Over the last few generations, childhood has seemed to move indoors and left kids more disconnected to the outdoors and their natural world than ever.
Nature is good for us. We all know it. The benefits are clear.
Berkshire Family Hikes was born in 2019, after my husband and I made a commitment to get ourselves and our children outdoors more often. Spending time in nature is a great way to inspire curiosity and creativity, to relax, decompress, and strengthen family relationships.
Days when we feel sluggish and static, nature is there to revive our spirits. Days when our energy is fit to burst through the walls, nature is the great equalizer. I started to write about our adventures and Berkshire Family Hikes has grown from there. Our experiences aren’t always perfect, but the trick is to just keep on going.
Our mission is to inspire families to get outdoors and reconnect with nature and to empower others to go outside with more confidence. We are dedicated to being a go-to community resource for accessible outdoor recreation in the Berkshires.
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What you’ll find on Berkshire Family Hikes:
We share our stories and adventures outdoors, review trails and provide tips, tricks, and know before you go’s, that help along the way. You’ll discover suggestions, guides, and inspiration for finding nature just outside your front door and beyond.
We offer activity ideas, printables, nature boards, and educational resources to foster curiosity and connection with place and community, emphasizing local heritage, cultures, landscapes, opportunities and experiences.
A virtual community to share resources and provide opportunities that is welcoming, safe, and accessible for all — regardless of background, race, ethnicity, physical ability, sexual orientation, gender, relationship, age, size, shape, language, and more. Find us on both Instagram & Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/berkshirefamilyhikescommunity
We hope to amplify more voices in the outdoor world, using our State of Nature interviews as a platform to bring attention to issues within our communities and support other organizations in their work.
Family hiking opportunities in partnership with local organizations.
We believe all families have a right to connect with nature — those with previous experience in the outdoors, those who don’t have an existing relationship with nature and everyone in between — and we are committed to removing barriers to the outdoors. We are working with local organizations to increase accessibility, diversity, and inclusion, so that anyone can benefit from spending time in nature.
We recognize and respect that the land we recreate on is the traditional territories of Indigenous Peoples, namely the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican Nation who were forcibly displaced to Wisconsin. When we share, protect and learn from a space, it’s important to understand and acknowledge that place’s past, present and future and seek to understand our place within that history. To recognize the land is an expression of gratitude and appreciation we give to the Indigenous Peoples who have been living and working on the land from time immemorial. We recognize that we can play an active role in helping to expand the public’s awareness of the narrative of Indigenous Peoples. The past and present story of the Mohican Nation is one Berkshire Family Hikes will share with all who engage with their homeland.
These lands continue to be of great significance to the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican People.
Taylor, Dan, Mason & Veda