Learning From a “Hike Fail”

I have been connected with “We Are OutGrown” (formerly known as "Hike it Baby") for more than 2 years because I see the amazing work it does to empower families with young children to step outside and enjoy the physical and mental benefits of growing up in nature. OutGrown’s mission is to “empower families with babies and young children to step outside and enjoy the physical and mental benefits of growing up in nature.”  I am excited about the next step for this unique organization. Its recent rebranding to “OutGrown” better reflects its true purpose and serves as an umbrella name to encompass three program pillars:  Turn the Blues Green - which supports new parents in going outside with their newborns which can be a powerful tool for overcoming postpartum depression. Bring it Outside - a program to help families build a habit of getting outside and overcome challenges such as accessibility Hike it Baby - focused on community-led events such as hikes Together, these programs are helping families grow up outside, becoming OutGrown. Turn The Blues Green Program The first reason that I was drawn to this amazing organization (at that time called Hike it Baby) was because of the importance of hiking with both my children was to me during my paternity leave with them. Both of them were born in the winter, and one was born immediately before the Covid pandemic began. This meant there was a lot of isolation and my mental health wasn’t where I wanted it to be.  One of the most effective ways that I compensated and dealt with this was hiking with them in a carrier throughout D.C. I hiked so much during one month of leave that our entire family hiked every single mile of every single trail of Rock Creek National Park (close to 40 miles).  The Turn The Blues Green Program is a pioneering maternal mental health program. It is our tool, our solution, to help new parents combat the Baby Blues, to reduce that feeling of isolation many new moms face, and to nurture relationships with the natural world from the very beginning.  As one supporter said, "Venturing out on a stroller walk with our newborn was an incredibly freeing experience. It was like we had collectively been holding our breath since becoming new parents, and getting out into nature allowed us to finally exhale and realize we could manage this new parent thing!"   Bring it Outside Program One of the issues I have seen over and over again in my professional work defending public lands is the lack of accessibility and diversity for those enjoying our public lands. One of We Are Outgrown’s pillars of work is The Bring it Outside (BiO) program—which meets families where they are and supports them in getting outside in the ways that work best for their families.  Experiencing the benefits of being outside doesn’t need to be about climbing the biggest mountain or hiking the Appalachian Trail, it needs to be about whatever works for you. BiO develops tools and activities and hosts workshops and events for families year-round. This helps break down accessibility issues and gives them opportunities to enjoy the outdoors in whatever way works for them. Hike it Baby Program Hiking clubs are ubiquitous in our country, but what is far more rare is a nationwide hiking club that is focused on hiking with young children, and provides the infrastructure and support to volunteer leaders to make it easy and welcoming.  That’s exactly what the Hike it Baby program does— it specifically works to help families build a habit of getting outside, despite challenges such as accessibility. OutGrown was started as a small hiking club in Portland, Oregon, but now exists in more than 270 communities.  If you are looking for a family-oriented hiking club, I would highly encourage you to join. And whether you are looking for a hiking club or not, if there is a way for you to support this organization, please do! https://hikeitbaby.networkforgood.com/

When Social Anxiety Hits Everyone begins walking down the trail. Parents are asking each other questions and swapping stories. You tell yourself you should join the conversation, get to know some of the other parents. After all, look at your child – chattering with a group of kids, becoming fast friends. But the idea of jumping in is overwhelming. According to Jenn Granneman, author of the book The Secret Lives of Introverts, it’s common for introverts to find themselves battling some level of social anxiety. It can strike at any social gathering, big or small, and sometimes without rhyme or reason. It makes it difficult for introverts or those that suffer from more extreme cases of social anxiety, to foster a real community. How Hike it Baby Helps Build Community From our community-led, peer-hosted hikes to the volunteers that keep the organization running, Hike it Baby is founded on building and upholding a strong community. We support all families and empower them to get outside with confidence. Hike it Baby brings families together to create authentic connections and actively commits to diversity and inclusion in our community. Feel ready to do this? Here are a few tips to help you build a community with Hike it Baby. Be Yourself Hike it Baby is an inclusive, judgment-free community of like-minded parents and caregivers that have a shared mission of connecting their kids with nature. If you’re here for this reason, you already have something in common with everyone and a built-in conversation starter. Additionally, members are looking to create a connection with each other. We're all in this parenting thing together, and we want to get to know the real you. Bring a Friend Everyone is welcome to join a Hike it Baby hike. Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, or your best friend. Just ask them to sign the waiver by signing up for membership. You may feel more comfortable having your sibling, mom or dad, or buddy tag along with you. Bonus if your wingman is an extrovert and can help you strike up a conversation. Plan Ahead In her article, An Introvert’s Guide to Fostering Community, Amy Kessler suggests planning ahead to ease anxiety. Select a hike a few days in advance so you can plan. Try to keep your daily activity around the hike to a minimum so you don’t feel flustered or overtaxed before you get to the hike. Kessler also advises setting time limits. Know how long you can socialize before you feel drained. When you first get started with Hike it Baby, select a short hike or a park and play event so you can leave at your convenience. Learn more about Hike it Baby hike ratings here. Talk to the Hike Host The Hike it Baby calendar provides thorough details about each hike, including trail distance, estimated time, and difficulty rating of the trail. This certainly helps with planning, but if you want more details about the hike, reach out to the hike host. They can answer questions you may have to help ease any anxiety you are feeling about the hike. By introducing yourself ahead of time, you'll already know one person at the hike! Check out this video on how Maria Echaniz found her community with Hike it Baby. Hike it Baby is a friendly and all-inclusive community. We come together to enjoy each other’s company, be healthy and expose our children to the wonders of nature. We understand bringing children on trail can bring unique challenges, so if you need to stop to change a diaper or take a break to feed, we take it together! Learn more about Hike it Baby and start your membership today! About Hike it Baby Hike it Baby is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to getting families outdoors and on trails across the U.S. and internationally, supporting, educating and inspiring families through their more than 300 communities across North America. Since its grassroots inception in 2013 in Portland, Oregon, Hike it Baby is now a growing community of 270,000 families and 500 volunteer branch ambassadors hosting more than 1,600 hikes per month. More information, as well as daily hike schedules, can be found at HikeitBaby.com, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram. Photo courtesy of Deanna Curry. Sources:  Psychology Today, The Secret Lives of Introverts, Granneman, Accessed 1/21/2020 Boundless, An Introverts Guide to Foster Community, Kessler, Accessed 1/21/2020