The UREC may be known for its on-campus facilities and exercise classes, but it also houses programs off campus year round. The UREC Adventure Education program, a division that plans off-campus and out-of-state trips for students, embodies the passion of the organization and the people whom it comprises.
The UREC Adventure Education program planned four trips this summer, including overnight paddle-boarding and kayaking trips.
“Bike the Tammany Trace” is the program’s upcoming event, and students have until July 8 to register. The overall ride, which will rack up about 20 miles on those bike tires, will begin in Mandeville and end in Abita Springs with a lunch.
The cost of summer trips range from $15 to $125 and include group transportation and campground fees on overnight expeditions.
These recreational trips are developed by and for students, assistant director Riley Kurtts said.
“We explore our backyard but also get out to explore the rest of the coastal area,” he said.
The trips are well attended even though summer can be hard to gauge, Kurtts said, but he is currently planning big trips for the fall and spring semesters.
Kurtts expressed the importance of student input in choosing the locations and directions of Adventure Education journeys.
“We want to do what people want to do,” he said, noting that the University develops itineraries from students’ suggestions and ideas from the UREC student staff.
The department welcomes input for new trips and encourages students’ enthusiasm for outdoor activities. Many of the trips planned in the past have been inspired by trends the UREC sees college students participate in like paddle boarding or kayaking, and the UREC staff wants students to get involved in the planning process, Kurtts said.
Ideal for students, most trips are geared toward beginner and intermediate skill levels, according to the UREC’s website, so almost anyone is able to participate.
The UREC plans to unveil longer overnight trips over breaks and intersession for the fall and spring semesters, but it is not too late to get involved or suggest ideas for exciting trips. Kurtts said he expects the new school year to be a rousing time for the Adventure Education program, so students should keep up with new trips to be posted on the UREC’s website in August.