Trail Builder Peggy Lynch
Energy and determination
Behind every successful park or trail effort you will find a Trail Builder, an individual who shepherded that dream into reality, giving time, money or both. The following Question & Answer features one such Trail Builder – Peggy Lynch. Lynch is the executive director for the Friends of the Parks & Trails of St. Paul and Ramsey County. She has been instrumental in helping to create the Lilydale and Samuel H. Morgan trails and she helped lead a successful effort to protect Crosby Farm/ Hidden Falls Regional Park from a housing development in the early 1980s.
Q: What inspired you to get involved in protecting parks and trails?
My family moved to Minnesota when I was in preschool and my parents decided they wanted to participate in outdoor activities and enjoy the winter. We went skating or tobogganing every weekend in the winter. In the summer we went swimming in all of the local lakes. We were also very active and involved in the playgrounds near our house in St. Paul.
Q: What projects have you been involved in that have been especially satisfying to you and why?
When I was involved with the Pig’s Eye Coalition in the 1970s, we were able to protect the Pig’s Eye area from intense barge fleeting and industrial development. We were later able to have the area designated as a Scientific and Natural Area. I was one of the founders of the Friends of the Parks & Trails of St. Paul and Ramsey County, and one of the most important projects we accomplished was to have both the City of St. Paul and Ramsey County adopt “no net loss of parkland” ordinances.
Q: Why have you invested more than 20 years of your time and energy in protecting, preserving and enhancing parks and trails?
Parks and trails are so very important to the health of the city and its residents. Recreational opportunities are necessary for our youth and for older residents. Parks and trails bring a beauty to our city, which makes it an attractive place to live and work.
Q: You are highly regarded for your success at energizing citizen advocates and for your savvy at navigating the political process. Why are these characteristics necessary for making visions a reality? Growing up I used state parks, and I believe the residents of our city, county and state value parks and trails more than many public officials understand. The Friends of the Parks help preserve our outdoor legacy and are leaders in being the voice for citizen support.
Q: What advice would you give to others who may want to help protect and expand our parks and trails? Learn who your elected officials are, learn what they are doing to protect and promote parks, trails and open spaces and voice your support of parks and trails to those elected officials.