Leaves of Change Issue 7: Outdoor Recreation in the South

This issue of Leaves of Change focuses on outdoor recreation in the South, specifically focusing on the economic benefits that recreational trails can bring to communities. Michael Bowker (SRS research social scientist) has been studying the role of trail tourism in sparking economic life into rural areas in the South. In the case of the Virginia Creeper Trail, a railroad line built to haul harvested timber has been converted into a widely popular biking trail that has helped to revitalize communities who have suffered from economic shifts in the region.