The term “greenway” comes from the combination of the words greenspace (conserved corridor of undeveloped land) and parkway (corridor for movement). With this visual merger in mind, it is no surprise that a greenway is considered a corridor for people and wildlife, and it is guided by existing pathways or natural features, like a river.

The Susquehanna Greenway is guided by its very own Susquehanna River, including the trails alongside it. Pennsylvania’s largest greenway extending 500 miles, the vast geography calls for the division of 4 separate regions–the west branch, north brand, middle section and lower section–and is overseen by the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership (SGP).

To fulfill the mission of educating the public and engaging them with the greenway, Alana Jajko has gotten involved at the SGP as Director of Communications & Outreach. She has tabled at events like fairs, festivals and farmer’s markets in order to grow awareness for the greenway; Alana adds that interaction is the best way to learn because people “end up walking away with a stack of resources.”

Known as the “greenway’s champion,” the SGP has aided in the land trails, water trails–which have been mapped for recreational use such as paddling or fishing–and even has a river towns program that designates towns based on their connection to the river and their initiative to celebrate it. 

But what about the Bucknell Greenway? Alana emphasized the significance of building connections across greenways, and included her ambitions for the Susquehanna Greenway to eventually connect to Bucknell’s: “The vision is for that continuous network, so you don’t have these separate pieces.”