Friends of the Swampscott Rail Trail is an all-volunteer community organization. Our mission is to advocate for the Swampscott Rail Trail, provide maintenance and upkeep of the trail, and fundraise for the creation and beautification of the trail.
We work in partnership with members of the Town of Swampscott Department of Community and Economic Development who oversee the design and construction of the Swampscott Rail Trail as a community project.
We also partner with a number of town committees and organizations including our work with the Swampscott Conservancy on native plant restoration along the rail trail and the Solid Waste Action Committee on keeping unused bicycles out of the solid waste stream.
Reach out to us on the Volunteer Page if you are interested in joining any of our current working groups: the Fundraising Team, Communications Team, or Events Team.
Our Board
- Alexis Runstadler, President
- Marc Barden
- Jennifer Honig
- Jonathan Leamon
- Frances Weiner
Our Logo
The Swampscott Rail Trail logo is the creation of Gina Janovitz, a freelance graphic designer whose local work includes Suffolk University, the Institute of Contemporary Art, DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, The Trustees of Reservations and the beautiful logo designed for the Swampscott Public Library in 2019.
Ms. Janovitz graciously donated her services to the Friends of the Swampscott Rail Trail. Her work may be seen at her website: www.ginajano.com.
The circular logo includes train tracks evocative of the history of the trail along with a sprig of elderberry. Elderberry bushes, native to Massachusetts, provide food and cover for small animals and birds, and they have edible fruit and flowers. In folklore, elder wood conveys safety, a key objective of the rail trail to provide a safe place to walk and ride off of busy roads. The ripples around the logo’s edge hint to Swampscott’s seaside location and the color captures the green surroundings of the trail.
The logo without the “Friends of..” text will be used on all trail way-finding and interpretive signage.
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