Years: 2009-2010
Go Urban! Go Rural! Go Wild! Go North Florida!
The mission of Explore Outdoors work was the promotion of Tallahassee and the surrounding areas (including Leon, Gadsden, Jefferson, Franklin and Wakulla counties) as a premier outdoor recreation destination by encouraging participation in the multitude of outdoor activities and lifestyles available in our region.
In 2010, the team worked with Visit Tallahassee to create the Explore Outdoors Task Force, which works to promote the Big Bend region as a premier outdoor recreation destination with world-class nature-based resources. The Explore Outdoors Task Force is designed to provide support toward a cohesive marketing effort that engages and educates tourists, residents, students, and businesses about the wealth of outdoor recreation and resources the Florida Big Bend region has to offer.
The team also conducted the first Abandoned Fields Adventure Race in 2011. The race was a non-stop expedition during which teams completed a course from checkpoint to checkpoint as a group. Teams of 2, 3 or 4 traveled by methods of biking, trail running and paddling.
The team also worked to inform and educate on existing outdoor activities and territorial assets by advocating for an interactive map and calendar to showcase all of Tallahassee’s trails and outdoor elements.
They also advocated to encourage and support active lifestyles through advocacy for policy change, strategy development and support of new initiatives. Advocacy encourages the creation of development incentives, the incorporation of outdoor considerations in policy discussions, planning strategies, etc. It aimed to create a channel to the political and business communities to encourage and support development of new outdoor and/or conservation focused business initiatives.
Community Catalysts
These are the people who helped make this project possible.
- Betsy Barfield
- Crystal Green
- James Lewis
- Leslie Mille
- Casie Reinholt
- Gerri Seay
- Doug Wheeler
- Sarah Wilson