Connecting Youth with Nature

Run Wild is committed to connecting young people with nature, especially those kids who don't have much opportunity to access natural environments. For 2025, we are planning to support two initiatives. First, we intend to make a contribution towards transportation and accommodation costs for a group of Southern Bronx school kids, whose teacher, Julie McGuire, is planning to take them to the Catskills to do trail work. Julie, who is also a volunteer with the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference and responsible for maintaining some of the trails on Slide Mountain, shares that these trips have been "life changing" for her students, who live in the inner city in some cases in shelters. The kids respond with awe to the natural environment, they are enthusiastic workers and delighted to make a contribution to the community, and the trip has helped students and teacher bond and learn to work together. Run Wild intends to sponsor multiple trips in 2025 for as many kids as possible and is looking into ways to expand this program.

Our second initiative for 2025 is to continue encouraging young people to get into trail running, which we do by sponsoring free registration for those 18 and under at the Hudson Highlands Nature Center 5k trail race in October of each year. This is a perfect grassy, scenic course for someone's first trail race, and we've had high school runners winning the event and kids as young as 4 walking the course hand-in-hand with parents, with participation ranging from 40-70 young runners, making this a very kid-centric and welcoming event. We are delighted to partner with Hudson Highlands Nature Center, located outside Cornwall, NY, as they are leaders in teaching children about nature.

In an age of device and distraction, these opportunities for kids to get out on the trails -- whether doing trail maintenance work or running -- are more important than ever before. The benefits are physical, mental, spiritual, and moral. You can sponsor one young runner at the 5k for as little as $40, while the cost of busing for Julie's students to reach the Catskills is closer to $100 per child. As you think about your plans for 2025, will you add some kids to your bucket list?