Embrace The Winter Outdoors In Your Community
It’s Not Time to Hibernate
November 1st not only kicked us into the real possibility of winter weather, but also brought down the dreaded daylight savings change. In other words, it’s damp, cold, dark, and just the beginning of a long stretch of tough weather.
Stay with me here, these ingredients are not the perfect hibernation cocktail (did someone say cocktail?).
The dreary lead-up to winter is the perfect reason to get outside and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air we need to stay mentally and physically healthy. It’s time for us to gear up instead of power down. This also means starting to think about other people, coordinating within your community, and getting ready for some shared activity instead of the winter slumber you may be planning.
Yes, there is still a pandemic (no, not a reason to sleep more), and yes, the weather can be increasingly challenging to recreate in. This is all the more reason to get out as often as we can – be it early or late, alone, together, or appropriately distanced from a friend – it’s an important part of maintaining balance in these challenging months. Vitamin D, fresh air, and sweating a bit are the perfect motivation to embrace winter and your community. For more about the benefits of outside time, especially amid COVID, check out our earlier blogpost about just that.
In a normal year, community outdoor programming during the winter months is an important way to help folks connect with each other and nature. This year it’s essential. Winter activity doesn’t have to be limited to skiing. Snowshoeing, fat biking, running, skating, and walking are all great winter activities, not to mention building snow forts and sledding. With the right equipment and forecast, nearly any outdoor sport is possible.
Different Approaches
Talking about sledding and fort building, there are loads of creative and fresh ways to get outdoors this winter, and to join in some safe, fun, outdoor activities. Many of them don’t require special outdoor sports equipment or knowledge, just a playful attitude (which you can learn more about in this recent blog). Make a plan and invite some people to join in. Consider the following activities:
Community scavenger hunts
Way-marked loops and paths that lead people on interesting adventures via foot, ski, fat bike, etc.
Improving awareness and access to local sledding hills (or creating local sledding hills)Story paths (where you take a short story/poem and spread it out along a path for people to read as they go)
Building snow sculptures or castles
Then of course there’s the more organized programming to help people / families learn skiing, snowshoeing, fat biking, and other outdoor sports. If there was ever a winter to ramp up opportunities for people to get engaged with these activities, it’s now.
Tackling Challenges Together
There are also challenges beyond the cold, dark, gnarly winter days that keep people from getting involved in these types of programs. Lack of equipment can be one of the biggest barriers, for example.
Maybe your community can’t get a fleet of fat bikes or skis to lend people this winter, but then again maybe they can? It’s important to be familiar with your local resources – is there a gear library nearby? Or a rental shop? Perhaps trail reports can indicate whether or not folks will need snowshoes or yak tracks, or maybe just a hiking boot will do. Create or join a local Facebook page where people can share trail conditions, closures, and reports. Good communication and local knowledge is crucial to successful planning and programming. A little initiative can go a long way in the winter months.
Communities can rally to overcome a lot of hurdles – like making sure there’s enough warm clothing available for those that need it. Warm layers and good access to equipment and opportunity are just the beginning steps in being able to embrace winter. Partnerships between schools, recreation departments, clubs, land management agencies, and other non-profit organizations are essential to creating additional opportunity.
Get Involved
Another way to get involved and guarantee that you get outside is to plan a program! If you wait for the perfect winter day, you just may wait forever. Pick a date, a time, a place, and plan to bundle up or strip down depending on the forecast and the activity. Make it happen. Need some help?
Our next OSI Community Roundtable is all about tackling the challenges of winter community outdoor programming. You can learn more and join the OSI Community HERE.
To learn more about creating great winter programming where you live register for our FREE webinar on Managing Risk and Improving Community Outdoor Programs, happening in December. Also check out our new free guide: 5 Tips for Better Community Outdoor Sport Programs HERE.
Winter requires some extra motivation, no doubt about it, and it’s more important than ever to gather up your energy for some outdoor sport. Don’t make hibernating your primary activity of the season. Make a plan, check the weather, breathe some fresh air, and play outdoors! It’s bound to be great for your mind, body, and in these challenging times, your vital sense of community.