SPORTS + OUTDOORS

 Brazos Bend State Park will host the 2nd Annual Healthy Parks, Healthy People event on June 4 - 5, 2011. The purpose of the event is to promote healthful practices and to promote the use of public lands for physical fitness and wellness. The event also coincides with National Trails Day.

The "Healthy Parks, Healthy People" event will consist of a full weekend of short seminars and clinics on healthful practices that are appropriate in a state park setting and a celebration of National Trails Day. Event sponsors will offer classes in a wide range of wellness-related topics, including tai chi, mat pilates, and trail running. National Trails Day programming will include general guided nature hikes, guided hikes focused on bird watching and alligator viewing. There will also be a guided bicycle ride and programs on reptiles, birds and insects. Sponsors will staff an exhibition area outside of the Brazos Bend State Park Nature Center, where event participants and park visitors can get more information about these healthful practices.

Park staff and Brazos Bend State Park Volunteer Organization will also be hosting a Volunteer Open House at the Nature Center from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. The Volunteer Open House will address all aspects of volunteering including training and membership requirements. Attendance of open house will take the place of an individual interview with application, criminal background check and liability waiver required. You may review all information concerning volunteerism and fill out an application in advance at www.brazosbend.org.

All programs are free of charge with park admission, ($5.00 per person, children under 13 free). Partners for this event include: Brazos Bend State Park Volunteer Organization, Pilates Powerhouse of Pearland and Serendipity Tai Chi of Houston.

For self-directed active pursuits, visitors can also choose to engage in orienteering or Geocaching. For orienteering, visitors should bring a compass and orienteering sheets from the BBSPVO website. For Geocaching, visitors should bring a Global Positioning System (GPS) and the geocaching coordinates sheet from BBSPVO website.

Brazos Bend State Park provides a system of 34-miles of trails suitable for fitness walking, trail running, mountain biking and horseback riding. The park is an idyllic natural setting for resting, relaxing, recreating. Brazos Bend State Park is a 5,000-acre parcel of public land managed by Texas Parks & Wildlife Department to conserve natural and cultural resources, provide recreational and educational opportunities, and foster an understanding of the diversity of Texas' lands and heritage for all generations.