ArborLinks and Arbor Day Foundation open conservation trail

Dormie Network, a national network of private destination golf clubs, has completed a 1.2-mile conservation trail connecting its Nebraska City golf club ArborLinks, with neighboring Arbor Day Farm, a 260-acre recreational space that includes Lied Lodge & Conference Center.

Funded by a donation from the Peed family, the initiative honors the longtime partnership between the two organizations.

“We’re proud to continue to invest in preserving the land and communities that surround our clubs,” said Zach Peed, president of the Dormie Network.

The path is just one of many capital improvements to ArborLinks since becoming part of Dormie Network in 2015, including additional cottages, an on-course comfort station, bridge replacement and golf cart fleet upgrades. Open to walkers, bikers and golf carts, the pathway encourages visitors to appreciate a piece of Arbor Day Farm’s land not previously accessible to the public, including an heirloom apple orchard and a walnut grove.

The opening of the conservation trail to the public coincided with Arbor Day Farm’s grand opening of Treetop Village, a 3-acre, family-friendly nature experience. For every tree removed to create the path, the Arbor Day Foundation will plant 10 more.

“We have two world-class properties within walking distance of each other,” said Austin Mackrill, Arbor Day Farm vice president. “By connecting them with this meandering trail meant to make the most of the land, we’re strengthening both properties.”