OutGrown

Hike it Baby, initiated in 2013, has evolved into a robust community of 280,000 families; steered by over 500 dedicated volunteers who always championed families' connection to the outdoors. Our 2022 accomplishments: As part of our Bring it Outside program, we co-hosted a family festival with Children & Nature Network's Inside Out Conference in Atlanta, GA, organized & executed a Mother's Day Festival with US Fish & Wildlife & Groundwork in Elizabeth; New Jersey that served Spanish speaking moms from Josephine's Place; offered workshops and family festivals across Oregon; serving Latinx; immigrant & refugee; and rural families; and we participated in 9 community events including vaccination clinics and special events for migrant worker families. We partnered with 33 community organizations and served 440 families across seven communities. Our Turn the Blues Green program was in effect at four hospital locations; where we trained nursing staff to host hike events and foster community for families with newborns. We also distributed hundreds of Turn the Blues Green pamphlets for new parents to help them understand the mental and physical health benefits of time in nature for adults and infants. Our Hike it Baby branches continued to thrive in 300 communities across North America. Four virtual community challenges were available to encourage and engage hundreds of families to get outside during the different seasons. We saw thousands of hikes hosted by volunteers and attribute this success to the passion and dedication of hundreds of volunteer parents and caregivers in our community.