Blogs

Merrell extended its multi-year deal with Michael Epstein Sports Productions (MESP) as title sponsor of the Merrell Down & Dirty National Mud and Obstacle Series. Racers compete on either 5K or 10K courses that feature military-style obstacles, mud crawls, and strength challenges. Smaller family members can participate in the fun with an Adventure Kids one-mile mud run or a shorter adventure dash that end in a large mud pit where they crawl to the finish line. The racing series premiered in 2010 and the 2012 tour expands to ten markets across the country.

To celebrate America's State Parks First Day Hikes, the New Jersey State Park Service is organizing eight free guided hikes and a horseback ride on New Year's Day 2012. America's State Parks First Day Hikes is a nationwide initiative to offer families an opportunity to begin the New Year connecting with the outdoors by taking a healthy hike on January 1, 2012.

Washington D.C. - America's State Parks announced that all 50 state park systems will provide free, guided First Day Hike Programs on New Year’s Day 2012. Families can begin the New Year connecting with the outdoors by taking a First Day Hike on January 1, 2012 at a state park. Families welcome the New Year by enjoying the outdoors together.

Jake and Raphael from WGCU Curious Kids show how to make trail mix with nuts, dried fruit and puffed corn. Also, Betsy M. Opyt, RD, LD/N describes why trail mix is both healthy and tasty.

On September 24, 2011, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and its 31 Trail Clubs will be holding the first annual Family Hiking Day. The event is designed to introduce families to the Appalachian Trail and the benefits of a healthy outdoor lifestyle.

Families who love the outdoors should check out the 2nd Annual New Jersey WILD Outdoor Expo on September 17 and 18, 2011 at the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area in Ocean County, New Jersey. The Expo provides information and demonstrations for a range of outdoor adventure activities that are available in New Jersey.

Kingsnakes are touted by a lot of people in reptile keeping as one of the ‘better’ snakes to start with. Their popularity in reptile keeping cannot be denounced; my personal experiences with both wild caught and captive bred Kingsnakes Lampropeltis getula leaves something to be desired. That’s for a later time though. Let’s get a better idea of Kingsnakes Lampropeltis getula and how they fit into the realm of Colubrids (basic snakes).

A King among Serpents

Essex County, New Jersey's Turtle Back Zoo will be hosting Family Nights every Wednesday between 6/29 and 8/31. Family Nights will include extended hours until 8:00 pm and offer fun, affordable summer evenings.

During these special evenings, families can enjoy discounted admission rates, dinner specials from the Zoo Café and live music from area acts. Best of all, families can share this fun with all of the animals of the zoo.

Curious Kids is a new show was launched this spring by WGCU in Florida with the mission of teaching children about the interconnectedness of our world. Songwriter/Environmental Educator, Rosie Emery, was part of the development team.

Watch the premier episode of Curious Kids - Around and Around:

A short video from the National Wildlife Federation describing new research about why kids should spend time outdoors.