For my inquiry this week, I have decided to share the start of my summer bucket list of outdoor activities. Although my list is not complete yet, and I am unsure if it will ever even be complete because there are always new places to explore, I have a few various locations around Victoria that I am eager to visit.

As previously mentioned in a past blog post, exploring the outdoors has several various activities that can help engage with nature. Also as I have mentioned, kayaking is my favourite outdoor activity! This sunny weather this past week has me craving sitting in a kayak on the ocean surface, smelling the salty water and my oar break the water as I paddle. At the top of my bucket list is kayaking at Brentwood Bay. Here, you can kayak to a beautiful waterfall on the opposite side of Gowland Todd Provincial Park, or even paddle down the Tod Inlet. The Tod Inlet is a quiet and narrow passage that is very calm and relaxing to explore.

In addition to kayaking, I am also hoping to visit Mystic Beach, which is just past Sooke and approximately a four hour drive from Downtown, Victoria. It is a easy to moderate trail that leads to a beautiful beach with waves crashing on the shore, and also has a waterfall running off a cliff into the ocean. Another location is Goldstream Trestle, which is a moderate to difficult hike located in Goldstream, about an hour outside of Victoria. Once you reach the top, there is a Trestle that you can walk across. I am interested in both of these locations because once you reach the end of the trail or the top of the hike, there is something wonderful to enjoy. Whether that is a waterfall at the beach or a trestle to hike across, it provides an activity to catch your breath once completed.

I am looking forward to visiting both these popular locations. Although my bucket list of summer activities is no where near complete, I am primarily focussing on finishing this semester strong and then looking for more places to explore. Between the several assignments due, this inquiry allows me to do what I love most. In other words, it enables me to look up places that I would love to visit and record them to share with others. I am craving that feeling of submitting my last assignment of this semester, and having more time to research other activities that I can explore in nature this summer. Below I have linked websites for Goldstream Trestle as well as Mystic beach if you would like to check them out and explore them!

Note: Goldstream Trestle is currently undergoing construction to implement barriers on the outside to make it more safe for the public to visit. However, it should be completed to enjoy by summer 🙂

https://www.victoriatrails.com/trails/mystic-beach/

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/british-columbia/goldstream-trestle

In the past week, Victoria has experienced quite the diverse weather pattern. A majority of the week consisted of beautiful sunshine and blue sky, while one day had intense hail and cloud. The various weather patterns prompted me to think of different ways to experience the outdoors, even when it is wet and rainy.

First, as aforementioned, a majority of the week consisted of blue sky and sun. Each time I see blue sky and sun, I get restless being inside and crave the outdoors to soak up the good weather. The sunshine promotes my motivation levels and increases my mood immensely. Similar to last week, I again visited a local hot spot beach in Victoria. At the end of Cook Street Village, there is a long, beautiful beach that looks out onto the ocean and the mountains of Olympic Park in the States. It also provides a beautiful and colourful sunset. As it has probably been made obvious, sitting at the beach at sunset is one of my favourite outdoor activities. It makes me realize that no matter what sort of day that I had, it always comes to an end in a visually beautiful way. I was able to sit on a blanket, resting against a log and debrief about my day. While at the beach, there was several other people, kids and dogs all running around. It prompted me to think that although I am at the beach to unwind and reset my mind because of school anxieties, each person here also has their own story to tell. Sometimes it is nice to sit back and observe, and realize that everyone has their own situation going on, and that no matter what kind of day that you personally had, to always treat people with kindness and respect.

In addition to the beautiful weather this week, I was rather upset to see the sunshine streak broken when it started furiously hailing one day this week. It was on a day that I was rather stressed about assignments, and all I wanted to do was go for a walk to clear my head. However, I put on a couple sweatshirts and took a seat on my covered patio with a cup of tea. Despite the cold and the hail coming down very hard and loud, I was able to watch the hail and breathe in fresh air. Although it wasn’t the beautiful sunny walk that I had in mind when I woke up, it still enabled me to clear my mind while watching mother nature perform it’s thing.

The aim for this post is that even though the weather can throw a wrench into plans of seeking nature and the outdoors when your mental health needs it the most, even taking a breather on the patio away from technology can be beneficial. Watching the hail come down made me realize that even after a few beautiful days of sunshine and happiness, some days can be dark and gloomy. However, even a bad day is only 24 hours and will always pass. It is important to realize that even when our mental health is thriving, some days it will decrease. Being happy is not a straight pattern, it has it ups and downs, similar to weather patterns. The important thing to note is that the sun will always rise, and there will always be optimal opportunities to enjoy the outdoors!

I have attached a few photos of my sunset experience at Dallas Road. Hope you enjoy! 🙂

This week for my inquiry project, I decided to engage with nature and the outdoors by visiting a few different popular locations in Victoria. Since it is the end of the semester and assignment deadlines are on the horizon, I took some time to clear and reset my mind outside. As my inquiry has discussed throughout these blog posts, the outdoors and nature can provide several benefits to an individuals mental and physical health. Personally, sometimes after a long day in front of the computer screen I feel mentally drained. Because of this, I find it difficult to work up the energy to actually participate in a hike or do an extreme amount of physical exercise. Instead, I have found enjoyment and relaxation through taking a simple walk by the water to seek fresh air.

This week I visited the Esquimalt Lagoon, the Breakwater and Gyro Beach all in Victoria, B.C. The weather this week was beautiful, which already improved my mood by seeing the sun shining. I visited the Lagoon and Gyro Beach both during sunset, with a friend who is also in this program. We needed some time apart from doing homework and to clear our minds. The Lagoon was beautiful at sunset, and the salty smell of the ocean tied it all together peacefully. It was very calming to sit on a log and talk about things outside of school, and to remember that at the end of the day we are more than just students in University. We both have personal lives and external situations going on, and it was refreshing to be able to take some time to ourselves. Gyro beach also provided a beautiful sunset. It was very quiet at sunset, and it was soothing to sit and relax in peace and take in all that nature at the beach had to offer. In addition, the Breakwater was also an excellent place to unwind. It is a nice, long walk out into the water where you can view Victoria’s downtown from a different perspective. It enabled me to engage in some physical activity while walking down the cement path, while also relaxing my mind and easing my anxieties.

The purpose of this post to illuminate that not all outdoor exploration requires an intense workout where you are left sore, drained and sweaty. Instead, I am hoping to highlight that even a simple walk at sunset or during a sunny day can positively impact an individual’s mood and mindset, while also providing a light physical activity.

Below I have attached a few photos from these adventures. I find that when I take pictures during these explorations, I am able to look back at them and remember what it felt like to be there during that time. It is easy to look at the photos and get lost in the feeling of what it was like during that experience, and remember the positive impacts that nature has when you are in need of some rejuvenation!

Over the past few weeks I have been researching the benefits of the outdoors on an individuals physical and mental health while discussing my favourite physical activities in the process. As I have aforementioned, my favourite physical activities are hiking, kayaking, snowboarding, wake surfing and exploring new trails. I enjoy each activity for its own individual reason, and I believe that each activity holds its own positive benefit for an individuals well-being. However, I have also realized that they are several opportunities to combine certain activities to reach optimal health benefits in a diverse way.

Consequently, I understand that some individuals may not enjoy physical activity or the outdoors in general. As I have stressed regularly throughout this inquiry, every individual can benefit from nature as there are various activities to engage with in the outdoors. However, some activities can be combined to provide diversity in activities that focus on more than the just outdoors itself. For example, Lindeman Lake in Chilliwack, B.C. is a short and easy hike that leads to a fresh water lake. This hike enables individuals to participate in exploring a trail and hiking up an easy to moderate hike in the forest. As the hike continues, it eventually leads to a beautiful lake that is open for swimming. For individuals who do not enjoy hiking in general, this hike may be enjoyable because at the end there is an opportunity to swim, which is another great activity to do outdoors to boost physical and mental health. Also, in the warmer summer months, this hike is great because the lake provides an opportunity to cool off once it is complete. In addition, it is a great spot to hangout at for the day and to participate in a social hangout in addition to getting physical exercise, which is great for an individuals mental health.

In addition to Lindeman Lake, there are several other hikes that can promote hiking activities that also lead to a lake or a swimming opportunity. When hikes are also associated with the activity of swimming, individuals may not even realize that they are getting hiking benefits in the process of reaching the lake. Some examples of other hikes like Lindeman Lake are Cascade Falls in Chilliwack, Garibaldi Lake in Whistler, Thetis Lake in Victoria and many more I have yet to explore!

Here is a link to a description of Lindeman Lake.

https://www.outdoorvancouver.ca/lindeman-lake-hike-chilliwack/

For this weeks inquiry post, I wanted to research deeper about the physical and mental health benefits from the outdoors. As I have aforementioned in previous inquiry posts, I strongly believe that exploring nature and the outdoors can significantly improve an individual’s physical and mental health. Personally, as I have also previously mentioned, I have my own collection of my favourite outdoor activities to participate in outside. For example, kayaking, hiking, wake surfing, snowboarding and exploring new trails are my favourite activities that always boost my mindset and improve my physical health. I believe that every individual should develop a passion for the outdoors to provide them with exposure and engagement with the nature. Below I have posted a few resources that I came across while researching about the physical and mental health benefits of the outdoors. I came to realize that not only does it improve physical health such as strengthen muscles and cardio, but it also can boost an immune system and an individuals inner health. Despite the outdoors increasing physical muscle health, it can improve blood flow, fight diseases, aid pain and healing as well as boost vitamin D levels. In addition to physical health benefits, mental health is also extremely boosted from the outdoors. In one of the below YouTube videos, it states that the green from the trees and heat from the sun can boost psychological benefits by getting outdoors. I also included an interesting Ted Talk video that I came across in my research, that points out the importance of the outdoors with children, which is extremely beneficial to learn about being in this program. Overall, I will continue to research the diverse benefits from exploring the outdoors and continue to provide my findings.

After my last week’s post focussing primarily on kayaking, I decided to do some research about an outdoor activity that I have not experienced as often. Kayaking is by far my favourite outdoor activity in addition to snowboarding, camping, hiking and basic trail exploring for various reasons. I believe that kayaking targets muscle strengthen in addition to enabling a calm mindset in the relaxing environment of the ocean. Snowboarding enables individuals to practice physical activity in the winter, as well as boosting mental health by exploring the mountain in a different setting such as snow. Camping and hiking enable individuals to explore the outdoors in forests and explore nature’s beautiful scenery. Hiking provides individuals with a challenging task to complete to reach the top which can distract a mindset away from day to day tasks. Furthermore, in addition to these activities, there many more outdoor activities that can benefit an individuals physical and mental health. For example, this past summer I learnt how to wake surf up at Shawinigan Lake. I have not participated in many water sport activities before other than tubing, but I wanted to try a physical water sport. Snowboarding and hiking provides diversity to the outdoors in certain seasons, and the summer is a great time to try water sports. Since the weather is so hot and humid in summers, it can be tiring and too hot to hike in the direct sunlight. Therefore, water sports promote diversity to outdoor activities by engaging with the ocean or lake. I think that wake surfing is one of the easier water sports to learn. Wake boarding or wake skiing can be especially difficult because your feet have to be strapped into a board or ski, which can also be dangerous for first time learners or those uneasy and nervous towards trying. With wake surfing, you rest your feet on the board while holding the rope and let the pull of the rope from the boat raise you up and gradually lift your feet onto the board. Wake surf immensely targets arm muscles from the pull of the rope, leg muscles from pushing yourself up onto the board, as well as core muscles once you are riding to stay balanced. It also provides a challenge to the mind and once you can successfully get up and start wake surfing, it is an amazing experience that can boost your mood. Riding the waves and feeling the spray of the ocean water is an amazing feeling in the heat of summer. It is a great way to involve yourself in a summer activity while simultaneously boosting your mood and alleviate any stressful thoughts. I hope that this summer I am able to practice my wake surfing skills again to continue to improve and push myself.

Additional Resources: The below resources are links that I came across while researching the benefits of outdoor activities boosting mental health and improving physical health for individuals.

5 Physical and Mental Health Benefits of Water Sports

Most Common Benefits of Water Sports on Mental and Physical Health

For this week’s inquiry, I decided to integrate our weekly lecture learnings to create a video based on my free inquiry. I created an iMovie not only to practice what we have been taught this week, but to show a few of my favourite places that I have been kayaking. Kayaking is my favourite outdoor activity because it significantly targets an improvement on an individuals physical and mental health. For physical health, it strengthens your core, arms, shoulders, and back while also improving flexibility and balance. In addition to physical health, I strongly believe it can boost an individuals mood drastically. The surrounding environment while kayaking is nothing short of relaxing and peaceful (if you pick a calm area of course, this can depend). From the above video, I included a few clips of my favourite places to kayak. In particular, I enjoy kayaking around the Gulf Islands in ocean water. These views make for a beautifully peaceful visual setting while also including calming sounds and the salty smell of the ocean. Furthermore, this week I decided to focus on kayaking alone since it is my favourite outdoor activity, primarily because I believe that it enables you to engage with nature. It also clears your mindset and refocus your attention towards the beauty of nature and distracts me away from any stressful thoughts. While researching the benefits of kayaking, I came across this link that states 15 surprising benefits that many are unaware when it comes to kayaking https://abovehouse.com/benefits-of-kayaking/. Moreover, next week I am going to research more diverse outdoor activities that I would like to try and include their impacts on physical and mental health.

Below I have attached a link to a PowerPoint Presentation that I made to discuss my Free Inquiry Reflection for this week. In the PowerPoint, I discuss a few of my personal favourite outdoor activities and their relation to improving an individual’s physical and mental health. Take an adventure and check it out!

FreeInquiryReflection3-JessicaMcDougall

As previously posted, I have chosen to research the benefits of exploring nature for my free inquiry topic. I have always had a passion for getting outside, exploring nature and adventuring, which why I chose this topic in particular. I strongly believe that exploring the outdoors is a blessing and that its effects on a human’s mental and physical health can be positively impacted when involved with what nature has to offer. Prior to living in Victoria, I lived in the small town of Ladner, B.C. on the mainland. While living in Ladner, the mountains in North Vancouver were only an hour drive away and are filled with a plethora of hikes, trails and good views. At least once a week I would head up to a new hike or re-visit one of my favourite spots to indulge in nature and get exercise. Since I only had time to hike and explore on the weekends, I would go to the gym near my house during the week. Also, in the winters, some trails would be closed and certain hikes would be rather dangerous to explore, not to mention the drive to those mountains would be unsafe. This is when I realized the impact that the outdoors had on me. By being forced to only attend the gym for a mode of exercise started to feel repetitive and I would crave the dirt under my boots and the smell of fresh air. I realized that I enjoyed being outside to get my exercise much more than inside a humid gym among many other people. Personally, I get rather restless when I am confined to a certain space to get my exercise in instead of releasing my energy while doing an activity (like hiking). I believe that participating in hikes and walking trails allows a more diverse method of exercise outside the realm of only a gym. While hiking, you are able to constantly breathe in fresh air, have more of a visually appealing surrounding, and enjoy a calm and relatively quiet environment while anxiously awaiting to reach the top. In relation to my inquiry, these are all benefits on why I believe that the outdoors boosts an individuals mental and physical health. For physical health, individuals are able to exercise while walking on uneven terrain and steep slopes while also increasing your endurance abilities. In regard to mental health, individuals are able to inhale fresh air and clear their head while hearing the sounds of nature and resetting their mindset. I believe that nature provides a reset to any mood or feeling one may have and improve self-regulation. In short, I believe that nature is a significant topic to be researched and I will continue to pursue my research regarding its benefits.

Below are a few of my favourite photographs from exploring. Nature provides beautiful sunsets, sunrises, diverse weather patterns and different of activities to explore. I enjoy sunrises because they remind me that everyday is a new day and that no matter what happens, the sun will always rise to begin a new day. Similarly, sunsets remind me that even after a difficult day, the sun will always disappear while leaving behind a beautiful and relaxing image.

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Galiano Island, British Columbia.                                     Ogden Point Breakwater, Victoria, British Columbia.