On a recent flight back to Florida from the Northeast, I sat near the window. The airplane maintained a low altitude, and I could often see dense forest. I was inspired to do some research to find out more about forests as an option for Scripture Walks.
Surprisingly, forests in the United States have remained remarkably stable for more than 100 years, with 33% to 36% of the land in the United States covered by forest. One of the reasons is that abandoned farms have reverted back to forests. Another reason is that the U.S. Forest Service has protected the land from aggressive clearing.
When I began my research, I didn’t understand the difference between national forests and national parks.
There are currently 154 national forests run by the Department of Agriculture and managed by the U.S. Forest Service. There are an additional 63 national parks that are run by the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Park Service.
The core difference is their primary mission. national forests are for multi-use through management of natural resources like timber, grazing, and wildlife. National parks preserve natural and historic resources for future generations. There are state forests and state parks with similar missions.
I have been focusing on nature preserves and reserves in the Orlando, Florida area as the best sites for Scripture Walk, so I did some research on those venues as well.
I discovered that the primary purpose of nature preserves is to protect fragile ecosystems by maintaining low foot traffic. Nature preserves have minimal infrastructure and may not have restrooms or visitor center. Nature reserves often have limited access to the public and are primarily used for research and habitat protection. Nature preserves are managed by a mix of government agencies and non-profits instead of exclusively by federal, state or local government. Nature reserves are usually set aside by governments or research institutes.
I now know that there are many more options available to mindfully walk while “bathing” in the joy of God’s creation than I had previously considered. When you decide to go on a Scripture Walk, we can talk about which location would work best for your group.
Mary Kaeding