Geezer Forum headed to the Pine Street Woods

When was the last time you took a walk in the woods? Or sat on a bench in a small forested clearing – just sat and smelled the fresh air, watched a squirrel scamper up the fir tree, smiled at the 2 birds competing for bugs on the ground? 


It had been too long for me. Until I began to visit Pine Street Woods. Now I have a beautiful space to practice my own form of contemplation. Being there has also triggered some delightful memories of my Boy Scout days, though I’m slightly embarrassed that what I learned about our natural environment and its conservation needs then now needs to be re-learned.


What doesn’t need to be re-learned, however, is the natural joys of being away from my human-made world as I let myself be surrounded by the natural space, growth, and eco-system we casually call “nature”. There is a whole expansive world beyond our homes, our daily routines, even the people we bump into on a daily basis.


And Pine Street Woods offers us that world – only 4 miles from downtown Sandpoint! 


And PSW is where The Geezer Forum will start its new season! On Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2-4 p.m. 


For regular participants of the Geezer Forum, this is a one-time change in both day and time. (We’ll return to our regular pattern on October 11 when we have our annual Medicare Enrollment forum.)


Our hosts for this unusual Geezer Forum are staff members of the Kaniksu Land Trust. Executive Director Katie Egland Cox has invited us to join them at their outdoor education center for some social gathering time. Then we’ll get a stimulating orientation to the incredible work the Kaniksu Land Trust has done to make Pine Street Woods a natural space for outdoor education and enjoyment. 


When our planning group met with Katie Cox in July, we also imagined a casual focus that would accommodate older adults with various walking abilities. For folks who can walk easily, PSW has a delightful Meadow Trail that directs walker alongside the very large meadow. Small tree identification posts along the way encourage walkers to learn, or re-learn, what kind of tree they’re looking at. 


For folks who choose to stay at the outdoor education center, there will be some kind of hands-on activity directed by a staff member of the Kaniksu Folk School/Education team. This program has been very popular for the large number of children and youth who have attended week-long day camps this summer at Pine Street Woods.


Part of the PSW Orientation will be a focus on the Sledding Hill and a fishing pond near its base. We will pass both the hill and the pond as we drive to the turn-off that takes us to the PSW parking lot. Then as we leave the woods to return home, please look to your right for the fishing pond and the Sledding Hill. Big plans are in the offering for those two features! 


So, the first Geezer Forum of the fall will be in an unusual setting, Pine Street Woods. I expect each of us to find a healthy reminder of just how important it is for us to “re-connect with nature”. Please plan to join us on Wednesday, September 7, 2:00-4:00. 


For specific directions to Pine Street Woods, please call Kaniksu Land Trust at 208-263-9471. (Plus I’ll remind you in the next Dear Geezer column).

Paul Graves, M.Div., is Lead Geezer-in-Training for Elder Advocates, a consulting ministry on aging issues. Contact Paul at 208-610-4971 or elderadvocates@nctv.com.