By Betsy McKinney
What does the Outdoor Adventure Club do?
The Outdoor Adventure Club offers various opportunities each semester to move your body and connect with others, from a simple day trip in the Austin area to an extended adventure. Events are offered to anyone wanting to experience the wonders of being outside and active. Keep in mind that activities vary in levels of difficulty and time commitment.
Past day trips include:
- Lady Bird Lake clean-up with Keep Austin Beautiful
- Stand Up Paddle Parade for S.A.F.E. Families
- Rock climbing at the Greenbelt
- Rock climbing at Crux
- Enchanted Rock excursion
- Reimers Ranch rock climbing
Past extended trips include:
- Adventure in Big Bend National Park
- Inks Lake Camping
- Garner State Park and Lost Maples camping trip
- Annual winter break ski trip
The Outdoor Adventure Club also rents out outdoor equipment to members of the St. Edward’s community for the times that you want to go on an outdoor adventure with friends. Available equipment includes tents, sleeping bags, coolers, tarps, cooking stoves and more. Stop by the RCC or the Alumni Gym for equipment rental Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Rentals are on a first-come, first-served basis.
What do you get out of participating in the Outdoor Adventure Club?
The Outdoor Adventure Club hosts activities that allow you to unwind and reconnect; whether that be with themselves, the community, or with nature. One participant noted that her favorite part of the organization’s activities was that she could enjoy a Greenbelt hike on a personal level, but still enjoy the company of others without having to directly engage with them. The club’s relaxed atmosphere invites participates to create their own experience with each outing, where members either take the time to cultivate inner peace and serenity or enjoy the time laughing and joking with others. Members note that either way they feel “part of a whole.”
One member of the community acknowledges that each event is “extremely peaceful and cleansing” and allows her to breathe in the fresh air and take a moment to flush out the emotions and stress that build up. She states that “It can be hard to get involved on campus in a way that is not stressful…and this club allows you to get involved in a way that lets you stay true to yourself while also relaxing.”
The Outdoor Adventure Club offers the St. Edward’s campus the unique opportunity to self-reflect and de-stress while also engaging in a supportive community.
What does the Outdoor Adventure Club contribute to the St. Edward’s community?
The Outdoor Adventure Club brings students together who share a love for the outdoors. This organization fosters a closer relationship between individuals and the natural world by exploring outdoor activities in Austin and the central Texas area. The Outdoor Adventure Club encourages discussion of environmental issues and policy. Many events support social justice causes such as “Keep Austin Beautiful” and “Stop Abuse For Everyone.”
The Outdoor Adventure Club is unique as they generate dialogue among participants in a way that does not happen in other venues on campus. Their outdoor adventures will connect you with other students beyond your field of study and introduce you to the world of environmentalism and sustainability through first-hand experience in the outdoors.
How can students get involved?
For more information, please visit Campus Recreation or contact Andy Lemons, Director of Campus Recreation, at andyl@stedwards.edu.