By Melanie Seiler
Together, Active Southern West Virginia (ActiveSWV), a nonprofit promoting public health in the New River Gorge Region, and the New River Gorge National River have received a second year of grant funding from the National Park Foundation’s Active Trails program for 2017.
ActiveSWV’s mission is to increase opportunities for physical activity to improve the health of Southern West Virginians, a mission that complements the National Park’s goal of increasing visitation. The grant will fund an expansion of the Get Active in the Park program that was piloted with success during the summer and fall of 2016 at the recently opened Camp Brookside Environmental Education Center inside New River Gorge National River.
“We are very excited to be partnering with Active Southern West Virginia again in 2017,” says Shari Quinn from the National Park Service. “The Get Active in the Park program is truly a positive addition to the park’s activities. With such a wide variety of free classes being offered, this program helps New River Gorge National River fulfill our goal of getting more people in the park.”
The program’s success depends on local residents stepping up and volunteering to teach outdoor classes. Grant funds will provide training and/or certification classes for instructors, and, in exchange, volunteers teach classes for free. All programs will be operated by trained ActiveSWV community captain volunteers.
In its second year, the program will once again bring free, beginner-level guided outdoor activities and mini classes to the four counties within park boundaries: Nicholas, Fayette, Raleigh and Summers. The activities are meant to introduce people of all ages and abilities to the variety of healthy outdoor adventures and recreational opportunities available in the national parks of Southern West Virginia.
The project is supported by companies such as the Coca Cola Company and the Coca Cola Foundation. The program is still looking for volunteers to teach Tai Chi, standup paddle boarding, hiking, trail running, cooking, meditation, rock climbing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, yoga and orienteering for the coming year, and teaching experience is not necessary.
For more information, contact getactiveinthepark@gmail.com, (304) 254-8488 or Get Active in the Park on Facebook.
About the Author
Melanie Seiler, executive director of Active Southern West Virginia, grew up in Fayette County, WV, with a love for the outdoors. She holds a degree in adventure sports in addition to many outdoor instruction certifications. Seiler spent 15 years growing the family whitewater rafting business along with starting and managing a cabin rental business. These experiences provided the skills necessary to launch Active Southern West Virginia, secure regional partnerships and focus on engaging the residents of Southern West Virginia in healthy outdoor activities.
