Inspired by Outdoor Afro's call to lead #HealingHikes, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming State Conference and the Sierra Club Rocky Mountain Chapter announced a series of Healing Hikes to take place in the coming months of 2015.
In January, Colorado experienced an incident involving the attempted terrorism bombing of the Colorado Springs NAACP branch office. There have been other incidents of ongoing strife in our communities. With these events in mind, the goal of the Healing Hikes is to promote healing and dialog in the beauty of our natural environment. These hikes will take place on trails within the Denver and Colorado Springs metropolitan areas currently and will highlight the availability and wonder of nature we have available to us in our communities.
The first healing hike was held on February 7, 2015 and it was a great success. We did a two mile nature walk at Carson Nature Center with multiple stops to talk about reflection, solitude, and healing. Rosemary Lytle, president of the NAACP Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming State Conference attended and contributed significantly to our discussion about communities overcoming hardships while leading us in an exercise to promote hope for a better tomorrow.
Nine folks attended, including the certified outings leader. The success of this joint event will lead to multiple events occurring in the coming months in Colorado reinforcing the connection of all communities to the healing power of nature. We have also make connections with the Climate Justice Chair for the State Conference and look forward to a continued dialogue.
The partners will continue this collaboration in hopes to get all communities outdoors and experience what nature can provide. The Sierra Club plans to make these hikes a regular part of the outings program in Colorado for the foreseeable future. The next #Healing Hike is scheduled for March 8 to Star K Ranch Park and will include a larger youth presence. Check out thie event listing for more details.
- Chris Applegate
Rocky Mountian Chapter Outings Chair
Rocky Mountian Chapter Outings Chair