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Allison getting good use out of her bike trailer with her daughter Cami waiting eagerly inside for the ride. © Courtesy Allison Aldous

"We use the trailer for hauling just about anything that is haul-able."

Allison Aldous, director of research and monitoring, The Nature Conservancy in Oregon

By Allison Aldous

My husband and I have been bike commuters for years — long before I worked as a scientist at The Nature Conservancy in Oregon, long before my job involved using climate change science to inform conservation work.

When our daughter Cameron was born in 2003, we were determined to figure out how to continue commuting by bike. So we purchased a bike trailer.

Four years later, we're still using the trailer. My husband hitches it up with Cami in tow, drops her off at pre-school, and locks up the trailer at the school. In the afternoon, I bike from the office to the school, hitch the trailer to my bike, and off we go.

Hauling her around in a bike trailer soon led us to using the trailer for hauling just about anything that's haul-able (groceries, loads of lumber, small furniture, 50 stuffed animals).

Our next step? A tag-a-long bike that latches on the back of our bikes so Cami can help us pedal up the next nasty hill.

The opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not represent those of The Nature Conservancy.