Wellness Walks Kick Off at Shawnee Prairie Preserve

A small but hardy band of nature lovers braved the elements for the first Wellness Walk at Shawnee Prairie Preserve just outside Greenville. A joint effort of the Miami County Parks District, Darke County Parks, Recovery and Wellness Centers of Midwest Ohio, and the Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services, the walks are designed to promote the physical and mental wellness properties found in natural spaces.

The inaugural walk at Shawnee Prairie was dampened with rainy, blustery conditions, but those who persevered enjoyed a brisk, naturalist-led journey through woodlands and prairie, as well as visiting the site's working blacksmith shop and raptor enclosure.

Additional walks have been scheduled in Miami and Darke Counties.

• Tuesday, October 14, 6pm at Hobart Urban Nature Preserve, 1400 Tyrone (off Dorset), Troy
• Sunday, October 19, 2pm at Garbry Big Woods Sanctuary, 2540 E. Statler Road, Piqua
• Wednesday, October 22, 6pm at Shawnee Prairie Preserve, 4267 State Route 502, Greenville

There is no fee for the walks, and no registration is necessary. Bottled water will be provided by Recovery and Wellness Centers of Midwest Ohio.