News from Beaver Brook Association

by Jennifer Starr, volunteer and Hollis Town resident

Have you and your family made a New Year's Resolution to get more exercise? If you've thought about joining a health club - don't do it! A Beaver Brook membership is cheaper and more rewarding. And, you will enjoy a year of environmental exploration and fond memories.

Just like the health club, you can pick your workout. For a heart-pumping aerobic workout, try the Rocky Ridge trail or Kibby's Climb. The flat Beaver Brook trail loop is perfect for speed walking or strolling. In the summer and fall, you can hike and mountain bike or try a new sport like Orienteering. In the winter, Beaver Brook is a great place to use those brand new snowshoes and cross-country skis. And, if weather and conditions allow, you can even go sledding or skating. Meet kindred spirits by joining the Friday Fitness walks.

Unlike the health club, Beaver Brook is always open, even on Christmas Day. Start a new holiday tradition by meandering along the Jeff Smith trail and toasting the New Year at the Wildlife Pond. Bring a picnic lunch and hot chocolate to the Bird Blind near Brown Lane Barn and savor the bird songs and silence, rather than intrusive, bland, background music. Wander through the Maple Hill Gardens and learn the names of some novel plants and herbs instead of sharing germs with the competitive jock in the weight room.

Are you still trying to find a gift for a friend who appreciates nature or loves the outdoors? Your friends will be impressed that you introduced them to a new place right in their backyard here in Southern New Hampshire. Not only can they bring their friends to Beaver Brook without paying guest fees, they can even take along their four-legged pals on a leash. Dogs love to follow the wildlife tracks and horses enjoy traveling the trails. And, their owners are delighted to explore new territory.

Why not give someone the gift of a Beaver Brook workshop or program? The aspiring gardener in your life might like the Accomplished Gardener program. No child will be left inside if you enroll them in one of the Beaver Brook Summer Programs.

Although Beaver Brook is free to the public, membership dollars support all of the behind-the-scenes efforts that make for a great outdoors experience, but are sometimes taken for granted. Beaver Brook staff and volunteers plow the parking lots, create the maps, post signs, and build and maintain the bridges and benches along the clearly marked trail system. Your present of a Beaver Brook membership also underwrites sustainable forest and wildlife management and promotes local conservation efforts.

To get to Beaver Brook or the health club still requires overcoming inertia and training the "get-up-and-go" muscle. There are one thousand excuses for not exercising and even more reasons for staying inside. But the changing scenery and range of activities at Beaver Brook will help beat the winter blues and cure cabin fever. It is a gift that fits everyone!