Adventure racing had it’s modern roots in 1968 with a two-day race in the United Kingdom.  That race had two-person teams following an unmarked wilderness course over 52 miles.  Competitors were required to carry all their own gear for an overnight camp.  Besides the physical aspect, competitors had to be skilled in orienteering, since the […]

In March and April each year kids aged 15 to 18 are applying for positions with the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC).  They will send their applications to the location they would like to work and wait.  After the enrollment period ends,  the Park Service, Forest Service and other participating agencies will randomly select the participants at […]

Kickstarter is an interesting website. If you aren’t familiar with it, it is a place where proponents of a project can describe their project, set a financial goal and solicit funds in an attempt to reach their goal.  If they reach the goal, everyone that has pledged contributes and the proponents proceed with their project.  Sometimes projects […]

  I’ve discussed nature as a passport to heath in the past and mentioned recent work by Nature, Health, and Wellbeing Ireland and NatureRx.  Back in 2014,  the ParkRx Initiative formed and is now being co-led by representatives from the National Recreation and Park Association, the Institute at the Golden Gate, and the National Park […]

Beyond snorkeling and SCUBA diving, most of us have limited ability to explore underwater.  Even given these skills, we are still limited by depth and the amount of time that we can stay under water at one time.  A select few have access to submersible vehicles and can extend this a bit more, but serious […]

  The U.S. Postal Service has begun previewing a series of postage stamps commemorating the 100th anniversary of the National Parks.  The 16 new stamps will be officially released on June 2.   The first-day-of-issue ceremony will take place at New York City’s Javits Center at 11 a.m. as part of World Stamp Show-NY 2016. Dedication ceremonies also will take place […]

As you know, our mission to improve your health by encouraging you to explore the outdoors, but the benefits of getting outdoors don’t end there.  The way your community supplies local outdoor recreation opportunities can lead to a marked improvement in your community’s employment situation.  The key here is knowledge workers. What is a Knowledge Worker? Back in […]

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) takes care of what some consider to be the  land of the western U.S. that no one wanted.  The land isn’t usually of National Park caliber and typically doesn’t have enough forest to be managed as a National Forest.  Still, the BLM manages almost 250 million acres of pubic lands. The BLM […]

If you have the urge to explore, but are unable to get outside, there are a variety of ways to explore spectacular places through your computer.  We often use Google Earth to research places we want to explore.  It provides an aerial view of anywhere on the earth. Google Maps also offers a Street View […]

If you happen to be attending college. you are very likely in the best position you will ever be in to get outdoors and get active.  Many colleges and universities offer outdoor recreation centers, guided tours of all sorts, access to a wide range of outdoor equipment and much more, all created with the budget of […]