Annual winter hike is set for Feb. 10 at NJC
The Norma Johnson Center will host its annual winter hike on Saturday, Feb. 10 from 10 a.m. to noon.
The Norma Johnson Center will host its annual winter hike on Saturday, Feb. 10 from 10 a.m. to noon. Visitors will have three marked trails to choose from or may hike all of them. The trails are not plowed or shoveled, so visitors are asked to dress appropriately.
Sledding and cross country skiing also will be available for visitors to enjoy. Pets are welcome as long as they are on a leash and their owners clean up after them.
The United Way will serve soup and hot chocolate after the end of the hike.
Director Marsha Freeland isn’t sure when the winter hike tradition began but knows it’s been something Norma Johnson has done for at least the 12 years she’s worked there.
“Winter is more inviting sometimes,” she said.
She said people sometimes feel cooped up during the winter months, so a chance to get out and enjoy nature is more pressing than in the spring or fall.
Keeping active in the winter can be more important than staying active during other months. Doctor-recommended amounts of exercise don’t change with the seasons, but often cold weather can lead to overindulging in comfort food and less physical activity.
Outside exercise can be beneficial in cold months because it exposes the body to sunlight, which produces vitamin D. Outside air also is usually healthier than the air inside.
Exercise also is a great way to avoid winter weight gain. Recent studies claim belly fat may lead to depression. Staying slim by exercising outdoors can be a great way to ward off depression.
Vitamin D, exercise and fresh air are all beneficial to the immune system.
The attendance at the winter hike varies from year to year. Freeland said that during a recent year when the temperature was extremely low, the center received 120 visitors, but sometimes turnout can be as high as 400.
There has been snow during the event for the past three years. As of press time, www.weather.com is calling for several snow showers in early February with one the day of the hike.
The snow makes spotting animal tracks easy. Freeland said groundskeeper Kris Kahler recently spotted a doe and was able to follow her tracks to an area where she met up with another doe.
Aside from mammals, Freeland said insects also are active during the winter. Parasitic wasps inject their eggs directly into oak leaves, which causes the leaves to swell and form oak galls. Sometimes these are referred to as oak apples. Galls can be cut open to view the insect larvae inside.
Freeland is not aware of any Bigfoot sightings at the Norma Johnson Center, but she didn’t want to rule out that he might occasionally visit.
“If he’s down in Salt Fork, he could be up here,” she said.
Local nonprofit Healthy Tusc endorses the winter hike. They have been involved in the activity for the past five years. Healthy Tusc aims “to improve the health and wellness of Tuscarawas County residents through programming, community awareness and advocacy aimed at reducing obesity.”
Other upcoming events at the Norma Johnson Center include painting classes, an auction, an Earth Day cleanup, a rain barrel workshop, a plant sale and more.
Many other outdoor winter activities can be found around the area. The Wilderness Center in Wilmot offers bird banding and geocache events. Camp Tuscazoar and the Ohio and Erie Canalway Towpath Trail provide other hiking opportunities.
The mission of the Norma Johnson Center is “to promote the conservation of natural resources through education, community outreach and personal experience.” The center is jointly owned by the Tuscarawas County Soil and Water Conservation District and Tuscarawas County, which work together to make it available to the public.
The Norma Johnson Center is located at 4033 state Route 39 SW in Dover. They can be reached by phone at 330-339-7976 or found online at www.normajohnsoncenter.com/.
Healthy Tusc can be found on Facebook, at 600 Monroe St. in Dover or online at www.healthytusc.com/.