Reconnecting With Nature

With practically the whole city under quarantine, many individuals and families have found themselves with more free time than they know what to do with. That makes it the perfect time to get outside: being active, spending time with family, and reconnecting with nature. The weather couldn’t be better either! Armed with reasons to take this unprecedented opportunity to reconnect with the natural world in the beautiful city of Minneapolis, today’s blog post will explore some outdoor adventures fun for the whole family, as well as ways to incorporate outdoor living into your life-under-quarantine. 

As a reminder, if you or any of your family show any symptoms of sickness (even the common cold), please stay inside. When outside, remember to follow the rules of social distancing: maintain a six-foot radius between you and others, avoid touching shared surfaces, wash your hands frequently, and avoid touching your face. 

1. Day trip to Minnehaha Falls. Pack a picnic lunch and make your way over to Minneapolis’ favorite waterfall for the day. For added fun, try to get there without driving. Taking the bus, biking, and walking are all excellent options depending on your distance from the park. With well-maintained walking paths, plenty to see, and adequate space to maintain your social distance from others, Minnehaha Park is an excellent place to spend some time. It is important now, more than ever, to get some sunshine to keep you and your family happy and healthy. 
   
2. Bike the Chain of Lakes. Lake of the Isles, Bde Maka Ska, and Lake Harriet make up one of our city’s most prized outdoor attractions: the Chain of Lakes. This is a great option because it is modifiable to all ages and ability levels. The Chain of Lakes bike loop by itself is 10.1 miles long (read: 1-1.5 hours of leisurely biking without stops). For a longer, more challenging excursion, take a detour onto the Luce Line bike trail in Uptown. For a shorter, less daunting outing, pick your favorite one or two lakes to bike. 
   
3. Go check out your local park. Minneapolis is a national leader with its extensive and well-maintained parks system. In fact, most homes are within just a few blocks from a community park. So, grab a Frisbee, bring a dog, read a book, or even pack art supplies and find the park nearest to you. The parks are an excellent place to enjoy some downtime while enjoying the blossoms of spring.  Don't forget to pick up after yourself, leaving the park cleaner than you found it.
   
4. Volunteer your time. With schools out of session and with many hourly workers getting their hours cut, many non-profit organizations need extra help in order to distribute meals and serve low-income communities effectively. If you have time or resources to share, volunteering is a great way to give back by getting out into the community. Meal distribution can also provide an excellent opportunity to get outside and be active. Organizations looking for volunteers include TC Food Justice, Meals on Wheels, and others. A quick Google search is all you need to find the opportunities closest to you. During these trying times, it is important that we all do what we can to keep our communities safe and healthy. Getting outside and reconnecting with nature is another added benefit!
   

The terms climate change and global warming are used a lot; over time, it’s easy to forget what exactly we are fighting for. Spending time in the great outdoors and actively reconnecting with nature are excellent strategies in the climate fight. Use these coming weeks, despite the global uncertainties we face as a community, to empassion yourself and re-empower your climate action goals.