Have you ever thought about the day your body simply prevents you from accessing the remote, wild areas you’ve frequented throughout your life – that day when the pain in your hip won’t allow you to take another step towards that mountain meadow filled with unreachable treasure? It’s a rational fear that becomes increasingly present as we age. The reality is that our bodies will inexorably weaken and fail to take us to the places we regularly escaped to for sanctuary and mental clarity. But is there a way to reap the same mental health benefits from nature with reduced mobility?
I recently had a client who contacted me with a request to connect her with some of Colorado’s most awe-inspiring natural landscapes with one caveat: she could walk no more than a hundred feet due to a severe back issue that had significantly reduced her mobility. I thought long and hard about how I could provide her with a memorable experience away from the hustle and bustle of the city, but close enough to roads and sitting areas that would provide her with accessibility and comfort.
The solution was to closely study quiet county roads and backroads with direct access to a variety of different habitats. I looked at hotspots on eBird that were closest to these roads and used them as my target areas. I scouted each target area and found the shortest path of least resistance to a point where I could set up two chairs for us to sit and watch the birds around us. I combined this approach with visits to a backyard bird haven with feeders. It is easy to forget how powerful ten minutes of birding in a quiet backyard can be for someone who doesn't regularly escape the city.
Over the course of three days, Edna shared stories about her heyday, recounting time spent birding in faraway places where she observed jewels like Resplendent Quetzal, Secretary Bird, and Rhinoceros Hornbill. Her life list had topped 3,000 birds, but she had reached a point in her life when adding another bird to the list was not her primary interest. Instead, she simply pined for an experience where she could feel the wind on her face, smell the richness of the forest, listen to a chorus of tinkering larks, or watch a Robin pull a worm out of the ground. She longed to leave behind the screaming distractions of the modern, industrial world and simply sit with nature.
Edna made it known to me that it was not easy for her to find someone who could offer such an experience. Thus, I have dedicated time and energy into developing a new tour we call “Reduced Mobility Birding.” This tour aims to provide opportunity for those who have found their physical challenges getting in the way of regular connection to the natural world. As we age or are confronted with the challenge of reduced mobility, we must accept the fact that we may not be able to reach the most remote places anymore. However, there are still many accessible areas where the spirit and energy of nature can speak to us in the most intimate of ways. Our goal is to get you there.
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