The Great Malden Outdoors: Adaptive Hiking Event celebrates Disability Pride Month

On July 26, the City of Malden in collaboration with First Seed Sown recently held its first Adaptive Hiking Event in celebration of Disability Pride Month. As the next step in outdoor access for The Great Malden Outdoors, more than 30 participants, volunteers and guides hiked through Greenwood Park within the Middlesex Fells Reservation. The hike was led by Waypoint Adventure, a nonprofit adventure guiding company that provides both guides and equipment to make the outdoors accessible to all.

Waypoint Adventure staff – Education Director Eileen Turpin and Program Coordinator Rob Dunn – walked the volunteers through an equipment tutorial with various models of off-road wheelchairs. They also provided information on the soft skills needed when working with folks with physical, cognitive and/or social/emotional disabilities to provide an inclusive hiking environment.

“Greenwood Park is a favorite adaptive hiking location in the Middlesex Fells for our team. With its mix of easy to moderate trails, off street parking and large field for equipment demonstrations, we can provide equitable access to a fantastic trail network. We look forward to creating more programs for Malden residents of all ability levels to foster more appreciation for the green spaces in and around the city,” said Turpin.

Adding to the experience for hikers and volunteers, Friends of the Fells guide Jeff Adams provided a flora and fauna tour along the trails. The Friends of the Fells is a nonprofit group that provides over 230 free hikes a year throughout the Middlesex Fells Reservation – as well as a dedicated network of volunteers who were essential in completing this event.

“Friends of the Fells jumped at the opportunity to work with The Great Malden Outdoors from day one,” said Friends of the Fells Community Engagement and Operations Manager Maddie Morgan. “From our earliest conversations during the Summer of 2023, we wanted to be involved with getting more Malden residents outside and enjoying the Middlesex Fells. This event was just the beginning of a larger effort to connect more people to the power of nature in our collective backyard.”

The Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) provided two park rangers and trail staff to check the route before the hike, to clear any potential downed trees or obstacles along the trail to ensure the group could complete the hike safely.

While this event was the finale of the Malden Disability Commission’s Disability Pride celebrations, this cohort of outdoor access organizations are working on a larger outdoor education series to make the Middlesex Fells more accessible for Maldonians. “Malden’s Disability Commission was happy to join the diligent work of Darren Josey and his extended team,” said Malden Disability Commission Chair Marilyn Rezendes Andrews. “The Disability Commission raised the Disability Awareness flag on July 15 outside City Hall with Commissioner Kate Higgins and shared the significance of each of the Disability Pride flag colors.”

“The Great Malden Outdoors campaign was created to make the outdoors more accessible to all. Trail access is already difficult for first timers and even harder when most trails aren’t ADA accessible and off-road assist equipment is so expensive. With partners like Waypoint Adventure, Friends of the Fells and the DCR – it IS possible to get everyone outside,” said Darren Josey (DJ), creator of The Great Malden Outdoors and event volunteer.

To learn more about future events for The Great Malden Outdoors, sign up at: www.TheGreatMaldenOutdoors.com. For more information about potential sponsorship opportunities or media inquiries, please contact Darren Josey at DJ@FirstSeedSown.com. For more information about other partners:

Waypoint Adventure: https://ma.waypointadventure.org/

Friends of Fells: https://www.friendsofthefells.org/

DCR Universal Access Program: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/universal-access-program

Malden Disabilities Commission: https://www.cityofmalden.org/450/Disability-Commission

First Seed Sown: https://www.firstseedsown.com/municipalities