Posted: 3/2/2026
Faculty Spotlight: Building Community One Fairway at a Time
By Larkin Powell
When School of Natural Resources faculty member Trenton Franz isn’t in the classroom or lab, you might find him outdoors—helping shape a new kind of community space in Lincoln.
Franz has been part of a grassroots effort to create and maintain Beal Slough Disc Golf Course, built along a local greenway. What began as a shared idea among neighbors and outdoor enthusiasts has grown into a collaborative project that brings recreation, stewardship, and community connection together in one place. Franz has volunteered his time to support course planning, installation, and ongoing upkeep, working alongside residents and local partners to make the course accessible and welcoming for all.
The effort recently received broader attention through a Nebraska Public Media feature highlighting the people and partnerships behind the course and the ways it is drawing new visitors to the greenway. Meanwhile, interns Kaden Polt and Nia Meyer from SNR's Platte Basin Timelapse team produced a story that documented how residents use the space for recreation, capturing how nature-based design can transform a public corridor into a vibrant hub for outdoor activity.
For Franz, the project reflects the same values he brings to his work at the university: collaboration, stewardship of natural spaces, and a belief that small, local actions can have lasting impacts. By contributing his expertise and time, he’s helping create a space where families, students, and neighbors can gather, get outside, and build connections with the landscape—and with one another.
