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creating impact,
one program at a time
Explore Our Impact
programs:
Nature for ALL
With your tax-deductible donation, you’ll help steward the next generation of environmental caretakers and ensure a growing tree canopy and a thriving pollinator trail with host and native plants.
TrailWell: Pathways to Health & Resilience
Your donation helps leverage the Elizabeth River Trail as a community health resource to address physical and mental health disparities, promote social connection, and enhance access to green space for Norfolk residents.
TrailCorps
TrailCorps empowers dedicated volunteers to keep the ERT clean, safe, and thriving through year-round maintenance, stewardship, and community care.
Poetry on the Trail & Public Art
Celebrating Norfolk's cultural identity through public art and poetry that invites reflection, connection, and a deeper sense of place.
Spinclusion: RideABILITY
Providing adaptive, piloted bike rides that offer freedom, joy, and connection to riders of all ages and abilities.
series sponsorship
With more than 670,000 trail interactions each year and growing, the Elizabeth River Trail is one of the most engaging platforms for community connection in South Hampton Roads. By aligning your brand with one of our ongoing series, you’ll reach a diverse audience in the areas of nature, wellness, art, recreation, environmental stewardship, and history.
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Programs and events

are the heartbeat of the Elizabeth River Trail!

By sponsoring an event, program, or series, you’ll showcase your brand to thousands of community members while supporting one of Norfolk’s most beloved public amenities.

nature for all

Nature for ALL empowers the next generation of environmental caretakers by expanding tree canopy, restoring native habitats, and nurturing thriving pollinator corridors along the trail. Your tax-deductible donation supports hands-on education programs, youth engagement, and community planting days that connect people directly to the natural world around them. From seedlings to shade trees, monarchs to milkweed, every contribution helps create a healthier, more resilient urban ecosystem – one that future generations will inherit and enjoy. 

TrailWell

TrailWell leverages the Elizabeth River Trail as a powerful community health resource by promoting physical activity, mental well-being, social connection, and equitable access to green space. Your tax-deductible donation helps us expand wellness programming, improve trail amenities, and remove barriers that keep residents from safely enjoying outdoor recreation. Whether it’s supporting walking groups, mindfulness events, accessible design, or neighborhood outreach, your contribution strengthens a trail system that cares for the whole person and the whole community.

trailcorps

TrailCorps is a completely donor-supported program that fuels the heart of our trail community. Your tax-deductible donation equips and trains our TrailPatrol volunteers – those friendly faces in vests who walk and ride the trail, offering support, information, and an extra layer of safety for all who use it. You can also help our Green Team maintain seven key green spaces along the trail through weeding, watering, planting, and caring for pollinators and young trees. Every contribution directly strengthens the hands-on stewardship that keeps the Elizabeth River Trail beautiful, accessible, and welcoming for everyone.

poetry on the trail & public art

Poetry on the Trail and our public art initiatives are completely donor-supported, bringing world-class creative expression directly to the Elizabeth River Trail. Your tax-deductible donation helps us commission, install, and maintain artworks and poetry that reflect Norfolk’s cultural identity and amplify the voices of Virginia poets, writers, and artists. From Truth Be Told to Lens ERT, each installation encourages trail users to pause, look closer, and consider not only how art interacts with its surroundings but how we (as humans) impact the natural world around us. Every contribution strengthens a trail experience that inspires curiosity, reflection, and a deeper sense of belonging.

spinclusion

Spinclusion is a completely donor-supported program that gives every person (regardless of age, mobility, or ability) the right to feel the wind in their hair. Your tax-deductible donation supports piloted rides on adaptive bikes and trikes, allowing riders to experience the joy, independence, and confidence of a bike ride along the Elizabeth River Trail. Each ride pairs participants with trained volunteer pilots who offer encouragement, conversation, and community connection. Your support expands access to outdoor recreation and ensures that everyone can share in the simple, powerful joy of movement.