By Wanda I. Ashbrook • LGBTQ+ Section Outings Chair
Red maple trees, blue jays, goldfinches, purple flowers, evergreen trees, and let’s not forget the (red) cardinals. We join with nature, a colorful and diverse world, when we go on a Sierra Club LGBTQ+ hike. We fit perfectly with all the diversity in the woods.
Sierra North Jersey LGBTQ+ hikes are opportunities for our community to be at one with ourselves and with like-minded individuals on this small blue marble we collectively call home. On our hikes we can see all the beauty; we can smell the pines and sense that there is something bigger than ourselves. On a warm spring day or a midwinter hike we gather to be at peace with ourselves and to build community.
We humans are curious. We keep searching for new trails to explore. Often, we are little aware of how deeply a hike can affect our body, mind, and soul. We bring a friend to walk in silence or share the wonders and explore together what we might find… a feather, deer antlers, or a warm rock to sit on and picnic.
Being in the woods changes us. We learn to appreciate and act on how to protect and preserve these special places for ourselves, our friends, and family. We pick up bottles, cans, and other trash from those who were not so kind to the woods. We may come away with a realization that political action is also necessary in our fight for clean air and water on our planet.
Meet you at the trailhead! Look for our Rainbows!
For more information, check out the LGBTQ+ Section in this issue of The Jersey Sierran, or contact Section Chair Diane Scarangella at diascat@hotmail.com or LGBTQ+ Outings Chair Wanda Ashbrook at pridegrrlnj@aim.com.