Madison Greenways and Trails (MG&T) has been quietly but powerfully shaping outdoor recreation and conservation in Madison, Alabama for nearly 25 years. What started as a grassroots effort to create a single greenway has evolved into a community-driven movement advocating for greater access to nature in one of Alabama’s fastest-growing cities.

“Madison Greenways and Trails was founded around the year 2000 by several volunteers,” said Jim Chamberlain, MG&T’s president and a founding member. “Specifically to promote a new greenway—Madison’s first greenway.”

That effort became the Bradford Creek Greenway, a beloved trail now embedded in Madison’s landscape. As the city grew, so did the need for accessible green spaces. 

“Madison was booming and we knew we needed more green space,” Jim said. “This volunteer group got together and worked with the city and managed to get some federal grants and National Park Service support to plan and build what is now Bradford Creek Greenway.”

After playing a role in expanding Rainbow Mountain Preserve to its current 150 acres, MG&T went quiet for several years—but returned with fresh energy in 2019. 

“Some of the original founders, including Allison Wheeler, got back together,” Jim said. “We had retired and had free time. And I’d have to say that I don’t think we’d have been able to restart the group and build to where we are back today without support from the Land Trust of North Alabama.”

The collaboration between MG&T, the Land Trust, and the City of Madison has led to major accomplishments in recent years, including the construction of Rainbolt Trail—named after one of Rainbow Mountain’s early settlers. This new trailhead now offers crucial access from the base of the mountain, connecting nearby neighborhoods directly to the preserve.

But MG&T isn’t stopping there.

“We’ve had this one Rainbow Mountain Preserve ever since I’ve lived here for 40 years,” Jim said. “Our population has quintupled since then, and we still have this one preserve.”

MG&T’s current mission is establishing a second public preserve in Madison: Mill Creek Preserve. Located near the historic Gray Cemetery, this new area has the potential to host miles of trails. 

The group’s first project in this new area is a proposed half-mile trail—working name: Old Providence Trail—which will sit on a wooded hilltop in the northwest section of Mill Creek. The trail is named in honor of Providence, the historic 200-year-old settlement once located nearby.

In partnership with the Madison History Association, the trail will complement the ongoing restoration of the adjacent Gray Cemetery.

Planned as an easy, family-friendly loop, the Old Providence Trail could begin construction in summer 2025. 

“Our group of trail care volunteers from Rainbow projects are ready to start!” Jim said.

MG&T also values community education and youth engagement. They host quarterly nature talks at the Madison Public Library—including an upcoming event on Tuesday, June 3, featuring Janice Barrett of Wild Alabama, who will speak about the intersection of nature and art. A children’s program kicks off at 4 p.m., followed by the evening talk at 6 p.m. MG&T works closely with Carolyn Reagle, who runs the library nature education program.

For Jim, his dedication to green space preservation is both personal and generational. 

“I grew up in the 60s. It was a big back-to-nature environment,” he shared. “I’ve seen Madison grow from 12,000 people in the 80s to over 60,000 today, and we’ve lost so much green space.”

His vision for the future is one where Madison residents can walk or bike to nearby preserves without needing to drive across town. 

“We really need to work on our urban green space and our urban preserves,” Jim said. “Our group was very active when we were a little younger, and now we’re retired. What we really need is the youth movement.”

MG&T is already engaging the next generation through Eagle Scout and Girl Scout Gold Award projects that contribute to trail construction, signage, and benches. But there’s always room for more hands and hearts.

How to Get Involved:

• Attend MG&T’s quarterly nature talks and children’s programs at the Madison Public Library.
• Sign up for their monthly newsletter.
• Follow their Facebook page for updates and events.
• Volunteer for trail work through the Land Trust’s calendar of events.

“Any time I meet someone interested in the outdoors, I tell them: you need to join the Land Trust,” Jim said. “That’s the best thing you can do for the Huntsville area.”