The East Jefferson Trails Connection’s October meeting is set to address a succession of trail connections that are being worked toward, not only within Jefferson County, but also the Olympic Peninsula as a whole.

When the East Jefferson Trails Connection meets at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10, at the Finnriver Farm and Cidery in Chimacum, it will be hosting Don Willott, who serves on on the board of the Peninsula Trails Coalition, the nonprofit organization for the Olympic Discovery Trail.

Willott also serves on the North Kitsap Trails Association, as well as on the Steering Committee for the Puget Sound to Pacific Consortium, which is facilitating collaborations and pursuing funding for the Peninsula Trails Coalition and the Sound to Olympics Trail across Jefferson, Kitsap and Clallam counties.

“Like so many of our neighbors along the Larry Scott section of the Olympic Discovery Trail near Port Townsend, I love the sense of community along the trail,” said Willott. He added that many neighbors “act as stewards” by mowing the trail’s edges, removing invasive plants, and clearing branches and fallen trees that obstruct its path.

“We love to make it a pleasant place for others to be active in nature,” he added.

According to Merrily Mount of the Peninsula Trails Coalition, Willott will offer a visual presentation — just as he did at the Washington State Trails Conference in Wenatchee this past weekend — on the Sound to Olympics Trail. It runs through Lemolo Bay to the North Kitsap Heritage Park trails in Port Gamble, and culminates in the “golden spike” at the Hood Canal Bridge.

“That’s where it will connect to the Olympic Discovery Trail’s bridge-to-bay section,” Mount said. “And of course, all of this will be embedded within the Rails to Trails Conservancy’s Great American Rail Trail, extending from La Push to Washington, D.C.”

Although Mount expressed optimism that the vision can become a reality, she emphasized the need for continued input and participation from Jefferson County residents. That is who can best advocate for the Olympic Discovery Trail and the Great American Rail Trail to connect with local “trail town” points in Port Ludlow, the Tri-Area and South Jefferson County, as well as the connection of the Larry Scott Trail through Anderson Lake State Park.

“We have pivotal real estate, right here in Jefferson County, that can connect our communities to the Olympic Discovery Trail, the Great American Rail Trail and beyond,” Mount said. “We look forward to sharing some time with you this month, as we work toward our dynamic future.”

The East Jefferson Trails Connection’s November meeting will host an informal presentation by John Fleming, a self-described “avid trail-user” and an engineer with Jefferson County Public Works.