How Rainbow Routes’ Green Walking Series Is Connecting the Community to Nature
Based in Sudbury, Ontario, Rainbow Routes Association is a nonprofit organization that helps to maintain a network of trails in the Greater Sudbury area and encourages health, adventure and connection to nature through a wide range of programming in the community – and they’re a longtime trail partner of Trans Canada Trail.
After her son tore his ACL, Cindy Crocker, Trail Mapping Lead with Rainbow Routes, noticed how difficult it was for him to remain engaged outdoors during the recovery period. But more importantly, she also noticed that brief moments outside had an impact on his wellbeing, especially his mental health.
The Green Walking Series was born
Photo credit: Rainbow Routes Association
Cindy came across the green prescription movement, which is rooted in the philosophy that time in nature reduces stress, boosts the immune system, and improves cardiovascular and mental health. In Canada, through programs like PaRx, health providers prescribe outdoor time in nature as part of everyday care.
Cindy was inspired to recreate that experience for members of the community in Sudbury, and the Green Walking Series came to life, offered at no cost to participants through Rainbow Routes.
The program, funded in part by the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program, was designed as a progressive experience that helped participants to build confidence and comfort outdoors and commit to incorporating active time outside into their schedules on a regular basis.
Rainbow Routes partnered with a local physiotherapist at Summit Physiotherapy and Performance and offered four guided sessions, each one slightly more challenging than the last:
• A walk and talk along the Trans Canada Trail, Kelly Lake Trail and Fielding Memorial loop, offering a welcoming introduction to the series.
• A session with a local environmental organization, combining a walk with a workshop.
• An urban poling experience led by a longtime volunteer of Rainbow Routes.
• A forest therapy session on the Lake Laurentian Conservation Area to Moonlight Beach trail on the Trans Canada Trail, blending mindfulness practices with a longer walk.
Great community uptake
Photo credit: Rainbow Routes Association
The response to the Green Walking Series was overwhelmingly positive. Cindy notes that attendance was excellent, with at least 30 individuals participating at each session.
The exciting part was seeing the hikers return weekly for the series, and hearing how for some, it was something to look forward to after their day of work.
Through social media promotion and community outreach, Rainbow Routes brought together a diverse group of participants, from longtime members of the community, including volunteers, and others who were new to Rainbow Routes’ programming.
The experience went so well that Rainbow Routes is re-launching the Green Walking Series later in the summer, after the Sudbury Camino.
The Green Walking Series will relaunch in August in partnership with the N’Swakamok Native Friendship Centre in Sudbury, an Indigenous-led organization that provides cultural, social and wellness programming for the community. The new series will continue to be open and welcoming to all who are interested in participating.
For Cindy, things at home are back to status quo. Her son has fully recovered and is now preparing to take on the full Sudbury Camino. “Nature played a big role in my son’s recovery after his injury. Spending time outdoors helped him heal both physically and mentally. Completing the 30 km Sudbury Camino is a challenge he has set for himself, and for me it’s reminder that sometimes the best medicine is as simple as stepping outside,” she says.
Photo credit: Rainbow Routes Association
Learn more about the Green Walking Series and other nature walks with Rainbow Routes.
Find Sudbury hiking trails on our interactive map.
