Hiking outdoors has plenty of perks: nice views, fresh air, and the sounds and smells of nature. We have been hiking outdoors at Hidden Valley 4-H camp for almost 75 years and have found that spending time outdoors can help our campers and staff improve their moods if they are feeling homesick, energized if feeling sluggish and help build connections for campers and staff with hiking paths as an outdoor classroom. We also have research highlighted in the Greater Good Magazine: Science-Based Insights for A Meaningful Life indicating that hiking has been found to be helpful in the following five key ways:
♥ Hiking keeps your mind sharper than many other forms of exercise
♥ Hiking helps to keep you calm and happy
♥ Hiking helps your relationships
♥ Hiking can increase our creativity
♥ Hiking helps cement a positive relationship with the natural world
You can hike throughout the year and every season has their own, beautiful benefits and in New York State fall hiking can be spectacular with the fall colors, crisp mornings, and sunny afternoons. We certainly missed hiking with our campers at Hidden Valley this season and are looking forward to resuming the well-traveled footpaths of our camp when we can return to camp.
We are hosting our first hike for Hidden Valley 4-H camp fundraiser to help raise dollars for Nature, Outdoor Cooking and Outdoor Survival program supplies for our next season. We have set up a virtual hike that you can join from anywhere in NYS, the USA and beyond; you can hike in a State Park near you, your neighborhood, or a public park. Our Virtual Hike runs from September 18 through October 18 and details are available by clicking on the registration link.
https://reg.cce.cornell.edu/Hike_For_Hidden_Valley_4H_Camp_244
We will have a photo contest running during our Virtual Hike dates and will also offer two in person, physically distant and following all Covid-19 safety protocols at the Punch Bowl location of the Watkins Glen State Park in mid-October (space will be limited). Our Camp Director, Bruce Condie will lead the hikes and if you have not hiked with Bruce before and are interested in the history of camp – he has a strong roots of the past and will be sharing on our hikes.
Quick article with great resources on the Benefits of Hiking:
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/five_ways_hiking_is_good_for_you
For registration in our Virtual Hike event:
For information on our in-person hike dates with Bruce Condie please follow us on
Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/HV4HC
Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/hiddenvalley4hcamp/
Twitter at: https://twitter.com/4h_camp
and our website http://cceschuyler.org/hidden-valley-4-h-camp for hike details.
If you register for the Virtual Hike Fundraiser you will be sent the details to the mid-October in-person hike event.
This post was brought to you by:
Melissa C Schroeder
Youth and Family Program Director
mcs35@cornell.edu
