“Take A Hike” is a weekly series that examines diversity in the outdoors. In each installment, we’ll highlight one of the Natural State’s 52 state parks and talk to BIPOC Arkansans about what they enjoy about spending time in nature.
"It’s important to spend time outside with loved ones because it’s a collective experience that allows everyone to connect to one another and nature."
Name: Kwaeisi Golliday and OBrennan Moss
Hometown:
KG – Blytheville, Arkansas
OM – Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Currently Lives In: Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Occupation:
KG — Entrepreneur
OM — Lead Instructor – Brandon House Cultural & Performing Arts Center
Favorite Outdoor Space:
KG — I have found that I enjoy sitting by bodies of water (lakes, rivers, waterfalls, ponds, etc). It’s very tranquil and peaceful and allows me to relax.
OM — Wooded areas because they are typically clean with fresh air and an abundance of plant life.
What’s one outdoor place you want to explore, but haven’t yet?
KG — Petit Jean State Park (the trail that leads to the waterfall)
OM — The diamond mines in Murfreesboro
What do you enjoy about the outdoors?
KG — I enjoy the ability to move around, be alone with either myself or just my family, the fresh air, and just being out of the house or office or any other building. You can always discover something new outdoors.
OM — The freedom. The ability to interact with the elements. To feel the breeze, feel the sunshine.
What’s the importance of spending time outside with loved ones?
KG — It’s important to spend time outside with loved ones because it’s a collective experience that allows everyone to connect to one another and nature. It allows us to uphold our standard for good health and accountability and finding joy in the little things.
OM — The sharing in the experience, exploration. The new experiences are always like a new adventure and to share that with a loved one, it’s like creating new memories.
What lessons can we pass on to children by exploring nature with them?
KG — There are so many things that can be passed down from folk tales about certain pathways, etc. to knowledge about herbs and foraging. Nature will always bring the curiosity out of a child or adult and encourages us to think about our surroundings and not take things for granted. When we respect nature, it respects us, and I think it’s important for children to understand that.
OM — The understanding that we are part of nature and that there’s a delicate balance between our lives and the ecosystem. We have to take care of nature in like a reflection of how we take care of ourselves.
ABOUT THE PARK
When you visit Arkansas Post Museum State Park, you can tour five exhibit buildings and explore life on Arkansas’s Grand Prairie and in the Arkansas Delta from 1877 to today. The Main House serves as the entrance to your experience. Two buildings on the grounds are original to the Grand Prairie: the 1877 Refeld-Hinman Loghouse, a dogtrot cabin furnished in the style of the 1800s, and the 1933 Carnes-Bonner Playhouse, a miniature built-to-scale version of the Carnes’ family home with children’s furnishings, accessories and toys. The park has large and varied collections of memorabilia. Admission to the museum is free.