This Nature-Obsessed Mom Tells Us Her Top 3 Kid-Friendly Local Hikes
Lewisboro Land Trust Director of Programming Shantala DuGay has been taking her son on local outdoor adventures for a decade. Here are her 3 kid-friendly picks.
This post is part of our “Ask An Expert” series, which features locals with a niche expertise. What’s your niche expertise? Email me at kaylakaplowitz@substack.com with your idea!
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South Salem mom and Lewisboro Land Trust (LLT) board member and Director of Programming Shantala DuGay has a knack for getting kids excited about their natural environment, and a tireless devotion to helping local families take advantage of all our area has to offer.
For years, I’ve been taking my kids on the toddler hikes she and her team organize through the LLT, but I was curious about her top 3 family-friendly hikes in and around Lewisboro.
Here they are, in no particular order:
Old Field Preserve (Waccabuc, NY)
"This hike offers so much!" says DuGay. "The meadow is great for toddlers and grandparents who need shorter walks on steady ground."
LLT’s meditation garden in the meadow (just a short walk from the parking lot), is "a perfect place to set up a picnic or art project," says DuGay.
She recommends taking the 1-mile educational loop (follow the purple arrows!) beyond the meadow that features shrublands, a stream, woodlands, and wetlands.
"Sometimes, if you're lucky, you can hear the wolves who live at the Wolf Conservation Center that abuts the preserve at the very back," she says.
"I will purposely build in an extra half hour to stop here on errands to break up a hectic day with a peaceful walk through the meadow, or to let my kid get some exercise to earn video game time."
Her mantra: "You gotta balance screen time with green time!"
The entrance to the preserve is on the East side of Mead St. and Schoolhouse Rd. in Waccabuc, NY. Parking (free) is at the end of the drive. >>
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