An Introduction…
If you’ve stumbled upon this website and this blog post, welcome! Adventure Field Guides for Kids is a longtime dream that is just beginning to come true.
Why?
Several years ago I had the idea of creating what would be like Frommer’s travel guide books, but for kids in the outdoors. We live in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area which is often touted as a hotbed of outdoor recreational opportunities. I’m involved in a lot of different projects, committees, and advocacy groups in town and for “Outside Magazine’s 2015 Best Town Ever” we really don’t do a great job of being accessible or inclusive.
Accessibility focuses on removing barriers to participation while inclusivity considers the diverse needs of many different groups of people to create a welcoming and equitable environment.
Improving accessibility is a portion of what I do for a living. If you don’t know me, I’m the director of Tennessee’s largest bicycle safety education program. Nearly all of the 103 programs I did in 2024 provided access to bicycles, helmets, and education for underserved kids in Southeast Tennessee. When I bring bicycles and set up obstacle courses for my second graders, I’m providing access.
But what am I really doing for inclusivity? Sure, one way of being inclusive is just showing up and having a positive attitude for the kids. I feel like Chattanooga has done a great job of promoting our general tourism efforts towards families with great attractions such as the Tennessee Aquarium, See Rock City, Ruby Falls, and several other destinations. Chattanooga promotes itself as an outdoor town, too, with the recent campaign and declaration of America’s First National Park City. But are there any efforts to make ecotourism more inclusive for families with kids under 12?
Chattanooga: We need to do better at making our outdoor spaces, adventures, and recreation opportunities more inclusive to young kids.
This is the primary reason for launching this self-publishing journey. Introducing children to outdoor recreation and adventure at an early age will help foster their appreciation for nature, introduce them to lifelong physical activities they can participate in, and improve overall mental health and well being. Getting kids outside riding bikes, hiking, camping, paddling, birdwatching, and enjoying our natural resources will help set them up for future success and hopefully, one day, they may become our next stewards of local parks and advocates for conservation. Adventure Field Guides for Kids is a starting point to foster this love for outdoor recreation.
This is me, with my husband and son. We don’t have many family photos where everyone is all smiles, looks great, and is acting appropriately. We’re adventurers, not photographers or models. #sorrynotsorry