March 19, 2025 • 20 mins
Discover how Northwest Arkansas Community College here in Bentonville is shaping the future of outdoor recreation! In this episode, we dive into the Trail Tech program with a current student and instructor to learn about how they are transforming trail-building with cutting-edge technology, hands-on learning, and more.
Learn how you can get involved in creating the next generation of trails and outdoor experiences here: https://www.nwacc.edu/academicdivisions/trailstrades/trailtechnician/default.aspx
A New American Town is here to help you plan your trip to Bentonville, Arkansas. From guides, events, and restaurant highlights. Find all this and more at visitbentonville.com and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn.
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Episode Transcript
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Beth (00:10):
Welcome to A New American Town presented by Visit
Bentonville.
I'm your host, Beth Bobbitt,and today I'm excited to
highlight the fabulous TrailTech program at Northwest
Arkansas Community College,right here in Bentonville,
Arkansas.
This episode is really timely,as people are traveling to
Bentonville specifically for ourtrails.
Northwest Arkansas is known forhaving over 500 miles of trails
(00:33):
and we might not think about itmuch, but it's really.
It takes a special set ofskills to build those trails and
you know I've never reallythought about it.
But how do we design andmaintain world-class trails?
Today we get to talk about thatwith Austin Smith, a curriculum
specialist at NorthwestArkansas Community College's
Trail Building Program, as wellas Nick Ryan, who's a student
(00:55):
currently in the Trail TechProgram.
So, Austin, nick, thank you somuch for being here.
Welcome Thank you.
Yeah glad you're here.
So, austin, let's start withyou.
Can you share a little bitabout your background, how you
became involved and like whatled you to where you are?
Austin Smith (01:12):
Sure, yeah, so it's actually kind of a cool
story.
I'm from Fox, Arkansasoriginally, which is a tiny
little blip on the map so goodfor you if you've heard of it.
But when I went to college Istarted at a community college
which was Ozarka, and I had noidea what I wanted to do with my
life.
But, taking different types ofclasses and whatnot, I decided
recreation would be the industryfor me.
(01:34):
So I went on and pursued mydegree in Recreation and Park
Administration from ArkansasTech and when I was there I was
ready to be a park ranger.
And then I realized I found outthat there's outdoor recreation
industry.
So I went on to pursue mymaster's in student affairs and
work in higher education outdoorrec and fell in love with that,
worked in that industry for acouple of years, COVID hit and
(01:57):
schools.
Where did students go?
Where do we go?
Why do we go from here?
So that put a blip on my lifeand I traveled the country with
my wife as a travel nurse andshe did a lot of great work then
.
And when it came time for me togo back to work I was like,
what do I want to do?
So during the job hunt it'skind of hard to find these niche
jobs in the higher ed world.
(02:18):
So I built custom banjos for acouple of years and then found
the job at Incmac and it seemedlike the.
I saw the correlation betweenhow much a community college had
affected my life and thetrajectory and it was just a
perfect fit and I knew that'swhere I needed to be and I had
trail building experience duringmy outdoor recreation years and
(02:39):
it was absolutely perfect.
Beth (02:41):
And what year was that when you landed here?
Austin Smith (02:44):
It was last year.
Okay, I was 24.
Yeah, I was the programcreation.
Beth (02:47):
I was on the spearhead point of creating the curriculum
and had you been to NorthwestArkansas before?
Austin Smith (02:53):
I had actually during my wife's travel nursing
days.
We lived in Fayetteville for ayear and absolutely fell in love
with the area.
Beth (02:59):
Yeah, so I love hearing about you know, once you get
here, sort of your experience,any surprises, once you were on
the ground and here in NorthwestArkansas.
Austin Smith (03:11):
I wouldn't say surprises, but just the beast of
creating a new program isoverwhelming at times.
But you know we have a lot ofreally, really great faculty and
staff and you know we have ourprogram director, Lori Greminger
, and Dr Bolander, and they havejust really spearheaded this
and also get all hands on deck.
(03:32):
We created a really coolprogram.
Beth (03:33):
And you know we've talked about it, but this is truly the
first of its kind.
You're offering hands-ontraining from expert instructors
to prepare students for acareer in trail building and who
knew that that was even a thing?
But how exciting.
So tell us about how it alltranspired and how it's come to
be this program.
Austin Smith (03:53):
Well, I mean just living in the area that we are.
Obviously there are hundreds ofmiles of trails and there's a
huge need for skilled workers inthat trade.
And you know, the idea wasstirred around.
I'm not sure exactly whobrought the idea about to create
the program, but there's a needthat needed to be filled.
So they got a lot of industrypartners together who talked
(04:16):
about what do we need ourskilled tradesmen to know coming
into the field?
Like what would we need them tostart out fresh and be ready to
go?
So they put together kind of avast list of outcomes and
learning outcomes that theyneeded to learn, and then
outcomes that they needed tolearn and then we built that
into a curriculum.
Beth (04:37):
And my understanding is that there was somewhat of a
foundation because there waslike a bike assembly repair sort
of course.
Austin Smith (04:42):
So we have a well-established bike technician
program.
I believe it's in its thirdyear now and it's thriving and
doing well.
And you know, they were kind ofin a nice refurbished part of
an older building on campus andwe were able to really integrate
into that space and completelyrefurbish them.
We're just a great state of ourfacility.
Beth (05:00):
Yeah, and some of the skills, so you're teaching
people physically how toconstruct and maintain these
trails.
But then also there'sprinciples of conservation that
you know are to be considered,and how is that a part of the
curriculum?
Austin Smith (05:16):
Absolutely.
I mean sustainable trailbuilding is is the goal.
We want long-termsustainability because we build
these trails and there is nodoubt about it they are going to
, you know, have water issuesand water damage, like climate
and continuous use with thethousands and thousands of
riders we get every year.
They need to be maintainedproperly, otherwise they're
(05:37):
going to fall into disrepair andnot be usable and possibly lead
to injuries.
So you know, just making surethat our students understand not
only trail building but trailmaintenance in the long term as
well, and not only just how tobuild sustainable trails but how
to take over a trail that needsmaintenance and how to fix it
properly, and just teaching thatsustainable practices in
general.
Beth (05:56):
Yeah, tell us a little bit .
I've had the opportunity tosort of peek into the facilities
and they're amazing, but tellus a little bit about where you
are and the spaces that they'relearning in.
Austin Smith (06:08):
Oh my goodness.
So we are in the.
We're called the C-TECH, theCycling and Trails Education
Center, so it's a phenomenalfacility.
We have a state-of-the-artclassroom and then we have our
Sailor Art Trails Lab, which isreally, really cool.
We have two different heavyequipment simulators so you can
learn how to run a skid steer, amini excavator, a backhoe
(06:29):
loader, a heavy off-highwaytruck.
Beth (06:32):
And I assume you know what all those things are.
Nick, I was saying Nick was onone this morning.
Austin Smith (06:36):
Really.
So you get this hands-onpractice on these simulators and
then you get, during our heavyequipment class, hop outside and
actually get on this equipment.
I mean we have three miniexcavators, we have a mini skid
steer, we have roller platepackers and we we have three
mini excavators, we have a miniskid steer, we have roller plate
packers and we have a candy comtrack dumper, lots of different
things.
We have a pile of dirt forstudents to play in.
(06:58):
So we actually get thishands-on experience.
And I think if you're wantingsomeone to be hired into
position, you want them to havethat hands-on experience and
going through our program, youcan say like I have this
hands-on experience.
And going through our program,you can say like I have this
hands-on experience and I'm ofthe modality that as soon as we
can in our classes we talk aboutit and then we go out and do it
.
So I'm a tactile learner and Ithink that is the best way to
(07:20):
learn.
Beth (07:20):
Yeah, so how many years, months, weeks, what like?
What does the time frame looklike for this program like?
Austin Smith (07:29):
Oh my goodness.
Well, there's lots of differentcertifications and different
lengths that you can take partof um.
We have a certificate ofproficiency and trail technician
.
That's a 12 credit hours, verysimply.
You can finish that in onesemester um.
There's a certificate ofproficiency in trail management
that's 15 credit hours onesemester as well.
And then it gets a littlefurther.
We have our technicalcertificate and trail
construction maintenance, andthat is 34 credit hours.
(07:52):
So that's that's a year.
And then technical certificateand trails and community
development that's a year aswell.
And both of those degrees will,or certificates will, tie into
an associate of applied sciencein construction and technology
and then associate appliedscience and general technology
as well.
Beth (08:08):
Yeah, okay, okay, that's helpful.
And then from there, how doesNWACC help support you know
career opportunities oncethey're through these
certifications?
Austin Smith (08:17):
Absolutely so.
We have a lot of industrypartners that we currently work
with and actually next week, Ibelieve, we have a built group
meeting which is I'm trying toremember the name of it here it
is the Business IndustryLeadership Team.
Okay, so we bring together alot of industry partners and we
talk to them like how can theyprovide opportunities for
(08:38):
internships and apprenticeshipswith our students?
And while the students are inthe program, they get the
opportunity to use theseinternships as gateways and
constantly networking, and wetry to have guest speakers come
to class to have theseface-to-face interactions so
that you know you're not justout there randomly searching for
a job, like you actually have acontact that you can reach out
to.
Right and they've seen you andthey know that you've gone
(08:59):
through this program and theyknow what you have learned and
it just makes it really, reallyeasy for our students to find
jobs.
Beth (09:04):
So awesome.
Hey there, interested injoining the program?
Interested in joining theprogram?
Stick around to the end.
We have information on how youcan apply to be a part of the
first of its kind trail techprogram.
For more information about themountain bike capital of the
world, go to visitbittenvillecom.
Well, you know, nick.
I'd love to hear a little bitfrom you about just your
(09:26):
experience.
What brought you to NorthwestArkansas?
First of all, you're fromMichigan, is that right?
Nick Ryan (09:31):
Yes, I live in Marquette, Michigan, in
Michigan's Upper Peninsula, soI'm way up there.
And then I actually work inCopper Harbor, Michigan, which
is the northernmost town in thestate.
Beth (09:39):
Wow.
Nick Ryan (09:39):
So we're surrounded by the largest freshwater lake
in the world and beaches andtrails, all within a mile of the
house.
Beth (09:47):
And it's a pretty wonderful place.
It sounds lovely.
Nick Ryan (09:48):
Yes, Coming down here , my current job.
I work for the Copper ArborTrails Club as the Outreach and
Maintenance Coordinator, so Iwanted to get more experience in
running machines, being able toexecute maintenance plans and
then go ahead and be able toapply that knowledge in our
everyday work and be able toexecute a better mission for our
(10:09):
trail system to continue toallow us to grow.
We're currently going through aproject right now where we're
going to get access to 22,000acres of new land that we're
going to be able to build on,and being prepared and having
more knowledge to apply to thatproject is going to be huge
going forward.
So that was one of the maindraws.
Beth (10:27):
And I mean that's a testament of the program.
If you came all the way fromMichigan, you know that means
that you were doing somethingright, so how did you hear about
it?
Nick Ryan (10:36):
Yeah, I read a Singletracks article.
Waking up on a Saturday morningsitting on the porch with my
family, and I remember talkingto my girlfriend and I was like
you know, I think this might besomething I'd be interested in.
It goes kind of well with mycareer and she's also taking 20
credits right now, so she'spretty busy and it's kind of the
perfect time for me to jet downhere and get out of the long
(10:59):
winter which I'll be honest, hasbeen quite nice.
I've been having 70 in February.
Beth (11:03):
Does not come along very often up there, so right, um,
yeah, it's, it's been trulywonderful and it's so much more
beautiful than I expected comingdown here I mean the natural
scenery is incredible yeah, andI assume you've gotten out on
the trails and experienced allover the place yeah, yeah, from
Bentonville to Horseshoe Canyonto Fayetteville, I mean I've,
I've hit every location I can sofar.
Nick Ryan (11:24):
So we had a week of snow, which kind of slowed me
down a little bit, but sincethen just packing it all in and
using every moment to the bestof my ability.
Beth (11:31):
Yeah, Well, we're glad you're here, so tell us a little
bit about you.
Know the specific skills you'velearned already and what you,
what you hope to accomplishbefore you finish the program.
Nick Ryan (11:41):
Yeah, so I'm in every single class that the program
offers.
So I'm taking 18 credits, whichis a full schedule, but we've
done everything from learningabout trail sustainability to
getting in operating heavyequipment, to beginning welding,
to creating maintenance plans,to constructing new trails.
I mean, we are hitting allfacets and I feel like it's been
(12:03):
great to kind of dive in headfirst and honestly, I've really
enjoyed it.
Like I feel so engaged on aday-to-day basis where I'm
locked into what I'm learningand it's really incredible.
And we have great instructors,which goes a long way to
facilitating that knowledge.
Beth (12:17):
A plus for that kid.
Nick Ryan (12:18):
Yeah right, exactly, I got to get all the brownie
points I can get.
Exactly, you're doing great.
Beth (12:23):
Well, tell us any standouts what classes or
courses have you enjoyed themost?
Nick Ryan (12:28):
Oh man, that is tough .
Heavy equipment operation isdefinitely one of my favorites.
That was initially somethingthat really sparked my interest
for the program.
I had been in contact with somepeople in the industry and I
was kind of told that, hey, yougot to do three years on hand
crew before you even get totouch a machine and I wanted to
(12:48):
expedite that process and um,the heavy equipment class was a
great way to do so.
And then maintenance andmanagement has been huge for me
too.
Uh, as a maintenancecoordinator going through in my
first season of taking on thattask and, um, we're kind of
starting from scratch andrebuilding our whole maintenance
plan for the future and theinformation has been pivotal and
(13:09):
the outlines have beenextremely helpful for me to
begin that process and set us upfor success this summer.
Beth (13:15):
Yeah well, and you know that's amazing that your job has
been flexible with you, but, ofcourse, because they want this
knowledge and they they see thisas a an asset that you'll come
back with.
Why is the work so meaningful?
What led you to this path?
Nick Ryan (13:34):
Yeah, getting to outdoor recreation was a long
and windy road, but for me,growing up and spending my
summers in the UP and seeing thetransformation of Copper Harbor
specifically, there's 110people that live there
year-round.
It has grown so much because oftrails Specifically.
(13:57):
The city hasn't grown, it's notgotten any bigger.
The people that come there andinvest in the community and
experience the beauty of it.
I mean it is incredible.
You know we have mountains justabout the same size as you guys
do here, and then again it's onthe largest freshwater Lake in
the world and, uh, last year Iworked a day over 80 degrees.
So it's uh, it's a beautifulplace and uh, it's honestly
(14:19):
paradise on earth in thesummertime.
It gets a little cold in thewinter and I give the year-round
residents a lot of creditbecause it is.
While it's great to live therein the winter too, it is
definitely.
You don't see the sun very much, so that is tough.
But for me, getting to make animpact on small communities and
see the basically trail tourismmodel play out is something that
(14:39):
I'm really passionate about.
And if it can happen in CopperHarbor, like it can happen
anywhere.
I mean, that's we're 17 hoursfrom what feels like anything
important a lot of times, butit's quite the place and I
wouldn't trade it for anything.
Beth (14:53):
Yeah, and I think everything you've said could be
lifted and brought here Austinlove to hear your thoughts on.
I mean, you and your studentsare sort of leaving their legacy
on these trails and buildingsomething that thousands of
people will, you know, be ableto experience and build their
own core memories around.
So what does that mean to you?
(15:14):
It means everything.
Austin Smith (15:16):
And I think that the fact that our students get
to go out and work on thesetrails where they are leaving
their mark, I mean what a proudmoment you know, as a teacher
and an educator, and for mystudents that they can look back
and say I did that, you know.
It's a phenomenal experience,so cool.
Beth (15:33):
I can't wait to see what you do.
Nick, this has been fun.
We're going to wrap up with afew reflections, so we ask all
of our guests, switching gears,a little bit about their core
Bittenville memories.
So this could be, you know, thefirst time you came here or
experienced Bittenville itself.
Do you have any of those kindof on the top of your head?
Nick Ryan (15:55):
Well, I'll look to you first.
Austin Smith (15:58):
Okay, yeah, absolutely.
As I said, several ago, when wefirst moved here with my wife
travel nursing, my son was justsmall enough.
He was sitting on shotgun rideron my mountain bike and core
memory is ripping downThunderdome at Coler Mountain
Bike Reserve with him on almosta weekly basis.
It's his favorite place to goand mine as well.
Beth (16:17):
Yeah, he's going to be a great advocate for the trails,
I'm sure, if he's not already.
Nick Ryan (16:23):
I truly hope so.
Beth (16:24):
What about you, Nick?
Nick Ryan (16:25):
I think for me, it's just doing my first lap on the
Greenway and experiencing thecity.
Obviously, coming from a smalltown, this is quite the change
of scenery.
Seeing the interconnectivity ofeverything is something that is
honestly unbelievable, and Icontinue to be amazed by it, but
(16:46):
that's the thing I keep comingback to.
That I can't shake is just howunbelievable the
interconnectivity is ofeverything here.
From the trails to therestaurants, to the local
nightlife.
It's a pretty incredible place.
Beth (16:58):
And speaking of, are there any local favorites as far as
restaurants or spots on thetrails?
Nick Ryan (17:05):
Yeah, spots on the trails.
I have really enjoyed SlaughterPen.
It's the trails that are topnotch and riding the castle and
from seeing it online and thenbeing there in person is, one
very rewarding, and two, it'smuch better.
Clearly, you know, beingoutside and and getting your uh
tires on the clay is a prettymagical experience and I mean
(17:28):
it's such well-built trails that, uh, you know it makes for a
good riding experience yeah,yeah.
Beth (17:34):
What about you, Austin?
Any places that you just returnto with your family again and
again?
Airship, I don't call it allthe time.
Austin Smith (17:40):
I mean it's a perfect place to walk, but I
have two kids, son and adaughter, and it's a magical
place.
Beth (17:46):
Yeah.
Austin Smith (17:47):
Just to sit there, have a coffee and watch the
kids play.
Beth (17:49):
Yeah, and you're kind of up high, there's swings on the
deck and you can just watchpeople riding by.
Yeah, I absolutely Colore andthat's a good perch.
Austin Smith (18:00):
It's a unique place to be, absolutely love.
Beth (18:02):
Kohler, and that's a good perch.
It's a unique place to beUh-huh, for sure.
So how do we learn more aboutthe program itself?
Is there a certain time of theyear that students can apply, or
is it all year round?
Austin Smith (18:12):
I mean pretty much year round.
I mean, obviously, likesemesters, you have spring and
fall.
Right now we're doing a 12-weekrun of courses.
We'll be adding, you know, inthe future, some summer classes
as well, great um.
So that'll add a little bitmore modality for people, um,
trying to offer classes atdifferent times.
I mean a lot of our, you know,students, are people who
(18:33):
currently have jobs.
So offering classes eitheronline or hybrid modality or
night classes so that they canattend, uh, is is what we try to
do.
So we try to offer a hugeoffering of classes and then
kind of filter down just by howthose signups go.
Beth (18:48):
Okay, and website or newsletter, social, anything,
yeah, I mean you can follow usNWACC Trail Tech on Instagram,
facebook.
Austin Smith (18:57):
Look up you know NWACC Trails and Trades on.
Nick Ryan (19:00):
You can Google us a great page, lots of information
there to find yeah, yeah,amazing yeah and I would just
encourage people who haveinterest in the program to go
check out the social media.
Uh, the team does a great jobat portraying the program, or
portraying what we're doing on adaily basis and, um, I think,
having that avenue to showpeople from out of state yeah,
yeah, it's a great way to getmore people involved in the
(19:22):
program and I mean it's thefirst of its kind and I mean
it's a wonderful program I wouldrecommend it?
Beth (19:27):
Yeah, absolutely.
The visuals and videos arereally helpful to paint the
picture.
Austin Smith (19:32):
And on top of that , I mean if anyone's actually
interested, you know they canreach out and come tour the
facility at any time.
It's a really phenomenal placeand anytime it's a really
phenomenal place and if you'reinterested, come see it.
I have an open door policy.
If I'm there, come see me.
I think I'm going to.
Beth (19:46):
Yeah, sounds amazing Quite often.
Yeah, well, thank you bothAppreciate your time.
Austin, nick, thanks for beingon the show.
Austin Smith (19:54):
Absolutely, thank you.
Beth (19:56):
As always, Visit Bentonville is here to help you
navigate things to do, where toeat and stay and what's going on
in our new American town.
Give us a follow on socialmedia, Sign up for the
newsletter and check out ourwebsite at visitbittenvillecom.
Thanks for listening.
Welcome to A New American Town presented by Visit
Bentonville.
I'm your host, Beth Bobbitt,and today I'm excited to
highlight the fabulous TrailTech program at Northwest
Arkansas Community College,right here in Bentonville,
Arkansas.
This episode is really timely,as people are traveling to
Bentonville specifically for ourtrails.
Northwest Arkansas is known forhaving over 500 miles of trails
(00:33):
and we might not think about itmuch, but it's really.
It takes a special set ofskills to build those trails and
you know I've never reallythought about it.
But how do we design andmaintain world-class trails?
Today we get to talk about thatwith Austin Smith, a curriculum
specialist at NorthwestArkansas Community College's
Trail Building Program, as wellas Nick Ryan, who's a student
(00:55):
currently in the Trail TechProgram.
So, Austin, nick, thank you somuch for being here.
Welcome Thank you.
Yeah glad you're here.
So, austin, let's start withyou.
Can you share a little bitabout your background, how you
became involved and like whatled you to where you are?
Austin Smith (01:12):
Sure, yeah, so it's actually kind of a cool
story.
I'm from Fox, Arkansasoriginally, which is a tiny
little blip on the map so goodfor you if you've heard of it.
But when I went to college Istarted at a community college
which was Ozarka, and I had noidea what I wanted to do with my
life.
But, taking different types ofclasses and whatnot, I decided
recreation would be the industryfor me.
(01:34):
So I went on and pursued mydegree in Recreation and Park
Administration from ArkansasTech and when I was there I was
ready to be a park ranger.
And then I realized I found outthat there's outdoor recreation
industry.
So I went on to pursue mymaster's in student affairs and
work in higher education outdoorrec and fell in love with that,
worked in that industry for acouple of years, COVID hit and
(01:57):
schools.
Where did students go?
Where do we go?
Why do we go from here?
So that put a blip on my lifeand I traveled the country with
my wife as a travel nurse andshe did a lot of great work then
.
And when it came time for me togo back to work I was like,
what do I want to do?
So during the job hunt it'skind of hard to find these niche
jobs in the higher ed world.
(02:18):
So I built custom banjos for acouple of years and then found
the job at Incmac and it seemedlike the.
I saw the correlation betweenhow much a community college had
affected my life and thetrajectory and it was just a
perfect fit and I knew that'swhere I needed to be and I had
trail building experience duringmy outdoor recreation years and
(02:39):
it was absolutely perfect.
Beth (02:41):
And what year was that when you landed here?
Austin Smith (02:44):
It was last year.
Okay, I was 24.
Yeah, I was the programcreation.
Beth (02:47):
I was on the spearhead point of creating the curriculum
and had you been to NorthwestArkansas before?
Austin Smith (02:53):
I had actually during my wife's travel nursing
days.
We lived in Fayetteville for ayear and absolutely fell in love
with the area.
Beth (02:59):
Yeah, so I love hearing about you know, once you get
here, sort of your experience,any surprises, once you were on
the ground and here in NorthwestArkansas.
Austin Smith (03:11):
I wouldn't say surprises, but just the beast of
creating a new program isoverwhelming at times.
But you know we have a lot ofreally, really great faculty and
staff and you know we have ourprogram director, Lori Greminger
, and Dr Bolander, and they havejust really spearheaded this
and also get all hands on deck.
(03:32):
We created a really coolprogram.
Beth (03:33):
And you know we've talked about it, but this is truly the
first of its kind.
You're offering hands-ontraining from expert instructors
to prepare students for acareer in trail building and who
knew that that was even a thing?
But how exciting.
So tell us about how it alltranspired and how it's come to
be this program.
Austin Smith (03:53):
Well, I mean just living in the area that we are.
Obviously there are hundreds ofmiles of trails and there's a
huge need for skilled workers inthat trade.
And you know, the idea wasstirred around.
I'm not sure exactly whobrought the idea about to create
the program, but there's a needthat needed to be filled.
So they got a lot of industrypartners together who talked
(04:16):
about what do we need ourskilled tradesmen to know coming
into the field?
Like what would we need them tostart out fresh and be ready to
go?
So they put together kind of avast list of outcomes and
learning outcomes that theyneeded to learn, and then
outcomes that they needed tolearn and then we built that
into a curriculum.
Beth (04:37):
And my understanding is that there was somewhat of a
foundation because there waslike a bike assembly repair sort
of course.
Austin Smith (04:42):
So we have a well-established bike technician
program.
I believe it's in its thirdyear now and it's thriving and
doing well.
And you know, they were kind ofin a nice refurbished part of
an older building on campus andwe were able to really integrate
into that space and completelyrefurbish them.
We're just a great state of ourfacility.
Beth (05:00):
Yeah, and some of the skills, so you're teaching
people physically how toconstruct and maintain these
trails.
But then also there'sprinciples of conservation that
you know are to be considered,and how is that a part of the
curriculum?
Austin Smith (05:16):
Absolutely.
I mean sustainable trailbuilding is is the goal.
We want long-termsustainability because we build
these trails and there is nodoubt about it they are going to
, you know, have water issuesand water damage, like climate
and continuous use with thethousands and thousands of
riders we get every year.
They need to be maintainedproperly, otherwise they're
(05:37):
going to fall into disrepair andnot be usable and possibly lead
to injuries.
So you know, just making surethat our students understand not
only trail building but trailmaintenance in the long term as
well, and not only just how tobuild sustainable trails but how
to take over a trail that needsmaintenance and how to fix it
properly, and just teaching thatsustainable practices in
general.
Beth (05:56):
Yeah, tell us a little bit .
I've had the opportunity tosort of peek into the facilities
and they're amazing, but tellus a little bit about where you
are and the spaces that they'relearning in.
Austin Smith (06:08):
Oh my goodness.
So we are in the.
We're called the C-TECH, theCycling and Trails Education
Center, so it's a phenomenalfacility.
We have a state-of-the-artclassroom and then we have our
Sailor Art Trails Lab, which isreally, really cool.
We have two different heavyequipment simulators so you can
learn how to run a skid steer, amini excavator, a backhoe
(06:29):
loader, a heavy off-highwaytruck.
Beth (06:32):
And I assume you know what all those things are.
Nick, I was saying Nick was onone this morning.
Austin Smith (06:36):
Really.
So you get this hands-onpractice on these simulators and
then you get, during our heavyequipment class, hop outside and
actually get on this equipment.
I mean we have three miniexcavators, we have a mini skid
steer, we have roller platepackers and we we have three
mini excavators, we have a miniskid steer, we have roller plate
packers and we have a candy comtrack dumper, lots of different
things.
We have a pile of dirt forstudents to play in.
(06:58):
So we actually get thishands-on experience.
And I think if you're wantingsomeone to be hired into
position, you want them to havethat hands-on experience and
going through our program, youcan say like I have this
hands-on experience.
And going through our program,you can say like I have this
hands-on experience and I'm ofthe modality that as soon as we
can in our classes we talk aboutit and then we go out and do it
.
So I'm a tactile learner and Ithink that is the best way to
(07:20):
learn.
Beth (07:20):
Yeah, so how many years, months, weeks, what like?
What does the time frame looklike for this program like?
Austin Smith (07:29):
Oh my goodness.
Well, there's lots of differentcertifications and different
lengths that you can take partof um.
We have a certificate ofproficiency and trail technician
.
That's a 12 credit hours, verysimply.
You can finish that in onesemester um.
There's a certificate ofproficiency in trail management
that's 15 credit hours onesemester as well.
And then it gets a littlefurther.
We have our technicalcertificate and trail
construction maintenance, andthat is 34 credit hours.
(07:52):
So that's that's a year.
And then technical certificateand trails and community
development that's a year aswell.
And both of those degrees will,or certificates will, tie into
an associate of applied sciencein construction and technology
and then associate appliedscience and general technology
as well.
Beth (08:08):
Yeah, okay, okay, that's helpful.
And then from there, how doesNWACC help support you know
career opportunities oncethey're through these
certifications?
Austin Smith (08:17):
Absolutely so.
We have a lot of industrypartners that we currently work
with and actually next week, Ibelieve, we have a built group
meeting which is I'm trying toremember the name of it here it
is the Business IndustryLeadership Team.
Okay, so we bring together alot of industry partners and we
talk to them like how can theyprovide opportunities for
(08:38):
internships and apprenticeshipswith our students?
And while the students are inthe program, they get the
opportunity to use theseinternships as gateways and
constantly networking, and wetry to have guest speakers come
to class to have theseface-to-face interactions so
that you know you're not justout there randomly searching for
a job, like you actually have acontact that you can reach out
to.
Right and they've seen you andthey know that you've gone
(08:59):
through this program and theyknow what you have learned and
it just makes it really, reallyeasy for our students to find
jobs.
Beth (09:04):
So awesome.
Hey there, interested injoining the program?
Interested in joining theprogram?
Stick around to the end.
We have information on how youcan apply to be a part of the
first of its kind trail techprogram.
For more information about themountain bike capital of the
world, go to visitbittenvillecom.
Well, you know, nick.
I'd love to hear a little bitfrom you about just your
(09:26):
experience.
What brought you to NorthwestArkansas?
First of all, you're fromMichigan, is that right?
Nick Ryan (09:31):
Yes, I live in Marquette, Michigan, in
Michigan's Upper Peninsula, soI'm way up there.
And then I actually work inCopper Harbor, Michigan, which
is the northernmost town in thestate.
Beth (09:39):
Wow.
Nick Ryan (09:39):
So we're surrounded by the largest freshwater lake
in the world and beaches andtrails, all within a mile of the
house.
Beth (09:47):
And it's a pretty wonderful place.
It sounds lovely.
Nick Ryan (09:48):
Yes, Coming down here , my current job.
I work for the Copper ArborTrails Club as the Outreach and
Maintenance Coordinator, so Iwanted to get more experience in
running machines, being able toexecute maintenance plans and
then go ahead and be able toapply that knowledge in our
everyday work and be able toexecute a better mission for our
(10:09):
trail system to continue toallow us to grow.
We're currently going through aproject right now where we're
going to get access to 22,000acres of new land that we're
going to be able to build on,and being prepared and having
more knowledge to apply to thatproject is going to be huge
going forward.
So that was one of the maindraws.
Beth (10:27):
And I mean that's a testament of the program.
If you came all the way fromMichigan, you know that means
that you were doing somethingright, so how did you hear about
it?
Nick Ryan (10:36):
Yeah, I read a Singletracks article.
Waking up on a Saturday morningsitting on the porch with my
family, and I remember talkingto my girlfriend and I was like
you know, I think this might besomething I'd be interested in.
It goes kind of well with mycareer and she's also taking 20
credits right now, so she'spretty busy and it's kind of the
perfect time for me to jet downhere and get out of the long
(10:59):
winter which I'll be honest, hasbeen quite nice.
I've been having 70 in February.
Beth (11:03):
Does not come along very often up there, so right, um,
yeah, it's, it's been trulywonderful and it's so much more
beautiful than I expected comingdown here I mean the natural
scenery is incredible yeah, andI assume you've gotten out on
the trails and experienced allover the place yeah, yeah, from
Bentonville to Horseshoe Canyonto Fayetteville, I mean I've,
I've hit every location I can sofar.
Nick Ryan (11:24):
So we had a week of snow, which kind of slowed me
down a little bit, but sincethen just packing it all in and
using every moment to the bestof my ability.
Beth (11:31):
Yeah, Well, we're glad you're here, so tell us a little
bit about you.
Know the specific skills you'velearned already and what you,
what you hope to accomplishbefore you finish the program.
Nick Ryan (11:41):
Yeah, so I'm in every single class that the program
offers.
So I'm taking 18 credits, whichis a full schedule, but we've
done everything from learningabout trail sustainability to
getting in operating heavyequipment, to beginning welding,
to creating maintenance plans,to constructing new trails.
I mean, we are hitting allfacets and I feel like it's been
(12:03):
great to kind of dive in headfirst and honestly, I've really
enjoyed it.
Like I feel so engaged on aday-to-day basis where I'm
locked into what I'm learningand it's really incredible.
And we have great instructors,which goes a long way to
facilitating that knowledge.
Beth (12:17):
A plus for that kid.
Nick Ryan (12:18):
Yeah right, exactly, I got to get all the brownie
points I can get.
Exactly, you're doing great.
Beth (12:23):
Well, tell us any standouts what classes or
courses have you enjoyed themost?
Nick Ryan (12:28):
Oh man, that is tough .
Heavy equipment operation isdefinitely one of my favorites.
That was initially somethingthat really sparked my interest
for the program.
I had been in contact with somepeople in the industry and I
was kind of told that, hey, yougot to do three years on hand
crew before you even get totouch a machine and I wanted to
(12:48):
expedite that process and um,the heavy equipment class was a
great way to do so.
And then maintenance andmanagement has been huge for me
too.
Uh, as a maintenancecoordinator going through in my
first season of taking on thattask and, um, we're kind of
starting from scratch andrebuilding our whole maintenance
plan for the future and theinformation has been pivotal and
(13:09):
the outlines have beenextremely helpful for me to
begin that process and set us upfor success this summer.
Beth (13:15):
Yeah well, and you know that's amazing that your job has
been flexible with you, but, ofcourse, because they want this
knowledge and they they see thisas a an asset that you'll come
back with.
Why is the work so meaningful?
What led you to this path?
Nick Ryan (13:34):
Yeah, getting to outdoor recreation was a long
and windy road, but for me,growing up and spending my
summers in the UP and seeing thetransformation of Copper Harbor
specifically, there's 110people that live there
year-round.
It has grown so much because oftrails Specifically.
(13:57):
The city hasn't grown, it's notgotten any bigger.
The people that come there andinvest in the community and
experience the beauty of it.
I mean it is incredible.
You know we have mountains justabout the same size as you guys
do here, and then again it's onthe largest freshwater Lake in
the world and, uh, last year Iworked a day over 80 degrees.
So it's uh, it's a beautifulplace and uh, it's honestly
(14:19):
paradise on earth in thesummertime.
It gets a little cold in thewinter and I give the year-round
residents a lot of creditbecause it is.
While it's great to live therein the winter too, it is
definitely.
You don't see the sun very much, so that is tough.
But for me, getting to make animpact on small communities and
see the basically trail tourismmodel play out is something that
(14:39):
I'm really passionate about.
And if it can happen in CopperHarbor, like it can happen
anywhere.
I mean, that's we're 17 hoursfrom what feels like anything
important a lot of times, butit's quite the place and I
wouldn't trade it for anything.
Beth (14:53):
Yeah, and I think everything you've said could be
lifted and brought here Austinlove to hear your thoughts on.
I mean, you and your studentsare sort of leaving their legacy
on these trails and buildingsomething that thousands of
people will, you know, be ableto experience and build their
own core memories around.
So what does that mean to you?
(15:14):
It means everything.
Austin Smith (15:16):
And I think that the fact that our students get
to go out and work on thesetrails where they are leaving
their mark, I mean what a proudmoment you know, as a teacher
and an educator, and for mystudents that they can look back
and say I did that, you know.
It's a phenomenal experience,so cool.
Beth (15:33):
I can't wait to see what you do.
Nick, this has been fun.
We're going to wrap up with afew reflections, so we ask all
of our guests, switching gears,a little bit about their core
Bittenville memories.
So this could be, you know, thefirst time you came here or
experienced Bittenville itself.
Do you have any of those kindof on the top of your head?
Nick Ryan (15:55):
Well, I'll look to you first.
Austin Smith (15:58):
Okay, yeah, absolutely.
As I said, several ago, when wefirst moved here with my wife
travel nursing, my son was justsmall enough.
He was sitting on shotgun rideron my mountain bike and core
memory is ripping downThunderdome at Coler Mountain
Bike Reserve with him on almosta weekly basis.
It's his favorite place to goand mine as well.
Beth (16:17):
Yeah, he's going to be a great advocate for the trails,
I'm sure, if he's not already.
Nick Ryan (16:23):
I truly hope so.
Beth (16:24):
What about you, Nick?
Nick Ryan (16:25):
I think for me, it's just doing my first lap on the
Greenway and experiencing thecity.
Obviously, coming from a smalltown, this is quite the change
of scenery.
Seeing the interconnectivity ofeverything is something that is
honestly unbelievable, and Icontinue to be amazed by it, but
(16:46):
that's the thing I keep comingback to.
That I can't shake is just howunbelievable the
interconnectivity is ofeverything here.
From the trails to therestaurants, to the local
nightlife.
It's a pretty incredible place.
Beth (16:58):
And speaking of, are there any local favorites as far as
restaurants or spots on thetrails?
Nick Ryan (17:05):
Yeah, spots on the trails.
I have really enjoyed SlaughterPen.
It's the trails that are topnotch and riding the castle and
from seeing it online and thenbeing there in person is, one
very rewarding, and two, it'smuch better.
Clearly, you know, beingoutside and and getting your uh
tires on the clay is a prettymagical experience and I mean
(17:28):
it's such well-built trails that, uh, you know it makes for a
good riding experience yeah,yeah.
Beth (17:34):
What about you, Austin?
Any places that you just returnto with your family again and
again?
Airship, I don't call it allthe time.
Austin Smith (17:40):
I mean it's a perfect place to walk, but I
have two kids, son and adaughter, and it's a magical
place.
Beth (17:46):
Yeah.
Austin Smith (17:47):
Just to sit there, have a coffee and watch the
kids play.
Beth (17:49):
Yeah, and you're kind of up high, there's swings on the
deck and you can just watchpeople riding by.
Yeah, I absolutely Colore andthat's a good perch.
Austin Smith (18:00):
It's a unique place to be, absolutely love.
Beth (18:02):
Kohler, and that's a good perch.
It's a unique place to beUh-huh, for sure.
So how do we learn more aboutthe program itself?
Is there a certain time of theyear that students can apply, or
is it all year round?
Austin Smith (18:12):
I mean pretty much year round.
I mean, obviously, likesemesters, you have spring and
fall.
Right now we're doing a 12-weekrun of courses.
We'll be adding, you know, inthe future, some summer classes
as well, great um.
So that'll add a little bitmore modality for people, um,
trying to offer classes atdifferent times.
I mean a lot of our, you know,students, are people who
(18:33):
currently have jobs.
So offering classes eitheronline or hybrid modality or
night classes so that they canattend, uh, is is what we try to
do.
So we try to offer a hugeoffering of classes and then
kind of filter down just by howthose signups go.
Beth (18:48):
Okay, and website or newsletter, social, anything,
yeah, I mean you can follow usNWACC Trail Tech on Instagram,
facebook.
Austin Smith (18:57):
Look up you know NWACC Trails and Trades on.
Nick Ryan (19:00):
You can Google us a great page, lots of information
there to find yeah, yeah,amazing yeah and I would just
encourage people who haveinterest in the program to go
check out the social media.
Uh, the team does a great jobat portraying the program, or
portraying what we're doing on adaily basis and, um, I think,
having that avenue to showpeople from out of state yeah,
yeah, it's a great way to getmore people involved in the
(19:22):
program and I mean it's thefirst of its kind and I mean
it's a wonderful program I wouldrecommend it?
Beth (19:27):
Yeah, absolutely.
The visuals and videos arereally helpful to paint the
picture.
Austin Smith (19:32):
And on top of that , I mean if anyone's actually
interested, you know they canreach out and come tour the
facility at any time.
It's a really phenomenal placeand anytime it's a really
phenomenal place and if you'reinterested, come see it.
I have an open door policy.
If I'm there, come see me.
I think I'm going to.
Beth (19:46):
Yeah, sounds amazing Quite often.
Yeah, well, thank you bothAppreciate your time.
Austin, nick, thanks for beingon the show.
Austin Smith (19:54):
Absolutely, thank you.
Beth (19:56):
As always, Visit Bentonville is here to help you
navigate things to do, where toeat and stay and what's going on
in our new American town.
Give us a follow on socialmedia, Sign up for the
newsletter and check out ourwebsite at visitbittenvillecom.
Thanks for listening.
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