 Well, what started out as a project for one CLC student has turned into a push for others to get familiar with nature. As part of Earth Week, a safety and informational hike took place at Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area in Ironton. Anyone could participate on a short hike and learn about the benefits of hiking that ties into physical fitness principles. Hiking increases your cardio-respiratory endurance. It increases your balance because a lot of the time if you're actually hiking and not just walking on a paved trail somewhere, there's a lot of imbalances in the terrain and so you're balancing yourself a lot, you're using different muscle groups. So it was the first year for the hike and it took between 20 and 30 minutes to complete the paths. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.