You know, everyone should have a chance to enjoy Mother Nature.

And now there's a new way to help everyone do just that.

Raven Run Nature's Sanctuary is the first park in Kentucky to have an Action Trek Chair program.

This program opens up Raven Run to those who are wheelchair bound, or who have mobility issues that prevent them from going on hiking trails.

The program started in May of this year when we had our first trek chair hikes.

It just shows parks commitment to accessibility.

We've got lots of new paved trails in our natural areas.

This is one more way for folks to be able to experience the outdoors.

We currently just have one chair here in Parks and Recreation.

Before this role, I had never even heard of a track chair.

So when I applied and interviewed for this job, I kind of did a bunch of research and learned all about it while we were learning about it on the park side.

And it's been it's been a great experience and a great job.

Everyone who's used the chair has really, really enjoyed it.

And I just feel like it's so healing to be in nature and everyone who comes out here, it's their first time being able to be on the trails in a while.

So they're all so grateful.

And it's just a privilege to be able to like, guide those hikes.

So far, we have received nothing but positive feedback.

Lots of folks have said that this is the first time they've ever been out to Raven Run.

They've lived here for decades and they've never had access to the trails.

And now all of a sudden they're able to come out, they're able to use the track chair, and they're actually able to see beyond the nature center out into the trail system.

We have six slots open a week, so we do them Monday, Wednesday and Saturdays.

And we have had since May, we've had 21 people sign up, and use the chair.

Nature is just one of the most healing things.

And since the city has these natural area parks and we have this, this land that's open to the public, it's important to be able to make sure that as many people can kind of use them.

We're kind of considering this our pilot year.

See how it goes, see what the demand is.

And, you know, maybe someday we'll be able to take this to other parks or get another one for other parks.

It's super comfortable, super easy to, like, control, get used to.

The turning is funny because it can do a full 360.

But it's awesome.

Everyone who uses it is just really impressed about how it handles the different terrain.

So we can go on the grass trails, the dirt trails, the gravel trails, the mulch we can do everything in the trail can or the chair can handle it.

All these arms can fold up.

So if they need they can slide into the chair.

And then the chair also tilts up and down.

So it's really easy for people to get in and out of in and out.

And then once they get in the chair, we have the seatbelt and the, leg straps in the harness, whatever they feel comfortable with.

And then we kind of give them a rundown of the controls.

They're super easy.

It's just this joystick.

And then there's five different speed settings.

And then there's also a joystick in the back here.

So if the person isn't able to control it on their own, the person that comes along with them can hold this and walk behind them and control the chair.

I'm also hoping to incorporate the chair into our field trips that we have come out to Raven Run, so that when a school signs up, we can tell them that we have this as an option in case there is a student that needs it.

And then as well as incorporating it into some of our programs here at Raven Run to make sure that people are included in the bird walks and the night hikes and things like that.

So I'm hoping to see it grow and expand in those ways.

To sign up to use the Action Trek chair at Raven Run, all you have to do to go to the website at Lexington, ky.gov/raven run.