Welcome to Soul Strides

An organization with the mission of giving older adults the opportunity to reconnect with nature and their surrounding community

By Dylan Ridgway

Marin Independent Journal and Giving Marin Feature

Soul Strides was featured in Giving Marin and The Marin Independent Journal . Here are PDFs of each article.

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Our Outings

Below, pictures of our outings with description can be found

Education At Las Gallinas

On July 24th, we had the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District plant manager, Mel Liebmann, accompany us on our outing on the Birding loop in the LGV preserve. He generously provided us with education on water treatment as well as its effects on the surrounding environment. This was a great educational experience for our participants.

Hal Brown Trail

On July 10th, we took a midsize group to the Hal Brown path in Kentfield, CA. We saw lots of waterfowl and small rodents as well as a couple of large hawks. We also saw a baby coyote. We were very lucky to have Susan, a participant who was extremely well-versed in the wildlife and plant life at this site.

Pinheiro Fire Road

On July 17th, we took a group to the Pinheiro Fire Road-Rush Creek Open Space Preserve in Novato, CA. We saw multiple families of deer as well as a large group of swans and egrets. We also saw a mesmerizing group of finches in a coyote bush. This day was on the cooler side due to the cloud cover which made for perfect conditions since this trail is quite exposed, it can get too hot in the direct sun.

Tennessee Valley Trail

On August 7th, we took a group to the Tennessee Valley Trail in Mill Valley, CA. It was a 3-mile loop with a beautiful beach 1.5 miles in. It was a beautiful trail with valley views, forest scenes, and great ocean views. Here is a picture of me and some of our participants at the beach. The weather was great, and there was a great mix of coastal scenery and wooded areas.

Turtleback Trail

On July 31st, we went out to Turtleback Trail in China Camp State Park. We had a great hike with a good-sized group. We were accompanied by Susan Edwards, a beloved member at Vivalon and a repeat participant with Soul Strides. She is a certified naturalist and expert on wildlife and plant life in the area. She brought an owl pellet and showed it to the group. We learned a lot about native plants and animals on this outing.

Marin Art and Gardens Center

For our final outing, we took a trip to the Marin Art and Garden Center, where we learned a lot about different plants and saw lots of beautiful flowers. Many of us used this time to reflect on recent experiences and how they have affected us. I took this time to reflect on Soul Strides and how much I have learned and grown from it.

Our Outing Sites

Turtleback Trail

Turtleback Trail is a beautiful trail. Located in San Rafael, this 0.7-mile loop is a great trail near the water. It's filled with intriguing wildlife like deer and lizards, and gorgeous greenery. The terrain of Turtleback Trail is easy/moderate and has a bench for rest. It is a perfect outing location for anyone interested

Hamilton Marsh Trail

The Hamilton Marsh Trail, located in San Rafael, is a peaceful and flat path that sits on the Hamilton Wetlands. It is a beautiful 1-mile out-and-back walk with easy terrain and a wide path, complete with a bench for rest. This outing site is perfect for anyone interested, especially those with any mobility restraints.

Pinheiro Fire Road

The Pinheiro Fire Road, in Novato, is a beautiful, flat, and accessible trail in the Rush Creek Open Space Preserve. It is a great trail for birdwatching and overall hiking. Common species of the area include waterfowl, deer, and rodents. This trail is very accessible and has very little challenging terrain, but it does not have bathrooms or benches. Participants are encouraged to use the bathroom before the outing.

Tennesee Valley Trail

The Tennessee Valley Trail in Mill Valley is truly a special trail. It is my personal favorite amongst the trails for Soul Strides. A 3-mile out-and-back trail to Tennessee Beach, this trail is magical. The views of the ocean and mountains are gorgeous, and it is a fan favorite amongst our participants. There are moments in the cool forest and moments up on ridges looking over the water. While this trail has slightly more difficult terrain, it is equipped with water fountains, benches and bathrooms.

Las Gallinas Birding Loop

The Las Gallinas Birding Loop is a great accessible trail for all participants. The terrain is fully flat and has shaded benches and water fountains; there are bathrooms at the entrance.

The trail is located next to the LGV Sanitary District, which makes for a good combination of nature walk and education about water treatment. Last time we went, we had Mel Liebbman, Plant Manager, give us a talk about water treatment and how it impacts nearby ecosystems. The trail has beautiful plant and animal life, mainly lots of birds.

Hal Brown Trail

The Hal Brown Trail in Kentfield, CA, is another great trail for all participants; it is flat and accompanied by shady benches. It is an out-and-back trail, around 1.5 miles in total. It walks right next to the Corte Madera Creek for the entirety of the walk, making for great salt marsh plants and waterfowl.

It is fully paved, making it wheelchair and walker-accessible. There are bathrooms at the start of the trail.

About

About Soul Strides

ABOUT SOUL STRIDES

I founded Soul Strides with the goal of sharing my love of nature and environmental sciences with older adults who may not be otherwise able to access the outdoors on their own. I've always loved nature- I love backpacking, surfing, and hiking, and I feel a unique sense of freedom when I am in nature. I wanted to give back to my community and help others, sharing my love of the outdoors and this sense of freedom. Soul Strides is a program that works with elder care and community centers to take groups of older adults on educational nature walks.

About Me

My name is Dylan Ridgway, and I am a 17-year-old going into my senior year of high school. I attend a boarding school in Pennsylvania, but live in Marin County, California. I've always loved nature and doing things outdoors, and I have a deep interest in environmental science. My goal of starting Soul Strides was to spread my love of the outdoors to those with limited access to it.

Contact

GET IN TOUCH

Let’s Connect

To learn more about our program, please feel free to reach out to us. We welcome inquiries, partnerships, and any form of support for our mission.

Reach out at Dylanr6336@gmail.com