West Georgia Outdoors bringing another activity to campus

On April 8 and April 22 West Georgia Outdoors is gearing up for another one of its interactive adventure trips; a bike ride to the Carrollton farmer’s market off of Adamson Square. In an effort to connect students with the Carrollton community, West Georgia Outdoors will show students a more sustainable approach to shopping. 

“We would love to see more cycling as a form of commuting on campus, and we think this would be a great first step to get people familiar with the idea of biking to a destination instead of driving,” said Grace Andrews, Assistant Director of Outdoor Education. “I think it’s really important to teach our students the value of connecting with our community and neighbors, and supporting the Farmer’s Market definitely does that.” 

Students who are interested must register for the event ahead of time in order for the bike equipment to be secured. The event will max out at 10 people in order to ensure the safety of all participants. Once you register for the bike ride, you will receive a confirmation email including the meetup time, place and a general itinerary for the day. 

“Our trip leaders will go over a brief lesson on how to ride on the street in traffic,” said Andrews. “It’s not as scary as people think. Then, the group will take off to the Farmer’s Market off of the square.” 

Participants will have reusable eco-friendly tote bags and can purchase whatever they would like from the farmer’s market. Once participants are done shopping, they will return to campus. 

As West Georgia moves forward with more and more green initiatives, it is important for community members to have the opportunity to become educated on how to use bikes and how to ride in traffic. 

“I think a lot of people believe that riding a bike on a street is a scary thing – and the first couple of times you do it you feel a little exposed – but I think going as a group and having an experienced person with you can help instill some confidence,” said Andrews. “I hope people are willing to make this a habit in their lives.” 

This event also serves as a learning opportunity for participants wanting to know more on the importance of eating well and eating foods locally grown, and what impact that has on the environment and our health.   

“You’ll be hard-pressed to find foods with a bunch of preservatives that aren’t from around here at the Farmer’s Market,” said Andrews. 

This event is free; however, pre-registration is required. Equipment and instruction is provided for this event, but participants are highly encouraged to bring their own grocery bags and money for shopping. 

“I really hope that participants can achieve a greater sense for commuting by bike, a better understanding for eating and purchasing local foods, feel closer to the Carrollton community and get to know someone on this event that they would not have normally met,” said Andrews. 

West Georgia Outdoors was founded in 2006 and was known as Outdoor Recreation until last year. The program started out with the same climbing wall that is in the campus center today, and smaller Rental Center operations. Currently, they have increased the Outdoor Recreation Center space to provide students, faculty and staff with more rental options and a more inviting space. Anyone affiliated with the university can rent out mountain bikes, cruiser (hybrid) bikes, canoes, kayaks, stand up paddleboards, tents, sleeping bags, backpacks and lots of other gear. 

“Our Adventure Trips is one of our largest operations that we put on as a program,” said Andrews. “Our trips allow students, faculty and staff to get out of campus, try something new and meet new people!  Our trips range from smaller outings, like the Farmer’s Market Bike Rides, to extended trips, like our Spring Break trip to Everglades National Park.” 

For more information on the event and how to register visit hwww.westga.edu/campus-life/urec/outdoor-recreation.php or call 678-839-5380.