Brown's Woods Nature Hike!

Our December nature walk is a hike! We are hiking the three-mile loop at Brown’s Woods in West Des Moines.

The theme for our hike is “Winter Solstice,” since it takes place about a week before the official start of winter. As the days grow shorter, we’ll embrace the beauty of the changing seasons, and think of it as a time of rest and inner transformation - for the natural world and for ourselves.

We’ll meet at 9:00 AM at Brown’s Woods, 465 Brown's Woods Dr, West Des Moines, IA 50265. There is parking at the trailhead and additional parking along the road just west of the main lot.

Brown’s Woods is considered a moderate trail; you can view the trail map here. We will hike the outer loop, which totals three miles, including a few moderate hills. We expect the hike to take between 1½ - 2 hours.

During the hike, we’ll have the opportunity for conversation, reflection, and moments of quiet. We’ll walk a bit faster than we do on our nature walks, but we will still find some time to identify plants, trees, and bird species, and to connect to the ancient land in which we live.

This nature walk is co-led by the Centering Nature Leadership Team from First Unitarian Church of Des Moines and is funded by the REACH program (Radical Engagement And Creative Happenings) through the church.

To attend, please make your reservation here. Bring comfortable walking shoes, binoculars if you have them, and water and nourishment as needed. Please do not attend if you are ill.