Matthew Seckora/Winonan
Courtney Kowalke/Winonan
Winona State University’s Wellness Wednesdays program continued last week with “Get Outside and Play.”
The third presentation in the weekly series was held in the Well in the Integrated Wellness Complex and was attended by nearly 30 students.
Presented by Eric Barnard, Winona State’s director of Outdoor Education and Recreation Center, the afternoon event focused mainly on the environmental dimension of wellness by introducing students to “the wealth of local outdoor recreation opportunities.”
“Many of us probably moved to Winona because of the environment,” Barnard said. “It’s pretty, it’s close to the river and the bluffs. And some of you probably already knew you liked to do stuff like biking or hiking or kayaking that you knew you could do in this area.”
Originally from southeast Idaho, Barnard said he “couldn’t live anywhere else in the United States” besides Idaho and Winona. “I have to have stuff to do outdoors,” he said.
Barnard explained that outdoor exercise is important to his physical and emotional health. He told students being in action re-centers and resets him and provides continued inspiration.
However, “[s]ometimes getting out your front door can be the biggest hurdle,” according to Barnard.
A more philosophical movement lies behind Barnard’s physical movement. Barnard described himself as “lost” at age 19, hitchhiking his way across the United States. During his wanderings, Barnard was offered the opportunity to go rock climbing at Devil’s Lake State Park.
“At that time I remember thinking, ‘This is what I want to do every day for the rest of my life,’” Barnard said. “That was 17 years ago, and I’m still as psyched about it today.”
“This singular activity gave me focus, and I encourage all students to give [outdoor activity] a chance because it might inspire you,” he said.
Barnard encourages students to get outside of their comfort zones and to explore everything they can.
“If someone said ‘free rock climbing’ to me at any point in my life I would at least try it once,’” Barnard said.
“Nowadays at Winona State, you really have no excuse to not exercise,” Barnard said. “You used to have to provide your own equipment and know the terrain.”
The Outdoor Education and Recreation Center strives to help students remedy both those old requirements.
“The Winona stretch of the Mississippi is one of the most beautiful, but it’s more camouflaged,” Barnard said. He explained that it could be hard to see the opportunities for adventure in the community when really Winona “has the best outdoor recreation potential in the Midwest.”
Every Thursday, the Outdoor Recreation program offers free kayaking and canoeing on the Mississippi River. Barnard describes the backwaters and the Mississippi’s interconnected web of other, smaller rivers as unique and interesting.
“The goal is that if you come every week you learn all the secret places, these six canoe and kayak trails and also the cool islands and beaches in the area.”
Another weekly exercise offered by Outdoor Recreation is rock climbing on Tuesday nights.
“It’s super unique,” Barnard said. “I think there are very few universities in the Midwest that have two free outdoor activities every week.”
The program is also sponsoring a trip to Devil’s Lake State Park in Wisconsin. The cost for the entire weekend is $60.
“We’re trying to make it really easy to get involved and engaged,” Barnard said.
The Outdoor Education and Recreation Center is also discussing a sponsored trip to Moab, Utah, for students over Spring Break.
Outdoor recreation is also growing due to the current economic downturn. According to Barnard, people are looking for cheap and local activities to have fun.
“Being outdoors is good for a college student budget, and Winona is the best place to live in close proximity to tons of fun in the Midwest,” Barnard said, citing the fact that six state parks are located in a 50-mile radius of town.
In playing outdoors, Barnard said, “[y]ou build more of a connection with the environment and land.”
“We don’t give fun the value it deserves,” Barnard said. “Fun is a very powerful thing.”
Students and community members also learn more by being involved. “I could teach a sustainability class this semester, and most students would pass but they wouldn’t go away adopting the lifestyle.”
“From the inception of this program, a major focus of it was that it’s open to everybody,” Barnard said. “The more people we get outside, the better.”
“There’s a huge potential for outdoor education to continue improving in Winona,” he said.
Health and Wellness Promotion Coordinator Erica Thibodeaux also encouraged students to try everything the department has to offer. “Don’t sell yourself as incapable, saying, ‘Oh, I can’t do that,’” she said. “I’ve been out on several of the trips, and I did it, and it’s awesome. It’s so fun.”
And for Winona State, “We’re so lucky to have this happening here,” Thibodeaux added.
Contact Courtney at [email protected]
