We hear and see a lot about the air pollution in Chinese cities, but what we don’t hear about is the rising environmental awareness that such problems inspire or the long range plans that China has to bring people and nature together.  These efforts are exemplified in the second China Nature Education Forum (CNEF) that was […]

When you are standing atop a mountain,  you probably know the name of the peak you are on, but what about all those other peaks around you?  Maps can come in handy here.  It’s just a matter of unfolding the map,  orienting it toward north,  finding your position on the map and noticing which peaks […]

If you are snowbound in the winter, it’s time to get out and go camping!  Today,  I’d like to share with you a couple videos that give a realistic view of what you can expect when snowshoeing and winter camping in the wilderness. Sioux Hustler Trail In these videos a character called Shug takes us along as […]

While many of the articles in the eMagazine discuss places that are far removed from the big city,  where you live can also have  a big impact on the availability of recreational opportunities, on your access to them and on your health.  Last July we discussed a study that ranked cites for their recreation opportunities in a […]

Today,  I’d like to ask your support for The Children & Nature Network (C&NN).  C&NN invests in change makers to build networks that support the health and vitality of cities, provide green job opportunities for young leaders, strengthen family connections in the outdoors, and collect expertise and research to increase awareness and fuel grassroots campaigns worldwide.  Many of the stories we have […]

Do you want to get outdoors more, get more exercise, enjoy more fresh air or participate more in any of the types of activities we discuss here at EXPLORE?  It’s not that hard to do these things, but most of us lack the motivation needed to get started and then keep at it. For many people New Year’s […]

If you happen to live where it’s still cold enough, ice skating can be a great outdoor adventure.  As a kid,  my weak ankles didn’t help me as an ice skater, but with a hockey stick in my hands I  did alright.  Each year, a spot in the park behind our house would be flooded to […]

Last February I aimed you at Kerry “Cyndi Loppers” Stewart’s blog “Cat’s Don’t Camp“.  At that time she was planning to through-hike the Appalachian Trail.  If you have been following our weekly newsletter,  you saw a couple of updates on her hiking progress.  Well,  she successfully hiked the trail from Georgia to Maine (March 19 to […]

Natalie Pastor is an outdoor enthusiast, blogger and an adventurer.  She says: Although I have never met Pastor in person, our paths have crossed at the same places in different times.  Baraboo, Lake Wisconsin and Devil’s Lake in Wisconsin; Polebridge, Glacier National Park and the Flathead River in Montana and perhaps other places she hasn’t written […]

Snowshoeing is a great winter activity for families or anyone that wants to extend the hiking season through the winter.  It takes very little skill to use modern snowshoes.  They are designed to fit your feet and not interfere with your normal walking gait.  Further,  the cost of getting into snowshoeing is much lower than getting […]