Next Step AdventureMartha helps you do, what you do, better then you did it before…

Enjoy Summer!

Posted on Monday, June 28th, 2010

It’s been just over 2 months since the first ever Iowa Outdoor Youth Summit; at least two young Iowans attended the Outdoor Nation Youth Summit and Festival in New York City, and summer is here [...]

Join the Movement

Posted on Sunday, March 7th, 2010

Go outside! It’s spring, and Iowa is joining a broad based movement to renew a close, personal relationship with the out of doors.

April 10-11–As part of Iowa’s “Reconnecting Children with Nature” effort, the Department of [...]

Ride a Bike

Posted on Saturday, February 20th, 2010

I remember the first time I rode down the hill toward the city park after my dad took my training wheels off. Such a feeling of exhilaration and freedom! I still like to ride my [...]

Learn through Service

Posted on Saturday, February 6th, 2010

Service learning is more than picking up litter and cutting down trees. Kids and adults can have fun and learn a lot from doing such activities together. But to have a bigger impact, service learning [...]

Ride a Horse

Posted on Thursday, February 4th, 2010

After reading and re-reading my favorite horse books–Misty of Chincoteague, Black Beauty and My Friend Flicka–I bought a horse when I was in college. Well, actually two horses. The first was a green-broke Arabian gelding named Pegasus. He [...]

Embrace Winter

Posted on Saturday, January 9th, 2010

It’s been an especially cold winter in many places, but kids (and adults) can have fun and get healthy by going outside even in frigid, snowy weather. Each winter I resolve to renew my relationship [...]

Find Refuge

Posted on Sunday, October 18th, 2009

I just applied to make my yard a certified wildlife habitat. I figured I might as well, since the deer have plucked my rosebuds one by one this summer and fall. Really, it’s a small [...]

Go Outside!

Posted on Sunday, October 11th, 2009

Last week my friend Anne and I built a “pondless waterfall” in my backyard. I had a great time digging in the dirt, getting muddy from top to toe and
watching my little Tater cat explore [...]

Go Outdoors!

Posted on Monday, August 24th, 2009

The naturalists at Polk County Conservation are some of my favorite people to work with. I’ve facilitated adventure education programs with them, canoed, and learned to use GPS in parks throughout Polk County. Some of [...]

Play Elbow Tag

Posted on Sunday, August 23rd, 2009

This is another great game for mixing up your group and busting cliques. The action gets so frantic that people don’t pay attention to who they’re grabbing onto. You do have to lay some ground [...]