The Alternative Press

SUMMIT, NJ – On a sunny, beautiful first day of fall, families crowded into Reeves-Reed Arboretum for the Jumpstart Fall event.

The day included a Healthy Hike Guided Walk of the arboretum, Yoga for Kids, Tai Chi and Zumba in the Azalea Garden; live music and games, crafts and activities throughout the day.

“We are so delighted with the turnout,” said Executive Director Frank Juliano. “We have had tremendous support from our sponsors and we’re meeting a lot of people who have never been to the arboretum before. That’s really the whole point of having a community event like this.”

The Healthy Hike was the highlight of the event, as children and their parents moved through the arboretum, taking in the wonders of nature, from trees and flowers to goldfish and honeybees.

The Healthy Hike is an outgrowth of Reeves-Reed Arboretum’s participation in the American Public Gardens Association’s “Let’s Move! Museums and Gardens” program. “Let’s Move!” is part of a broader initiative promoted by First Lady Michelle Obama to raise a healthier generation of children.

Juliano said the goal of the hike was to provide families with enhanced opportunities for enjoying the benefits of exercise in a natural setting. To that end, the arboretum’s woodland trails have been renovated, marked and mapped so that guests could navigate them with ease, as well as plan hikes by trail distance.

Arboretum staff also created an interactive children’s nature walk to allow young visitors to discover, through movement, some of the plants and animals that can be found at the arboretum. Little ones learned about hawks, rabbits, dragonflies, foxes and butterflies, as well as the many trees, plants and flowers that make their home at the arboretum.

Jumpstart Fall was sponsored by Overlook Foundation, the Junior League of Summit, Kings, and Eileen Fisher. Among the participating organizations were The Connection, Interweave, LoYa Loft of Yoga, and NJPAC Wells Fargo Jazz for Teens.