TOLEDO, Ohio — In the winter, it can be hard for many to stay active, but Metroparks Toledo wants to help with that.
The organization has a full calendar of winter activities you can do, each with their own set of unique benefits. Alongside activities you might typically associate with winter, like ice skating and hiking, you can also try your hand (or arm, rather) at archery.
Jessica Schaefer is an outdoor skills interpreter with Metroparks Toledo. She said archery is a sport that is all about patience and precision. She said archery helps develop your ability to slow down and control your thoughts.
"It's so incredible to be a part of something that is really giving people the opportunity to connect with nature and giving them opportunities for wellness, too," she said.
And no one is left out.
Metroparks Toledo has partnered with the Ability Center making their archery program more inclusive with new innovative bows and instruction.
"That bow has a stand, so if you are perhaps someone unable to hold the bow, or if you use a wheelchair, you are able to shoot with the stand holding the bow for you," Schaefer said. "But you get the same experience as somebody else would as far as fine-tuning your craft and honing your skills on the range."
The Metroparks Toledo archery programs can be found throughout their 19 locations, each within 5 miles of every resident in Lucas County. Click here for more information about archery programming.
Winter programs also include biking, fishing and hiking, and these programs include the chance to win prizes through challenges.
Their goal is to keep the entire Toledo community active throughout the entire year. Teaching sports like archery has been proven to help meet that goal, Schaeffer explained.
"You don't need to be fast, you don't need to jump high, [archery] is really a sport that anyone can do," she said.
You still have time to join in on the fun Metroparks Toledo: winter activities don't end until mid-March, and other programming continues year-round.
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