Outdoor organizations celebrate landmark year
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Bikers riding along the Great Allegheny Passage.
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Access to outdoor recreation around Pittsburgh is not elusive. Kayakers can paddle off the shores of Downtown, bikers can commute to work on any number of trails, and hikers have a wealth of parks to choose from.
Many of the groups that have connected Pittsburghers to the land and water around it consider 2011 to be a landmark year. Last week's Head of the Ohio was the 25th consecutive regatta, the first completed section of the Great Allegheny Passage is celebrating its 25th year, Friends of the Riverfront recently marked its 20th year, and Venture Outdoors is entering its second decade. These groups, along with many others, have formed a network that aims to make Pittsburgh a hub of outdoor activity.
"When people come here, we want them to think of outdoor recreation as a part of their lives," said Ginette Walker Vinski of Sustainable Pittsburgh, a non-profit group that has linked many Pittsburgh outdoors groups through its Walls are Bad campaign. "We don't want it to be foreign to them to fish in the local creek every couple weeks, or get on a bike and go to the local park."
Over the past 10 years, Venture Outdoors has aimed to help urbanites with that transition away from walls. Of more than 60,000 annual participants in their programs, most are outdoor novices.
"We're overly beginner friendly," said Rob Walters, membership director of Venture Outdoors. "Seventy percent of our programs are for people who have never kayaked before, or haven't biked in 30 years, or parents who have never camped but want to take their kids camping."
While paddling down the Allegheny can lead to a fun Saturday afternoon, the increase in outdoor recreation has also stimulated the local economy. The 141 miles of Great Allegheny Passage attract an estimated 800,000 visitors per year from all over the world. A study in 2008 found that the passage provided more than $40 million of direct revenue for "trail towns" and businesses near the trail.
Walker Vinski said that outdoor recreation can provide economic prosperity, social equity and environmental quality -- all components of a sustainable region.
"They are providing access to a healthier lifestyle, and that's equity. They boost local economy," said Walker Vinski. "And they're helping to foster environmental stewardship."
To learn more about outdoor recreation around southwest Pennsylvania, visit www.wallsarebad.com.
First Published October 9, 2011 12:00 am
