consume excessive energy.
Drawing on contrasting case studies from the Franconia Ridge (New Hampshire, USA), the Sendero Pacífico in Costa Rica, and the Bibbulmun Track (Western Australia), Stewart Dallas and Nat Scrimshaw explore how outcomes vary depending on use levels, soil conditions, climate, infrastructure constraints, and cultural expectations. Human waste management provides an entry point, but the discussion expands to include water conservation and greywater treatment (including constructed wetlands), remote energy systems for backcountry facilities, and environmentally responsive design of trail infrastructure.
The session introduces the SCAT framework (Sanitation, Capacity, and Assessment Tiers) as one example of a broader, systems-based approach grounded in observed conditions rather than assumed best practices. Across all domains, the emphasis is on fit-for-place solutions that align with actual use patterns, environmental limits, and cultural contexts.
The session begins with a joint presentation framing trails as interconnected socio-ecological systems. The second half transitions into an interactive workshop where participants reflect on challenges from their own contexts and explore how a systems-based approach can inform more effective, defensible decisions.
