Getting Outside: Connecting Community to the Outdoors

Desire paths are clearly seen between urban developments and I-81, in what VIM hopes to develop into hiking and biking paths that connect South Scranton residents to outdoor recreation opportunities and the Pinchot State Forest

“Go play outside!” A favorite declaration of parents the world over. Not only as a way to get things done around the house without distraction, but a not-so-subtle push to get kids outside and to get moving.

Sadly, we all spend less time outside nowadays, kids included. It can be hard to put down our devices, turn off our work phones, and step outside for a bike ride or walk. Those parents telling kids to "take it outside" had it right! Science tells us that getting up and moving outside makes us happier and healthier. 

Many studies have shown that spending time outside reduces stress. Connecting with nature lowers our cortisol production, which is our stress hormone. Just two hours a week in nature is enough to lower our chances of developing preventable, chronic diseases.

So, what’s the hold up? For many people, it’s a matter of access. Take South Scranton, for example. This neighborhood has a state forest just a half mile away from its own Connell Park. But with private property, a highway, and railroad between them, there is no safe and legal way to get there.  

Valley In Motion is working to change that. Because everyone deserves a walk or bike ride in nature, we aim to develop a 4-mile looped trail on the Connell Park side of the highway, adjacent to or within easy walking distance of three affordable housing developments. This trail would include an access point underneath Interstate 81 that would connect it to the Pinchot State Forest, opening up an additional 8,000 acres of nature and miles of trails. This outdoor recreation resource would not only serve thousands of neighborhood residents, but could become an attraction to cycling enthusiasts all over the region. Best yet, this development project would protect residents against gentrification, as many nearby families live in public housing with rent ratios tied to income.

To learn more about this effort, join us for our weekly walk at Connell Park, 800 Gibbons Street in Scranton. It's every Saturday at 10am, rain or shine, free, and open to all ages and abilities. Participants of this walking club form the basis of our "Friends of the Connector Trail," a collaboration eager to move this work forward.

You want to play more and stress less? Let's work together to create new trails and outdoor opportunities for all!  

Roxy Brown, Recreation Access Specialist

Valley In Motion