McMaster University recognizes that the University and surrounding Hamilton area, including their nature spaces, are situated on traditional territories shared between the Haudenosaunee confederacy and Anishnaabe nations. These lands are protected by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum belt. The wampum uses the symbolism of a dish to represent the territory, and one spoon to represent that the people are to share the resources of the land and only take what they need.
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Nature @ McMaster




	

		

			

				

					
Wellness Explorers Hikes
					
 Aug 31, 2024 to Oct 13, 2024 
 2:00PM to 3:30PM

									

				

					
				

			


	

	

		

			

				

					

						

														

															

						

						

	

		


	Date/Time

	Date(s) - 31/08/2024 - 13/10/2024
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm







This event occurs every Saturday and Sunday until October 13th.


Click here to view our Eventbrite and to sign-up!


What is Wellness Explorers?


Wellness Explorers is a summer initiative founded by McMaster medical students for the Hamilton population in collaboration with Nature at McMaster, Bruce Trails, McMaster Children and Youth University, McMaster Department of Athletics and Recreation, and Woodcraft Canada!


Our mission is to champion equitable access to the outdoors for all school-aged children in Hamilton while empowering them to prioritize their wellbeing. Our program is dedicated to fostering a love for the outdoors.


Each of our weekend events consists of an exciting 1.5 hour guided hike. During the hike, participants (whom we call Explorers!) and their families will be led by McMaster medical student guides. During the hike, we will stop periodically for educational stations focusing on preventative health (e.g. sun safety, bug bite safety, physical activity, nutrition, etc.) On some of our Iroquoia Heights hikes, we will also be accompanied by a volunteer guide from Bruce Trails who will teach participants about the ecology of the trail we are on. Did we mention that each participant will receive an Explorer Bag consisting of granola bars, sunscreens, moisturizers, stickers, and more?


What’s the cost associated with the program?


Our program is completely free thanks to our generous sponsors! Our events are sponsored by Bioderma, Burt’s Bees, L’Oréal, Ontario Medical Student Association and the McMaster Alumni Association!


Where is the event?

This year, we are offering our program at two locations: Iroquoia Heights and Bayfront Park! If you are more interested in a traditional hiking trail and want to learn more about the ecology of the land we live on, come join us at Iroquoia Heights! If you are looking for an easier walk at an accessible location, come join us at Bayfront Park. There’s something for everyone!


To see where each date will be hosted, click onto a date you are interested in on the Eventbrite page. Next to the word “Free”, there is an info button that can be clicked which will show you the location associated with that date. In general, we rotate between Iroquoia Heights and Bayfront Park regularly.


What’s the target audience for this initiative?


The target age range for these hikes is 6-12 years of age, but we welcome explorers of all ages! We also encourage Explorers to sign up with their families, as Wellness Explorers is best experienced as a family event!


You will be asked prior to check-out how many tickets are for Explorers and for Adults. Please make sure the email used for check-out is active, as it will be utilized for sending any updates and additional information after sign-up.


Questions?

If you have any inquiries about Wellness Explorers and our hikes, please feel free to email us at wellnessexplorerswalk@gmail.com.

Come check out our website at WellnessExplorers.org!