After surveying 2000 parents across the United Kingdom, adventure blog Go Ape decided that the current generation of kids should be called the “Closeted Generation” because they are spending too much time indoors in front of a screen.  They found that 22% of parents put their kids in front of a screen “because its easier” even though […]

It’s a simple concept really.  Take a walk in the woods and, if you wish, enhance the experience further by breathing the scents of essential wood oils. This outdoor activity has become a recognized relaxation and stress management technique in Japan over the last thirty years.  There, it goes by the name “shinrin-yoku.”  That translates to “forest bathing” in English. […]

Hazards of Lightning At 11:30am on June 28, 2015 lightning began striking Mt. Bierstadt  in the Mount Evans Wilderness of Pike National Forest.  Eight people were injured and three were hospitalized, a dog died.  They were 500 feet below the summit. On July 17, Ryan Pocius and his bride Kathleen Bartlett were hiking on Colorado’s Mount Yale during their […]

What is Great Recreation WalletHub, a financial review website, recently looked at 27 factors that describe the entertainment and recreation facilities, cost of recreation, climate,  and quality of parks at the 100 largest U.S. cities.  Based upon this review, they ranked the cities relative to the recreation opportunities they offer.  The analysis was not limited to outdoor recreation so […]

  Outdoor recreation, exploring and adventuring is great for your health, but there are problems you need to avoid.  One of those is ticks.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer the following advice for dealing with ticks: Before You Go Outdoors Know where to expect ticks. Ticks live in moist and humid environments, […]

Regardless of the type of camping you do, you’ll probably need fire of some sort, at least for food preparation.  Fire and dry vegetation do not mix well and the results of neglecting campfire safety can be disastrous.  With that in mind here are some helpful hints offered by the Tennessee State Fire Marshal with […]

Correlating Cognitive Development and Green Space Thirteen researchers from Spain, Norway and the United States recently published the results of their analysis of the relationship between cognitive development in kids (age 7 to 10) and their exposure to outdoor green space.  They tested cognitive performance every three months for a year for  2,593 kids in […]

Rattlesnake Safety – Tips from CDF&W California Department of Fish and Wildlife offers some great tips for surviving in rattlesnake country.  First, know that rattlesnakes are not confined to rural areas. They have been found near urban areas, in river or lakeside parks, and at golf courses. Be aware that startled rattlesnakes may not rattle […]

What would you do? Take a look at the photo above.  Now imagine that those five people are nervous grizzly bears (or murderous zombies, if that would put some fear in your heart) and the four black bears are you, a human mother, with three small children.  Now imagine that there are eight more nervous […]

Stand up paddle boarding or SUP originated in Hawaii and involves paddling a surfboard or specially designed paddle board while standing on it and propelling it with an extended canoe-type paddle.  Participants can take on this activity in the ocean and catch waves to surf to shore, on flat water or even navigating rapids in […]