Maps in hand and sneakers on, 140 adventurers hit the trails at Round the Bend Farm on Saturday, May 17 for Elements Learning Collaborative’s fourth annual Adventure Walk.

Hosted during the farm’s monthly Open Farm Day, the Adventure Walk is a cornerstone event for Elements, a nonprofit offering holistic, nature-based education. The event looked to put the “fun” in fundraising, featuring fire starting, bug scooping, painting and plenty of teamwork. Money raised through the walk will help support the nonprofit’s scholarships and programs.

“We had an amazing turnout from the community, both guests and sponsors,” said Rachel Medeiros, Elements co-founder. “We had a great group of volunteers and all of that makes an event like this a success.”

This year’s walk featured 10 interactive challenge stations peppered throughout the farm’s grounds. Thirty-five teams of two to 10 participants rotated through stations that tested their skills, including plant identification, collaborative art, critter catching from the river, and yes, fire building.

“My 11-year-old son looks forward to Adventure Walk every year,” said volunteer Julia Trunzo. “Being able to lead the Plant ID station has built his confidence and helped him develop leadership skills. 

She added, “One of Elements' greatest strengths is reminding us that teachers and learners come in all ages.”

Local partners and sponsors added to the day’s collaborative spirit. Gnome Surf, Quintessential Gardens, Westport River Watershed Alliance and Girls on the Run helped host the challenge stations. Sponsors included Isaksen Solar, BayCoast Bank, SouthCoast Smiles Pediatric Dentistry and Down to Earth Natural Foods.

“The Adventure Walk brought our community together for some healthy fun,” said co-founder Cristy O’Brien, adding how teams raised money while having a blast engaging in the activities.

Desa VanLaarhoven, executive director of Round the Bend Farm, said she loved seeing participants “bopping around the farm, engaging in meaningful activities to spur their connection to nature, their physical wellbeing and building community all the while.”

Guests were also treated to nourishing snacks from Renegades Rising and Town Farm Tonics, fueling both the fun and the friendships made along the trail.

Participant Ymane Galotti summed it up: “We all had a great time, each station was interesting and engaging. I especially love the nature skills like fire-building, foraging and pressing flowers.”

For five-year-old Tino, fire-starting was certainly the highlight: “I had so much fun!”

Want to support Elements' mission of nature-based learning for all? Donations can be made at www.elementslearning.org/donate.