Meet Our Founders

Carol & Bob Leone changed their lives up-side-down to move to Maine in 1988 because they wanted to raise their family in a place where people loved the outdoors! They left their jobs with the Appalachian Trail Project in Harpers Ferry WV where Carol worked for the National Park Service & Bob for the Appalachian Trail Conference (a volunteer-based organization dedicated to the preservation and management of the Appalachian Trail ~ now the AT Conservancy). Bob was instrumental in designing much of the AT route through New York, New Jersey & Pennsylvania and helped to permanently protect the Trail. Bob's love of the outdoors grew from years spent as part of the Appalachian Mountain Club Trail Crew in the White Mountains. He has a BA in English from Hartwick College & a BS in Forestry from the Univ. of Massachusetts. Bob is a builder & carpenter and volunteers as Chairman of the 800-acre Schmid Preserve in his hometown of Edgecomb.

Carol treasures the outdoor experiences that came with her work as a Park Ranger in various units of the National Park System including Assateague Island National Seashore, Lassen Volcanic National Park, George Washington Memorial Parkway and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. She received her undergraduate degree in Fine Arts and later added a MFA in Ceramics. After moving to Maine, she established a successful boat lettering & graphic design business which continues today.

The Leone family has always spent as much time as possible outdoors. All their best family memories are of times spent hiking, camping, backpacking, skiing, kayaking or diving together. Their daughter, Lindsay, carried her fond high school Outing Club memories into her college years where she was a member & trip leader for the Dartmouth Outing Club. She has since entered law school at Boston University. She has been a Youth Advisor to Teens To Trails since its inception. Their younger daughter, Sara, was lost in a car accident in July 2005 and she has been the spark behind Teens To Trails. SEE "Dedication to Sara". In her brief 15 years, Sara developed an amazing passion for life kindled by her connection with the outdoors. She was the perfect combination of self-confidence and humility, passion and compassion. Sara personified all that can be learned from nature - if we just look and listen.

Recently, Carol & Bob were nominated for L.L.Bean's Outdoor Heroes® Award that recognizes individuals who are helping to conserve, educate and honor the outdoor. Read more.