By Eric Hart, Marketing Manager
Accessing Nature with an All-Terrain Wheelchair
Rylie’s smile was all you needed to see to know how her first time in an all-terrain wheelchair was going.
Rylie smoothly drove the chair off the pavement and over grass to playfully chase her toddler-aged brother as he ran, giggling with an armful of stuffed animals, around the grass yard outside the Nature Center.
Her mother, father, aunt and brother watched, knowing that this game never would’ve happened without a wheelchair capable of going on grass, gravel and other rough terrain. Rylie is 15 years old and this was the first time her entire family was able to hike together.
“We can’t go on hikes, or we can’t go to those places because she gets stuck,” Rylie’s mother Stephanie said. “But maybe with something like this [all-terrain wheelchair] you could do it.”
The all-terrain wheelchair was even easy for Rylie to drive herself. “It took a bit to get used to driving it, but it’s super nice and it goes over the grass and gravel so well,” Rylie said.
The family enjoyed a short hike and couldn’t wait to know when they’d be able to do it again. “I’d love to see you guys be able to get these chairs,” said Stephanie.
Bringing All-Terrain Wheelchairs to the Nature Center
Indian Creek Nature Center is working to acquire three all-terrain wheelchairs that will be available to reserve for free.
Before this life-changing amenity can be a long-term opportunity, funds will need to be raised to purchase the chairs, endow funds for their ongoing maintenance, and upgrade sections of the Nature Center’s seven miles of trails to make them more accessible.
Many individuals and organizations have already contributed to the All-Terrain Wheelchair Campaign to help make this goal a reality.
The goal to provide more community members with access to the outdoors with all-terrain wheelchairs began in summer 2023. During the BioBlitz event, the Nature Center partnered with Access Ability Wisconsin (AAW) to reserve three all-terrain wheelchairs for the first week of the BioBlitz.
AAW’s mission to provide opportunities for individuals with mobility challenges to access nature and outdoor recreational experiences closely mirrors the Nature Center’s goals. The collaboration began at the BioBlitz, and that’s also when Steve Kriz got to try an all-terrain wheelchair for the first time.
A Rare Opportunity to Ride an All-Terrain Wheelchair
“When my wife told me the all-terrain wheelchair was coming to the Nature Center, I knew I wanted to jump at the opportunity,” said Steve Kriz, who has suffered from limited mobility since an accident at age 19.
When Steve finally got to try an all-terrain wheelchair he wasn’t disappointed. He ended up coming out to explore the trails three times during the weeklong BioBlitz. Twice he went out with his wife, Vickie, but once he went out exploring on his own.
“While I was on the trail I spotted some black raspberries, so I stopped to take some berries. I never got to do that since my accident,” says Steve. “I lost track of time on the trail and had to call the Nature Center to let my wife know I was okay.”
After his brief return to hiking, Steve immediately became an advocate for bringing all-terrain wheelchairs to the Nature Center. Steve, speaking to a group of donors, shared how meaningful it was for him to be able to access nature in ways he hasn’t been able to since he was a child.
“My favorite spot was the Sycamore Loop to the east of the Nature Center, next to the creek. I spent time there. I sat in one spot to listen to the wind going through the trees and watched the leaves and branches sway with the wind. They danced along with each other. Each tree a different form, different sound — like a symphony orchestra.”
And Steve is aware that he’s only one of many that would benefit from greater access to nature. Steve closed his message to donors by saying, “It’s important for everyone to get out into nature because it’s good medicine, and I’d like to get some more medicine.”
All-Terrain Wheelchairs Bring People Together
Tyler Smothers is limited to a wheelchair but still loves to get into nature. He has a bike that allows him to explore paved trails, such as the Cedar Valley Nature Trail, but going beyond pavement to explore deep into nature just isn’t an option with his traditional wheelchair.
“When I push him in his manual chair it makes him tip backwards, so he’s just on his back wheels,” says his mother Cindy Smothers. But when Tyler got to try an all-terrain wheelchair for the first time, Cindy was amazed at how the chair made exploring off pavement easy and allowed Tyler to drive himself.
“This is absolutely amazing,” Cindy said as she walked beside Tyler while he steered the all-terrain wheelchair along the trail around the Christiansen Prairie at Indian Creek Nature Center.
It wasn’t long until Cindy started making plans to bring the whole family out together. “Our grandkids come to stay in the summer. To bring them out here and let Tyler come with them and do the trails … how cool would that be?”