This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
02/14/2017 03:30 PMThe ground might be snowy, but Priscilla Robinson sees that as no deterrent to enjoying the outdoors, and hopes other women will join her for a weekend walk. As of this past Saturday, the Chester Land Trust’s Women’s Walks are back, leaving from the Water Street Parking lot at 8 a.m.
“When we started this in 2015, we had about 10 to 12 women and they connected with one another and walked during the week, and that’s what I really want to try to do again,” said Robinson, the Chester Land Trust’s newest president.
The walks will be led by different women, and participants are welcome to make a course and lead the walking group. The walks will go through the Carini Preserve and other wooded areas in the town, and even in other towns as organized by the group. Robinson hopes that the group can see and appreciate other areas of the shoreline as well.
“The reason the land trust exists is to protect this amazing little environment, but we also want to protect animals, too, and be a voice for animals. That’s why we’re always looking for open space, because it is essential for habitats,” said Robinson. “So we’re going to be in the woods, and we’re going to walk one day with someone who’s going to tell us all about the trees in the area and how to distinguish the different types from the bark, and we’ll do bird walks. I think it’s going to be pretty interesting if we can get past this snow.”
The walks are designed for all ages, so there will be a longer walk, with hills, that will usually average three to five miles, as well as a flatter one-mile walk for those who would prefer that option.
Hosting these walks specifically for women, Robinson hopes to not only raise awareness about the land trust and its work, but to provide a space for women to connect, learn about, and support each other.
“I’ve worked for large corporations, and if you look how men network, they do things, they play golf, they go to bars, they do things like that. And networking, to a degree, is the key for people to move if they want to,” said Robinson. “And with this whole thing, we’re learning about women, and I want to bring younger women into the land trust. I think that’s imperative.
“When you walk, what turns a one-mile walk into a five-mile walk is because people start talking to each other,” continued Robinson. “This is a networking opportunity that we can create, and at the same time be healthy. What’s better than that? So, the goal is to just have more women from all sorts of backgrounds and ages to start sharing and doing something that’s healthy and see Chester in a different way, by foot.”
Those who wish to join the Chester Land Trust on its next walk should meet at the Water Street Parking Lot on Saturday mornings; the walks will begin promptly at 8 a.m. For more information, reach out to Priscilla Robinson at 860-526-2775 or probinson02@snet.net.