Published July 17, 2024
The Outdoors is Where You Belong
July is Park and Recreation Month and the theme this year is “Where You Belong,” a sentiment celebrating the many ways park and recreation professionals across the country foster a sense of belonging in their community by providing welcoming and inclusive programs, essential services for all ages and abilities, and safe, accessible spaces to build meaningful connections.
Five Rivers MetroParks places high value on equitable access to the outdoor experiences because nature is for everyone, no matter your race, age, gender, ability, ethnicity and beyond.
The two Montgomery County residents featured below serve the community in different ways — but both find joy spending time outside.
Laura Steurer
From nurse to patient to new mom, Laura Steurer has been meeting life’s joys and challenges with help from her favorite MetroParks trails.
A Miamisburg resident, Steurer is a surgical nurse, a considerable challenge during the pandemic. Then, in early summer 2022 after having consistent headaches, Steurer discovered she needed brain surgery requiring three days in the ICU and 12 weeks of recouperation.
While she and her husband, Nick, have always been active outdoors, she decided to take her trail time seriously to be as fit as possible for her surgery. The couple spent much of that summer on the trails, with Laura completing the 9.2-mile orange trail in Germantown MetroPark twice the day before her surgery.
“The outside is therapeutic, especially the fresh air,” Steurer said. “I’ve never spent time outside and felt worse after.”
Then, in May 2023, the Steurers discovered that, after years of trying, they were expecting a baby. Steurer stuck with the trails for her mental and physical health during pregnancy.
“I was really active the whole time,” she said. “My mood totally shifted from the start to finish of a hike. I felt like a totally different person when I was done.”
At full term, Steurer returned to her favorite trail in Germantown MetroPark to prepare for her newest adventure as a mom. Son August Fitzpatrick was born Feb. 2, 2024.
As a healthcare professional, Steurer knows access to the outdoors and being active in nature are important.
“Even a short amount of time outside is good,” she said. “A lot of people don’t have the means to go to the gym, but the trails are scattered in location so most people can access them.”
Laura’s Picks
If you are new to the outdoors and don’t know where to start, Laura Steurer suggests:
- Walking is a great place to begin. Five Rivers MetroParks has several easy natural-surface and paved trails, including Heart Healthy Trails.
- Steurer’s pick for beginners is Possum Creek MetroPark, where the trails are easy to traverse and vary in length from 0.3 to 3.5 miles.
Amaha Sellassie
When it comes to finding peace and relaxation in nature, longtime Daytonian and Sinclair College professor Amaha Sellassie has found both on rivers. He’s no stranger to the outdoors, although recreating on the water is something relatively new to him.
In 2022, Sellassie was invited by his friend and avid paddler on a kayaking adventure. Since then, he’s been trying to paddle at least once a week during warm weather.
“I just fell in love with it,” Sellassie said. “I find so much joy and see cranes, bald eagles. You just never know what you’re going to see.”
In addition to teaching, Sellassie is also the board president of west Dayton’s Gem City Market and co-executive director of CO-OP Dayton, two organizations focused on addressing needs, equity and economic success in the community — something he thinks about on the water.
“Water is a moveable form, but underneath are separate particles working together and there’s this emphasis on cooperation,” Sellassie said. “Last summer, I used kayaking as a way to rethink work – let’s move from a golf course to a kayak. Why can’t we have friends go on the river to have deep dialogue? I’ve been exploring that a lot.”
Sellassie also understands the importance of the outdoors being a welcoming space for everyone.
“I’ve been trying to reimagine Blackness that includes being out on the rivers,” he said. “There’s this underlying assumption or narrative these things are more for white people, but down South everyone is outside.”
Sellassie envisions a future for Dayton’s riverfronts like those he’s experienced when traveling, where communities convene near the water to enjoy each other’s presence in nature. To reach that future, he encourages others to try something new.
“Take your time and just try to relax,” Sellassie advised. “I couldn’t believe I waited so long to get on the water after I tried kayaking the first time.”
Amaha’s Picks
Amaha Sellassie enjoys outings on the Great Miami River near the confluence of the Mad River, located between RiverScape and Deeds Point MetroParks. New paddlers may feel more comfortable on flat water. Sellassie’s favorite parks with lakes are Possum Creek and Eastwood MetroParks.
- Possum Creek MetroPark: Last fall, an accessible dock was installed at Argonne Lake, allowing those who use mobility challenges to easily get situated in a kayak or canoe.
- Eastwood MetroPark: For those without paddling gear, self-service kayak rentals are available at a kiosk located between Eastwood Lake and Blue Lake (lake side). Simply use your mobile device to check out a kayak, paddle and life jacket.
