April 25, 2016 - All eight aerial forest Adventure Parks operated by Outdoor Ventures in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, and Virginia will salute the trees of America on Arbor Day 2016 with a three-day event, from Friday, April 29 (National Arbor Day) through Sunday May 1. One dollar for every climber at each Park location during those three days will be donated to the Arbor Day Foundation to help with forest awareness and preservation.
“Trees make our Adventure Parks possible,” said Bahman Azarm, president of Outdoor Ventures, adding, “We just want to return the favor to the trees. Climbing and zip lining at our Parks helps people find out how beautiful and important forests are and how much fun it can be to play in the treetops together.”
The money donated will help the Arbor Day Foundation’s efforts, including its national reforestation program which replants trees in forests recovering from fire, storms, disease, insect damage and other threats. The Arbor Day Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit conservation and education organization established in 1972 seeks to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees as key national resources that clean our air and water, slow climate change, ease poverty and hunger, prevent species loss, and feed the human soul.
The public is encouraged to find The Adventure Park nearest them at FunInTheTrees.com and reserve a ticket to climb and zip line in the trees during Arbor Day weekend, knowing part of their ticket will go towards promoting tree awareness and forest preservation.
The eight Adventure Parks participating and their locations are:
CONNECTICUT
- The Adventure Park at The Discovery Museum located at 4450 Park Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06604. Phone: (203) 690-1717.
- The Adventure Park at Storrs located at 2007 Storrs Road, Storrs, CT 06268. Phone: (860) 946-0606.
MARYLAND
- The Adventure Park at Sandy Spring Friends, School located at 16701 Norwood Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860. Phone: (240) 389-4386.
MASSACHUSETTS
- The Adventure Park at Heritage Museums & Gardens located at 67 Grove Street, Sandwich, MA 02563. Phone: (508) 866-0199.
MICHIGAN
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The Adventure Park at West Bloomfield located at 6600 West Maple Road, West Bloomfield, Michigan 48322. Phone: (248) 419-1550.
- (Bonus donation at West Bloomfield only: In addition to the donation to the Arbor Day Foundation, this Park location will also be giving away 200 seedlings to the first 200 climbers to plant at home or for donation to a nearby site for planting.)
- The Adventure Park at Frankenmuth located at 1375 Weiss Street, Frankenmuth, Michigan 48734. Phone(248) 429-7177.
NEW YORK
- The Adventure Park at Long Island located at 75 Colonial Springs Road, Wheatley Heights, NY 11798. Phone: (631) 983-3844.
VIRGINIA
- The Adventure Park at Virginia Aquarium located at 801 General Booth Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA 23451. Phone: (757) 385-4947.
About The Adventure Parks
The Adventure Parks of Outdoor Ventures all feature multiple "aerial trails” installed in the trees and connected by various configurations of cable, wood and rope to form "crossings" of different kinds including the ever-popular zip lines. Climbers wear harnesses which are doubly secured to safety cables using the Park's own "always locked on" climbing system of interlocking safety clips. Before venturing onto the trails climbers receive a thorough orientation. Trails are designed for self-discovery, making lessons unnecessary. Park Guides are always available for questions or assistance.
The aerial trails are color-coded according to difficulty and offer challenge levels suitable for kids, teens and adults, whether beginners or experienced climbers. They also include paths on the ground that parallel those in the trees, so that non-climbing friends and family can enjoy the experience.
The Adventure Park at Heritage – (the Massachusetts location) – a partnership with Heritage Museums & Gardens, includes educational signage on the paths that explain the flora, fauna and natural history of Cape Cod. “Hidden Hollow,” a separate attraction at Heritage, is one of New England’s first certified Nature Explore Classrooms, a joint program of the National Arbor Day Foundation.