The long-awaited day has come—spring has sprung! Warmer, longer days are upon us, and with them comes a host of new activities to choose from. Syracuse, New York, is home to much more than college campuses and a bustling downtown. There are endless opportunities for outdoor exploration and adventure if you know where to look. Step out from inside the insulated campus bubble and into the natural beauty of Central New York.
Move
Enjoy the warm weather with a side of endorphins. If the thought of exercising doesn’t bring a smile to your face, perhaps you haven’t found your exercise niche. Try out anything and everything to get your blood pumping while enjoying the fresh air.
Go for a walk and observe the flowering trees at Barry Park. Try out more alternative forms of exercise by going biking, paddling, hiking, climbing or caving with the . Throw a frisbee on the Quad with some friends. Any movement is good movement. It’s 2021, people: nothing is typical, so don’t limit yourself to traditional forms of exercise.
Explore
The world is your oyster! Well, Central New York is your oyster. While COVID-19 has limited travel potential, there is so much to see in the area surrounding Syracuse University. Consider viewing the travel restrictions as an opportunity to get acquainted with your four-year home. If you have access to a car, visit the beautiful Skaneateles Lake and Village, hike or swim at Green Lakes State Park and appreciate some sculpture art at Stone Quarry Hill Art Park in Cazenovia.
No car? No problem. Register for one of the outdoor adventure trips offered by the Barnes Center at The Arch, like day hikes at Mariposa State Forest, Beaver Lake Nature Center and Clark Reservation State Park. All of the outdoor adventure trips are $5 for students. All trips open for registration are available on the .
Sleep
While sleeping is an adventure in and of itself, try shaking up your nightly routine by sleeping somewhere you normally wouldn’t (i.e. not inside). Spend the night outside: in a tent, in a sleeping bag or right under the stars. There are more than 3,500 public and private campsites in the Central New York region to choose from.
Don’t have personal camping gear? The Barnes Center at The Arch has Outdoor Equipment Checkout, where valid Syracuse University and SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) student I.D. holders can rent tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, ground pads and more. Rent equipment on the , and find more information on the .
Get Your Hands Dirty
Put that quarantine-born green thumb to good use! Gardening is good for the planet, good for the body and good for the soul. So good, in fact, that various medical associations, including the Royal College of Physicians in London, have stated that making use of green space and working in gardens has mental and physical health benefits, including decreasing stress levels and lowering blood pressure (Thompson, 2018).
On Syracuse University’s campus, students can volunteer at , a community vegetable garden that supplies fresh vegetables to students through the food pantries at Hendricks Chapel and on South Campus. The growing garden is located behind the Inn Complete on South Campus, and students can sign up to volunteer at the garden by emailing Meg Lowe. For more information on Pete’s Giving Garden, campus food pantries and volunteer opportunities, visit the .
And if all else fails, slather on some SPF and soak up the sunshine. Happy adventuring!
Written by Cecelia Kersten, ’23, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
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Thompson, Richard. “Gardening for health: a regular dose of gardening.” Clinical medicine (London, England) vol. 18,3 (2018): 201-205. doi:10.7861/clinmedicine.18-3-201