Natural New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s resolutions have a bad reputation. Many people refuse to make them thinking that they’ll be too hard to keep. But this year Natural Lands Trust is here to help you. Some of the most common resolutions are about getting healthy, spending time with your family, or learning new skills. You can accomplish all of these (and more) on our nature preserves!

Healthy Living

Maybe you want to lose weight, get stronger, or get into a better state of mind. Fortunately, nature is here to help! Since visiting our preserves is free, it’s far cheaper than joining a gym. And we have great hours; open from dawn till dusk every day of the year! Want to visit us on Christmas or Presidents Day? We’re open! Running through forests, meadows, and wetlands will keep your workouts interesting. Many studies have proved that spending time out in nature is not only good for your physical health, but can have a positive effect on your mental health as well.

Take Action:

• ChesLen Chase: Start training for ChesLen Chase for Open Space, our annual trail run. With three trail running options (a 10k, 5k, and 2-mile fun run/walk) this race can be a great year-long goal to keep you motivated. Train by taking long walks on our trails, or by starting a Couch-to-5k program.
• Hike All Our Preserves: Take on the Find Yourself Outside Challenge and hike all of our preserves. Once you gather the code words from each kiosk, you’ll receive a Natural Lands Trust fleece vest! Goals can keep you focused and moving forward—and if you start now, you may earn that fleece before next winter.

Spend More Time with Family

In a busy world full of responsibilities and distractions, it can be tough to find the time to spend with your family. Not to mention that many events can get expensive. Fortunately, a trip to one of our nature preserves is free!

Take Action:

• Ollie Owl’s Nature Playground: This playground at ChesLen Preserve is made with all natural materials and is open to the public 365 days a year from dawn till dusk. Kids can get dirty and play in nature. You don’t need to tell them about the research indicating that nature play is all great for their mental and physical development, they can just have fun.
• Attend Our Events: Learn about deer, foxes, and spring peepers. Visit a meadow and read a book as a family. Natural Lands Trust offers many events for kids and their caregivers to explore and enjoy nature together.

Learn a New Skill

Many New Year’s resolutions revolve around self improvement. This year, you could learn a new skill with Natural Lands Trust. Join our skilled staff and learn how to identify birds, invasive species, and what ways you can protect our open spaces.

Take Action:

• Volunteer With Us: Volunteer with us to learn about the natural world during our one-day volunteer events. Our experienced staff will be on hand to teach out about the natural world as you plant trees, trim invasive vines, or build wooden chairs for our preserves.
• Become a Force of Nature®: Looking for a challenge? Our comprehensive Force of Nature volunteer program involves five weekend classes where participants learn to plant trees, identify plants and animals, garden with native plants, and more. Learning this can help you with your own property and improve your skills with the natural world.

Don’t live near a Natural Lands Trust preserve? Many parks and non-profit conservation organizations have events that are open to the public where you can make your goals a reality. Best of luck in 2016!