by Karen Ehrens

I bet you knew that Bismarck and Mandan have great parks systems. But, did you know that families who have access to parks and playgrounds and use them are more active than those who don’t? The Go! Bismarck Mandan coalition is partnering with local parks to help get the word out about our local parks and recreation treasures so that more people are out enjoying them and being active.

Adventure Walks kick off this spring to help bring excitement and novelty to walking together as a family and being outdoors. The Go! Coalition is partnering with the Dakota Zoo and Mandan Parks and Recreation to host walks with clues that can be discovered through the use of global positioning system (GPS) devices. But you don’t need a GPS machine to take an adventure walk; you can find adventure by walking right outside your back door and around your neighborhood.

Says Wendy Anderson-Berg, Chair of the Go! Coalition and Park Planner at Bismarck Parks and Recreation, “It’s easy these days for kids to become disconnected from nature and from being outdoors. By taking the time to pay attention to the changes in your outdoor surroundings as the seasons change, you can better enjoy a simple walk, be more active and connect with nature.”

The Go! Coalition will also provide pediatricians and family practice physicians, childcare providers, and families written materials with ideas for Adventure Walks to take with their children, locations of neighborhood parks and community fitness centers and walking trails, and importance of daily physical activity.

The Go! Bismarck Mandan coalition, with nearly 20 organization partners, has a mission to measurably improve the health, fitness and quality of life of all people in Bismarck and Mandan by creating a supportive culture and environment through a coordinated approach.

For more information:
Go! Coalition
www.gobismarckmandan.org

Go! walk in the park! Go! to the walking trail!
www.bisparks.org www.mandanparks.com

Go! to the zoo!
http://www.dakotazoo.org/