Hike and Seek – Getting Outdoors With a Kid in Your Life This Weekend

By Larry Schweiger

As a child I was fortunate enough to spend many hours outdoors with my father, who was a dog trainer and hunter. My dad died more than thirty years ago, yet when I go to the woods of western Pennsylvania and see a familiar plant or hear a distant crow on a crisp fall morning, my memories of being out in nature with Dad come flooding back as if it were yesterday.

I would urge every parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle to make time to get outdoors this weekend with a child in your life. Join National Wildlife Federation’s Hike and Seek this Saturday October 2 in Washington D.C. at Seneca Creek State Park and in Chicago at Lincoln Park Grove; and in Seattle at Seward Park on October 16. Hike & Seek is a cross between a nature hike and scavenger hunt, geared to exploring outdoor wonders.

You will be making memories in nature with a kid who will hold on to the times they spend outdoors with you. Equally important, you can help awaken their ecological understandings and forge a love for nature that will serve them for a lifetime.

(excerpted from Last Chance: Preserving Life on Earth).