Commonwealth Conversations: The Great Outdoors

Accessible summer activities

Marcy Marchello

Universal Access Program Coordinator, Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)

View Marcy's Bio

The Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Universal Access Program provides information to people of all abilities with accessible outdoor activities, accessible parks and beaches, and locations of accessible recreation equipment. Committed to ensuring all people are able to get outside and enjoy recreational activities such as hiking, canoeing, and swimming, DCR’s Universal Access Program hosts a variety of accessible activity events. These events include:

Cycling on the Norwottuck Rail Trail in Hadley

Join All Out Adventures (AOA) on Fridays from 11 to 4 p.m. through August 26 and explore the wide variety of adaptive cycles for adults and kids including hand cycles, tricycles, tandems and recumbent bikes. Ride occasionally or weekly. Cost is $3 per program or use an AOA seasonal pass, pre-registration required. Call AOA to register at (413) 527-8980. 

Traveling Accessible Hiking Program

Take a gentle hike with Stavros Outdoor Access. Explore accessible trails and rugged paths with a focus on fun and meeting new people. Assistive equipment and teamwork unite people of abilities using Terra Trek mountain wheelchairs and push joggers. Bring a lunch and enjoy activities such as scavenger hunts, nature talks and letterboxing. Collect DCR passport stamps at each park!  Sighted guides are available. Programs cost $2 per person, $4 for families, and $10 for groups.  Call Stavros Outdoor Access to register: (413) 259-0009.

Other activities included in the list of events include skating, boating, skiing and fishing. Visit the online Universal Access brochure to get further details on accessible hiking trails and picnic areas across the state, and which state beaches have beach wheelchairs.

DCR also recommends visiting these sites for further information on accessible activities:

Northeast Passage: Living Beyond Disability

All Out Adventures: Outdoor Recreation for People of all Abilities

Community Boating Inc. Boston

Windrush Farm

Earth Day 2011

Reginald Zimmerman

Assistant Press Secretary, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)

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Tomorrow commemorates the 41^st anniversary of the first Earth Day and Massachusetts residents can take part in a myriad of activities that celebrate the environment! Join in a community-wide cleanup, party at a zoo, run a 5K race or just get outside and enjoy the outdoors with neighbors, friends and family. Events may differ in size and scope, but a common theme remains: environmental awareness and education.

Earth Day events start tomorrow and run through May. For more information go to http://www.mass.gov/dep/public/earthday.htm

Autumn outdoor safety

Marion Larson

Outreach Coordinator, MassWildlife

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Fall is a wonderful time to be outdoors with its dazzling colors, crisp air, and wildlife activity galore. Whether your passion is hiking, hunting, fishing, birding, or just taking in the scenery, a few common sense safety reminders will add to your enjoyment during a day in the field.

Know your limits. Don't take off on a long hike, hunt, or bike ride if you're not physically ready.

Always tell someone where you're going and when you expect to return.

Watch the weather. New England weather is notoriously unpredictable. Be ready with extra clothing.

Expect the unexpected. Carrying a pack with a few first aid items, matches, water, pocket knife, cell phone, map, compass, whistle, extra food, and flashlight can help prevent small problems from becoming big ones.

Wear blaze orange for visibility. Whether you're a hunter, hiker, birder or dog walker in rural areas, it's a good idea to wear a cap or vest of highly visible blaze orange clothing while you're enjoying the great outdoors.

Respect the water. Canoeists and kayakers are required to wear life jackets from September 15 to May 15, but all water enthusiasts, especially anglers who wade in larger rivers, would be wise to wear floatation devices now that water and air temperatures are cooling.

Respect other outdoor users. Mountain biking, horseback riding, wildlife watching, hunting, and hiking need not be and are not mutually exclusive activities. Know the hunting seasons and who is likely to be sharing the woods and waters with you. Keep dogs under direct control and respect other outdoor users' rights to enjoy our open spaces.

Finally, licensed hunters are reminded to take the basics of hunter safety to heart. Treat every firearm as it were loaded, keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction at all times. Positively identify your target and what lies beyond it.

More wildlife and outdoor safety information and tips.

Hunting Season information.

Late summer accessible canoeing, kayaking and horse backriding

Wendy Fox

Press Secretary, Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)

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Whatever you do, do not let summer end without trying some of DCR’s accessible recreation opportunities.

Tomorrow, for instance, August 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., DCR’s Universal Access Program (UAP) is offering adaptive horseback riding for individuals with disabilities, as well as their families and friends. The free program at Bradley Palmer State Park on Asbury Street in Topsfield is being administered by Windrush Farm. Call ahead to sign up and for waivers requiring a doctor’s signature: 617-626-1294.      

Four days later, on August 31, the UAP is offering accessible canoeing at Hampton Ponds State Park, 1048 North Road, in Westfield. That program, from 9:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., is being co-sponsored with All-Out Adventures. It costs $5 a person, and preregistration is required: 413-527-8980.

Then, on Sept. 2 (squeeze this one in before Labor Day), UAP is offering accessible kayaking at Regatta Point in Quinsigamond State Park, 10 North Lake Avenue in Worcester. The program, which also is cosponsored with All-Out Adventures, is $5 per person and will run 9:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Please call ahead to pre-register: 413-527-8980.

UAP provides all the equipment needed to enjoy each activity safely and comfortably.

Schedule of DCR’s accessible recreation activities.