Hikers, hello and “Happy March!”
You’ve heard of March Madness. Well, 815 Outside is all about March Gladness! With the goal of including as many people as possible, we have gladness-inducing hikes this month:
- on three different days of the week (Monday, Wednesday and Saturday),
- in different parts of northern Illinois (forest preserves, city streets and parks, cemeteries), and
- at different times of the day (morning, noon and sunset).
Additionally, many of our hikes feature community co-leaders who each bring a unique professional perspective to the hike. Severson Dells staffer Laura Sjoquist (pictured above in upper left) co-led the Severson Dells Cocoa & Company Hike last week. Winnebago County Forest Preserve Deputy Tim Speer (pictured above in the center of the group) co-led the “March Forth on March Fourth” hike at Pecatonica River Forest Preserve. Healing Home Ayurveda’s Miranda Grisales-Buell will be co-leading our March 15 Sunset “Ides of March” Hike at Severson Dells. Warren Boykin, the program and outreach coordinator of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Northern Illinois, will co-lead our Lunchtime Loop at Fairgrounds Park on March 20. And Byron Forest Preserve’s superintendent of education Janet Dahlberg will be co-leading our “Hilly Hike” at Howard Colman Hall Creek on March 29. Looking even further ahead, Clinical Licensed Social Worker (CLSW) Karyn Schwitters will co-lead our lunchtime loop at Tinker Park on April 3.
These hikes are not only an opportunity to get into nature but also a way to get to know your community one step at a time.
Life is a journey and each one of us is on a unique path. But 815 Outside offers you a myriad of *shared* paths. Find one (or more!) that’s right for you. Here is a list of our free guided hikes.
Everyone is welcome, truly. And if you don’t see a hike that works for you, let us know and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.
