I am participating in the Hike-a-thon this year because I care about the future of our state parks here in Tennessee! The conservation and preservation of our natural resources peaked my interest during the pandemic. I lived in North Carolina at the time with few opportunities to meet people, give back to my community, and do so in a safely-distanced way. Hiking became my new outlet, and visiting North Carolina’s 34 state parks became my first challenge. During that experience, I fell in love with the outdoors again. In 2022 I moved to Tennessee and visiting its 61 state parks is my next challenge! 29 parks down, I hope to visit at least 10 more during April’s Hike-a-thon. This event taps into everything meaningful to me: exploring our natural environments, supporting a great cause, and doing it with a team of like-minded women in the Junior League of Nashville!