Attend a wildflower walk, mushroom hunt, bear aware event, biking clinic or any outdoor extravaganza hosted on the Whitefish Trail, and you’ll likely be greeted at the trailhead by Haley King, eager, friendly and full of outdoor knowledge.  

King is new to her role as education coordinator at Whitefish Legacy Partners, the nonprofit that maintains the Whitefish Trail system, but she has already made great strides behind the scenes to ensure that programming is impactful, inclusive and efficient for years to come.  

“Overall, there’s a push from the Legacy Partners team to let people know that the trail is for them,” King said. “The educational programs are just a means for people to come and experience it – to have those experiences where you can feel connected to the place that you live so that you appreciate it that much more.”  

King, hailing from South Carolina, has been in the valley for about four years. She previously worked at a mental health boarding facility in Eureka. 

As soon as she began the part-time role with Legacy Partners in January 2024, she began implementing long-term projects.  

She then became the first ever full-time education coordinator this January.  

A full-time role marks an accomplishment for both her and the organization, in that it enables year-round educational opportunities, rather than focusing on seasonal programming. 

“I’m a systems-oriented person,” King said. “I started by organizing systems that we haven’t always had in the past.”  

The Legacy Partners has offered school field trip programming for years, but it’s never been well formalized. Previously, it was more challenging to pass the program’s curriculum from person to person.  

So King worked with a retired teacher, Sherri Nissen, to create a more systemized curriculum from pre-K to sixth grade. 

Now, “there are different experiential, place-based components for those grades,” King said. “A lot of what we do on the trail is have fun, explore, build cool stuff in the woods, get dirty – let kids be kids. But the extra components help teachers meet the educational standards they have for their classes.”  

King also created an online registration system for field trips, helping to broaden their reach to more classes.  

Having free field trips during the school year is crucial in helping break financial barriers and meet the needs of different demographics throughout the year, she said.  

According to Legacy Partner’s annual report, the organization tallied over 1,300 participants in education programs in 2024. 

Beyond 637 students showing up for school field trips, the organization also recorded 312 participants in youth programs and 355 in adult programs. 

Those numbers will likely be higher in 2025, as public programming on the Whitefish Trail has expanded. 

“Even if it’s as simple as having two mushroom hunts, two wildflower hunts, instead of one,” King said.  

They have also dabbled in hosting new events like yoga and plein air painting. 

“I’m still learning what we want – I did surveys and a public information session as a steppingstone to know what to add,” King said.  

The key, she said, is to know proactively what people want, what would be beneficial, and how to help people do new things on the trail.  

“It’s 100% impossible without people volunteering,” she added. “We have local experts who are passionate about these niche things that can come and lead - I do more of the coordinating.”  

She said she would love to hear from potential volunteers if they are an expert in a naturalist topic.  

Even more, Legacy Partners have offered additional camps to meet growing needs this summer. 

Last year, they added a third forest explorers camp for 7-11 year olds. They have since continued to add more kids programs based on community interest.

King has been enthusiastic about a new girls bike and swim camp for 11-14 year olds she piloted this year. The camp is once a week for several weeks with the goal of building stronger connections.  

The additional camp options are a means of always striving to do more -- the more activities, the more people care, she said.  

“We want people to care so we can continue to protect access to these places,” she said.    Haley King, education coordinator for Whitefish Legacy Partners, distributes potion water as she leads the day's program. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)