Derek M. Strout

Derek Strout manages Rails to Trails Conservancy’s geospatial information platform, including the nationwide interactive maps on TrailLink.

Derek Strout grew up in Bar Harbor, Maine, where his appreciation for the natural world and conservation developed early. Countless hours of searching for salamanders and exploring the carriage trails of Acadia National Park eventually led him to the University of Vermont, where he earned a degree in geography, specializing in remote sensing, cartography and geographic information stems (GIS).

Prior to joining RTC, Derek served in GIS analyst and senior cartographer roles at DeLorme. After seeing first-hand how rail-trails like Portland’s Bayside Trail can connect and revitalize neighborhoods, Derek joined the RTC team in 2016. Passionate about telling stories with maps to inform active transportation policy and build projects in communities around the country, he currently manages the organization’s GIS infrastructure and maintains a growing database of multiuse trails for RTC’s trail-finder website TrailLink.com.