ccSCOOP - NEWS - New Program Seeks to Provide Access to Nature for All

NEW PROGRAM SEEKS TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO NATURE FOR ALL

Mike McCagg

ccSCOOP News

06-23-09 – 2:40 p.m. - Mention hiking, and the first thing that comes to mind for many is trekking up a dirt trail high in the Adirondacks or in the foothills of the Berkshires. But for many of the elderly or those who have sustained back or other significant injuries, that sort of hiking is no longer an option.

Thanks a new program launched this year by the Columbia Land Conservancy, some of the obstacles to enjoying the great outdoors have been removed for elderly or disabled nature enthusiasts. The Land Conservancy, through its Access for All Program, is providing specially created, all-terrain wheelchairs to county residents and arranging trips for the elderly in nursing homes throughout the county. The program was developed by Joyce Carroll, Public Lands Coordinator at the Columbia Land Conservancy.

The first trip took place during the second week in June. Three residents from the Pine Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Philmont were taken in an excursion to the nearby High Falls Conservation Area.

"We had a great trip," said Carroll. "One of the residents was 101, and the youngest was 90. One of them said he hadn’t been out in the woods in 15 years. Another had been a hunter and had spent lots of time in the woods. . . . He just loved the trip."

Belinda Brandow, activities director at Pine Haven, declared the trip “fantastic.”

“They just loved getting out there,” she said.

The program is made possible through a $138,000 grant from the Hudson River Foundation. In addition to purchasing the special wheelchairs, the grant was used to construct a one-mile wheelchair accessible trail loop encompassing three scenic overlooks, a gazebo, and picnic shelter at the Greenport Conservation Area, a property owned by Open Space Institute and managed by the Columbia Land Conservancy.

Carroll said she is in the process of working with other senior citizen facilities and nursing homes to schedule outings. At the same time, any county resident interested in borrowing a wheelchair for a wilderness outing at one the Conservancy’s public conservation areas can contact Carroll at (518) 392-5252, ext. 206. The wheelchairs are manually operated and require an assistant, she said. If someone would like to borrow a wheelchair but does not have a friend able to push the wheelchair, the Land Conservancy may be able to arrange for a volunteer to provide the assistance.

The concept behind the Access for All Program, Carroll explained, is to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and be a part of nature.

“It’s important to us to provide the access,” said Carroll. “You should have seen the reactions of some of the people we brought out from Pine Haven.”

The program is not just for those who are confined to wheelchairs. “The Greenport [Conservation Area's] universally accessible trail is not only for people who use a wheelchair, but for seniors who feel much more comfortable walking on a solid surface,” she said.

From a Land Conservancy perspective, Carroll said, creating an opportunity for the disabled and the elderly to visit conservation sites just makes sense. ”This is a perfect match for our public conservation areas because it will allow us to develop programs to reach more people,” said Carroll. She stressed that the program is in its infancy and will grow.

More opportunities for the disabled to enjoy nature in Columbia County are on the way. Scenic Hudson recently received approval from the Stockport Town Planning Board to create a new park off Rod and Gun Road in Stottville that will feature a handicapped-accessible trail to a spot overlooking the Hudson River.

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