Trip Report: Younger Girls Get Out in Nature

Posted on April 15, 2013 by
Girls Outside hike for younger girls!

Girls Outside April 13 hike for younger girls!

Salamanders, worms, and bees were among the wildlife attractions on Saturday’s hike for the younger set.

Nine girls in grades 1-3 enjoyed a hike of just under three miles in Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness. Our guides were Girls Outside volunteer Catherine Crawley and two volunteer parent helpers.

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Leave No Trace hang tag

The group met at Mead’s Quarry. After introductions, we learned the lessons of “Leave No Trace,” and each girl received their own Leave No Trace hang tag for attaching to their backpacks — a popular hit with the girls. The Leave No Trace principles are:

  •     Know Before You Go (being prepared)
  •     Choose The Right Path
  •     Trash Your Trash
  •     Leave What You Find
  •     Be Careful With Fire
  •     Respect Wildlife
  •     Be Kind To Other Visitors (includes unplugging and leaving electronic devices at home)

The group hiked along the Will Skelton Greenway into the Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area. The girls observed many signs of spring with a variety of flowering trees and active birds in the nesting boxes along the trail. The girls also enjoyed a fun snack time break at the cement rings beside the corn field, always a great spot for games of hide-and-seek.

We look forward to our next hike with Girls Outside. For more photos check out our photo gallery on Facebook!

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May 18: Spring Hike at the Arboretum

Posted on April 2, 2013 by
G.O. girls on the trail

G.O. girls on the trail

This hike was cancelled due to thunderstorms.

Spring is calling, time to come play outside! Sign your 4th-6th grade girls up for our G.O. spring hike this June 1 at the University of Tennessee Arboretum from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm.

Those that have registered their girls for this hike and received a confirmation email, meet us outside the Arboretum visitor center (901 S. Illinois Ave, Oak Ridge, TN) at 9:30 am. We’ll play a getting-to-know-you game and talk about principles of “leave no trace” before hitting the trail.

This hike is limited to 12 girls with 3 adult G.O. guides. To help us in our mission to foster independence in girls, we encourage parents to drop off their child with us. We’ll be doing about 3 miles of hiking and expect to see wildflowers and birds while we stretch our legs. Have your girl pack water and a snack for our breaks. More information on what to bring/wear will come after registering and closer to the hike date.

This hike is free! Help us spread the word or invite a friend’s child by sharing our girlsoutside.org link.

Registration for this hike is over.

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April 13: Sign Up Today for a Hike for the Younger Set

Posted on March 14, 2013 by
girlsbirding

Join us April 13 in the Great Outdoors!

We’ve had a lot of interest in organizing a hike for the younger crowd, so we’re pleased to announce the next Girls Outside hike for girls in grades 1-3 from 2-4 p.m., Saturday, April 13, at Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area. This trail features a beautiful cedar-lined path, open fields, river views, and the cheerful chorus of Spring Peeper frogs.

We will meet at the parking lot of Mead’s Quarry, which is a section of Ijam’s Nature Center. We will gather at the large sign in the parking lot and begin with a fun get-t0-know-you game and a brief lesson on Leave No Trace principles. We will then set out for a gentle stroll along the well-marked Will Skelton Greenway and along the Urban Wilderness Trail. The distance will be no more than about three miles. Bring water and light snacks as we will take a few breaks along the way.

This hike is limited to 12 girls with three Girls Outside adult guides. Participants must be registered, and an adult will need to sign the liability waiver, which will be provided at the trail head on the day of the hike. While the mission of Girls Outside is to enjoy nature, we also hope these outings foster independence and so we encourage parents to let their girls do the hike on their own as a part of the group, without parents.

Registration is now closed.

Spread the word and tell your friends. Here’s a handy flyer for posting!

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Trip Report: Signs of Spring on Forks of the River Hike

Posted on February 17, 2013 by
Girls hiking out on the Dozer Trail, part of Knoxville's Urban Wilderness in Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area

Girls hiking out on the Dozer Trail, part of Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness in Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area

It was an early February day, but Girls Outside saw many signs of spring on our Ijams-Forks of the River hike last weekend. Taking advantage of the unseasonably warm and sunny day, 15 young girls and 5 women followed the Urban Wilderness Trail from Ijams Meads Quarry into the Forks of the River Wildlife Managment Area. Along the way we encountered singing frogs, greening-up meadows, and a few trees with new buds. White-throated sparrows, Northern Mockingbird, Northern Cardinal, and American Crow were just a few of the birds sighted.

After walking for about a mile on Will Skelton Greenway, we paused for a snack break along the river and discovered a clump of beautiful horsetails growing nearby. Then, turning off to follow the Dozer trail, we followed a spur which took us up on a bluff overlooking the river. On the way back we passed many beautiful cedar trees and a neat old silo. Another highlight was encountering the field of corn that TWRA had planted to attract wildlife, with the corn still on the stalks. Check out our photo gallery on Facebook!

Almost all of the girls were new to G.O. Ten of the girls came as a group from the city of Knoxville’s Cecil Webb Recreation Center, and one girl was along for her second G.O. hike. Catherine Crawley, Miriam Davis, and Kelly Sturner were this hike’s G.O. guides, and we also enjoyed the company of 2 “honorary” guest guides: a parent and a program specialist from Knoxville Parks & Recreation.

Everyone had a great day! When asked at the end what was their favorite part, several of the girls said, “All of it!” We couldn’t agree more.

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February 9: Forks of the River Winter Hike

Posted on December 18, 2012 by
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Forks of the River WMA

Ready for the next Girls Outside hike? G.O. invites 4-6th grade girls to participate in our winter hike at Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area on Saturday, February 9, 2013 from 1-4 pm. This hike will meet at Ijams Nature Center Mead’s Quarry parking lot and follow part of the Will Skelton Greenway and South Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness Trail.

Although we are meeting at the same spot as our inaugural hike, expect a big change in scenery. We’ll be heading the opposite direction toward open fields and cedar-lined trails. While we stretch our legs we’ll be looking for signs of winter wildlife, and with the leaves off the trees we’ll enjoy some great views of the Tennessee River right where it begins at the confluence of the French Broad and Holston Rivers. This hike is limited to 12 girls with 3 Girls Outside guides. We anticipate covering approximately 4 miles.

Sign up now! Extended registration deadline is Friday, February 8, 2013.

Our flyer for this hike: KNOXVILLE GIRLS OUTSIDE-2-13 HIKE FLYER

Look for hikes for younger girls hopefully coming this spring!

All Girls Outside hikes are free of charge.

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Trip Report: Girls Outside Takes its Inaugural Hike

Posted on November 10, 2012 by

Girls Outside’s first hikers!

Six bold and adventurous young girls explored Urban Wilderness  with their guides October 27 for Girls Outside’s inaugural hike. There was a fall chill in the air, but with the help of a little hot chocolate to get our motors running we were off down the trail to discover the rock walls and canyons of South Knoxville’s old quarries.

The girls enjoyed looking for signs of human impacts on the land such as cut stone and trail blazes, and also hints of animal inhabitants such as bird and squirrel nests. Fall colors were splendid. Check out our Facebook photo album of our trip!

For our route we set out from Mead’s Quarry at Ijams Nature Center and traversed parts of the Urban Wilderness Trail through the Ross Marble Natural Area, covering about 4 miles roundtrip in three hours. Trena Paulus, Kelly Sturner and Rachel Radom were G.O. guides.

Our favorite catch-phrase of the trip was invented by one of our participants: ”It’s G.O. not B.O!” Can’t wait for our next hike, and don’t worry, no B.O.!

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October 27: Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness

Posted on September 1, 2012 by

Mead’s Quarry

In conjunction with River Sports and Outdoor Knoxville, we are very excited to announce the inaugural hike of Girls Outside, which takes place from 1 – 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012, at the South Loop in Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness. On this approximately 4-mile hike, we will begin at Mead’s Quarry, which is part of Ijams Nature Center, and wander past gated caves and uniquely carved marble shelves. The trails also features a mix of hardwood forests, old fields, switchbacks, and easy hills to climb.

Flyer

This hike is open to girls in grades 4-6, and is limited to a maximum of 12, and three adult Girls Outside guides. The ratio of adults to children is 4:1 on all Girls Outside hikes.

All Girls Outside hikes are free of charge.

What to bring:

(REQUIRED) good hiking/walking shoes (running shoes are fine); water; a snack; and appropriate clothing for the weather, i.e. rain gear, light jacket or sweater.

(OPTIONAL) bug spray, sunscreen, camera, sketchbook, notebook

Where to meet: Mead’s Quarry parking lot at Ijams Nature Center, 3518 Island Home Pike at 1 p.m.

Directions to Mead’s Quarry Entrance: Take I-40 to the James White Parkway and cross the river. Take the Sevier Ave/Hillwood Drive exit and turn left onto Sevier Ave which becomes Hillwood Dr. At the end of Hillwood, turn right onto Island Home Ave then take the 1st left to stay on Island Home Ave. Pass Ijams entrance at approximately 1-mile on the left. Continue south on Island Home Ave, which becomes Island Home Pike. After the railroad tracks, turn right into the parking area for the quarries and trails.

Click here to register!

If you have questions or problems with the registration form, email this hike’s leader Trena Paulus (trenapaulus@gmail.com) or call (865) 236-1631 (voice calls only – no texting).

NOTE: In case of inclement weather, you will receive a phone call and/or text within one hour of the meeting time as to whether the hike has been canceled.

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