Imagine for a second that you are getting ready to go for a nice hike in your neighbourhood. There’s a new spot you’ve been wanting to explore, so you download a map, check the weather, dress appropriately, pack a small bag with water and snacks and head out the door - ready and feeling good! 

Not too far down the trail, you see that a large tree has fallen blocking the path. That’s okay, you find a different route off the beaten path. This trail is harder to follow, it’s overgrown, and you trip and stumble over roots and rocks but you always find your footing. 

Oh no, was that a raindrop? The forecast wasn’t calling for rain… you weren’t prepared for this. But you find a good leafy tree to take shelter under. This isn’t so bad, it's actually quite peaceful. Oh wait, the mosquitos have found you and it seems they’ve told all their friends. The rain luckily doesn’t last long, so you keep marching onwards (quickly to outrun the bugs).

Feeling unsure about your route you sit down to check your map on your phone. You see one of your friends posted about a hike they recently did… it was 20 km!? You look at your map, you’ve barely done 2 km. You start second guessing your decision. Also, did you just sit in a patch of poison ivy? You’re also unsure about that. 

“Maybe I should just turn around” you think to yourself. At that moment, something pops out of the bushes, you jump but then laugh as a cute little chipmunk stares up at you. You hear lots of birds chirping off in the distance, it peaks your curiosity so you follow. The birds are getting louder, you look up and see a red-tailed hawk majestically perched in a tree. It’s beautiful. You look up further and see a rainbow peeking out above the trees. You close your eyes and take a deep breath of serotonin-boosting fresh air. You look back on your path and think “wow, I can’t believe I did that.” You weren’t planning on getting to this spot, but you’re happy and proud you did.

Well, to a degree that’s what Nature’s NEAR journey has been like. Just like nature, our path has been unpredictable and ever-changing but we’ve adapted and grown stronger because of it. There’s been ups and downs and when we look back we can’t believe how far we’ve come. We hope you’ll join us as we carry on marching forward!