Community Corner
New Program Gets You Off the Couch and Into Nature
Newly formed partnership between Lehigh Valley Health Network and the Wildlands Conservancy aims to encourage physical activity and education throughout the Lehigh Valley.
The and have joined together in a partnership to help people get outdoors, both for their health and to appreciate nature. The free program is called “Get Out! Lehigh Valley.”
The program focuses on getting people to walk outside by hosting events and providing maps to 55 nature trails in the Lehigh Valley and beyond.
Thomas "Tom" Gettings, director of special projects for the Wildlands Conservancy, Fran Derhammer, manager of community relations at LVHN, have been working together for almost 10 years offering a “Walk for Wellness."
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The problem is that people didn’t seem to be getting out and using the program, Gettings said.
“There are 55 really top-notch trails (rail trails, community parks, township parks, municipal parks) where people can do these kinds of things on their own, but there tends to be a lack of faith in finding them and knowing where to go,” Gettings said.
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The new program will point the way.
The first event was held March 2011 as a hike through the Trexler Nature Preserve. Since then they’ve hosted several Saturday morning hikes at the Trexler Nature Preserve, South Mountain and the Allentown Rose Gardens.
“Our goal is to create healthy environments for our community, to improve their health or to maintain their health and well-being,” Derhammer said.
The next walk will be through Louise Moore Park in Easton on July 12. Sign-ups are required.