May 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 23

The Florida Trail,
Big Cypress National
Preserve, everglades

B r I e f lY n o t e D

■■ ■June 2 marks National Trails Day
(NTD), an annual trail awareness program
that provides opportunities for organizations to celebrate the country's 200,000plus miles of outdoor trails. NTD seeks
to promote healthy living, protect green
space, educate adults and youth on the importance of trails, and instill excitement for
the outdoors. Examples include all non-motorized activities related to trail use, such as
trail maintenance and construction, hikes,
health fairs, educational workshops, fun
runs and walks, children's programs, biking, horseback rides, backpack trips, river
and paddling excursions, wildlife viewing,
photography clinics, astronomy outings,
gear demonstrations, and more. Although
June 2 is the official NTD date, groups can
set their own dates for observing the program. For additional details on how to get
involved with NTD, contact John Michels,
Trail Programs Manager, at (800) 972-8608
x208 or JMichels@AmericanHiking.org.

■■ ■Since reaching a peak in 1997, the rate
of rescues per beachgoer at San Diego
beaches has fallen by 63 percent. According to a February voiceofsandiego.org article, the reasons are not fully understood,
though several factors may explain the drop
in rescues as well as, a decline in deaths
due to drowning: weather cycles, better
equipment, and an older demographic of
lifeguards. For the full report by reporter
Keegan Kyle, visit http://www.voiceofsandi
ego.org/data-drive/article_3230a142-537411e1-ab17-001871e3ce6c.html.
■■ ■Playworld Systems, a Lewisburg, Pennsylvania-based manufacturer of playground
and fitness equipment announced in February the launch of PlayPod. The service employs Microsoft Tag to provide 24/7 mobile
access to useful information for both maintenance professionals and anyone using

the equipment. For more information, visit
PlayworldSystems.com.

Books
■■ ■The

Recreation Handbook: 342 Games
and Other Activities for Teams and Individuals by Robert L. Loeffelbein. 1992. McFarland & Company. 255 pages, photos,
$49.95 (softcover, 6 by 9). Print ISBN: 9780-89950-744-6.
More than 500 recreations designed
to amuse and to stimulate children and
youths; most require minimal equipment.
Each easy-to-understand entry includes
the purpose of the game, age level, organizational level, number of participants, supervision needed, time, space,
equipment, and a summary of the rules.
Loeffelbein has written on recreation and
the flags of the United States. He lives in
Clarkston, Washington.

■■ ■The national obesity rate dropped
slightly in 2011 from 26.6 percent to 26.1
percent, according to a report from Gallup
identifying the most and least obese states
in the United States. For the second year in
a row, Colorado has the lowest obesity rate
nationwide. At 18.5 percent, Colorado is the
only state below 20 percent. West Virginia
has the highest obesity rate seen since 2008,
at 35.3 percent. The data was collected as
part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being
Index. For the full report, which includes
statistics relating to obesity (exercise levels, disease, and mental health), visit: http://
www.well-beingindex.com/.

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May 2012 - Parks & Recreation

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