TEEN RECONNECTS OLDER ADULTS WITH NATURE

Dylan Ridgway, a 17-year-old student from Larkspur, created a free program called Soul Strides that offers activity and educational outings to local trails and parks in Marin County, designed specifically for Vivalon older adults. This summer, Ridgway, with the help of Vivalon staff, guided six to 12 older adults each week to parks and trails around Marin County, including Tennessee Valley, Pinheiro Trail and China Camp State Park. “I love the outdoors and feel that spending time outdoors has significant benefits for me, so I wanted to spread these benefits to people who may not
be able to visit some of the sites by themselves,” Ridgway said. “I created Soul Strides to give older adults the opportunity to spend time reconnecting with nature.”
For some participating older adults, the parks visits were a completely new experience, while other older adults had not had the opportunity to revisit the parks in years, mostly due to transportation or mobility issues. Participants were transported by Vivalon to the various parks, and the peaceful outings took place on flat and easy to navigate trails, no longer than a mile. According to Vivalon, a San Rafael-based nonprofit that
advances independence, health and quality of life for seniors and people with disabilities, the outings are especially beneficial for older adults. Exposure to nature can help with physical, mental and emotional well-being, and promote social interaction.
On Aug. 14, Ridgway led his last Soul Strides outing of the summer, but he has his mind set on bringing back the program next summer and continuing his goal of helping more older adults reconnect with nature.
To learn more about other Vivalon programs, visit vivalon.org.