Kids in Parks: More TRACK Trails coming to every SC County
The outdoors is calling, and TRACK Trails can help kids answer. In South Carolina, that is about it get easier.
Families will soon have access to 138 new trail locations across the state. The new trails are part of the program’s national network of TRACK Trails, which are designed to introduce families to the health benefits of outdoor play and ensure the continued use and sustainability of public spaces.
“We were awarded a grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina Foundation to expand the Kids in Parks program across the state of South Carolina,” Teddi Thomas Garrick, South Carolina Program Manager for Kids in Parks, said. “And with that, each county – so all 46 counties in the state – are getting three track trails, one will be kind of a TRACK Trail standard, and then two will be what's called TRACK Trail Minis.”
The trails will roll out over the next four years, beginning with three counties at a time in each region of the state, starting with the Midlands and then the Upstate. Garrick said the process for defining the trails is very community-centric, with stakeholders in each area helping to determine the best locations.
The trails give families activities to do as they spend time outdoors, offering ways for children to get engaged with the natural world around them, while learning and having fun. Each TRACK Trail offers visitors a series of brochures at the trailhead that turn their hike into an adventure. The guides encourage young hikers to observe nature during their outings, learning about birds, trees and animals. Kids in Parks is also launching a web-app that will allow children to play games along any trail, bridging the gap between screen time and nature.
And being outdoors also contributes to good health, which is why part of the grant includes the expansion of TRACK Rx, a program that encourages healthcare providers to prescribe the outdoors for their young patients. So far, Garrick said the materials are funded for two providers per county in South Carolina, but the hope is that more will participate.
“They get a personalized prescription pad that has the patient's name, the date, and then the things are ‘play outside play in a park,’ ‘go for a walk,’ ‘run,’ ‘ride a bike,’ ‘play an active game,’ ‘go for a hike on a TRACK Trail,” Garrick said.
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The prescriptions can come from doctors, school nurses and other qualified healthcare providers, including clinical mental health providers. When kids get the prescription, they can track what they do – playing outside, for example – log it on the TRACK Trails website, and as their healthcare provider gets that data, the kids get prizes for engaging with the outdoors.
For more information about the Kids in Parks program or to find a TRACK Trail, visit KidsInParks.com.
Current Upstate TRACK Trails include the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail, Table Rock State Park and Butterfly Branch Greenway.
Meetings about Upstate TRACK Trails expansions will take place in the coming months. To get more information about meetings or (for healthcare providers) to learn about how to participate int TRACK Rx, contact Teddi Teddi Thomas Garrick at tgarrick@kidsinparks.com.
Look for TRACK-tivity activities from TRACK Trails each month at upstateparent.com.
Kids in Parks is a signature program of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. The nonprofit’s mission includes engaging a new generation of public land stewards. Learn more at BRPFoundation.org.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Kids in Parks: More TRACK Trails coming to every SC County
