Issue 40: Finding hope in nature and each other
With Lauren Emerson of Hudson Valley Adventure Club
This week, we’re welcoming our friend Lauren Emerson from Hudson Valley Adventure Club. There’s loads we admire about Lauren, and as you’ll see, her resilience and curiosity are up there on the list. Thank you for joining us, Lauren!
For nearly two decades, my work in the humanitarian and international development sector took me around the world. I responded to crises, designed programs to support women and girls, and spent countless hours in policy discussions aimed at improving how we deliver aid with equity and dignity. Like thousands of professionals in this field, I made personal sacrifices in service of something bigger: the hope of a more just and compassionate world. My most recent job was working for the U.S. Department of State on a team managing U.S. foreign assistance to support the rights and empowerment of women and girls.
In January and February 2025, the foundation shifted. The U.S. government—the largest donor to global humanitarian assistance—dismantled much of the existing resources and infrastructure. My team and the entire office I worked for was eliminated. The system was never perfect, but the way it was deliberately broken has serious consequences, many of which we are only beginning to understand.
This collapse prompted a period of deep personal reflection. I began to ask questions I had long put aside: What is my role now? Where is my energy most needed? How does my work align with the evolving shape of my life as a mother to two young children?
I realized I had built a career of connecting with and following the impacts of geopolitics on a global scale, advocating for huge, lofty systems change, and while this work still felt important, my own backyard was calling. I decided I had to step away to find hope and joy where it still exists for me. It may no longer lie in global structures or national policy, at least not for now, but it persists in smaller, quieter places: in communities, in families, and in the way we choose to live our daily lives.
One sunny morning in April, I stepped away from my laptop—away from bleak headlines and professional uncertainty—and went for a bike ride beneath a canopy of trees. I felt immense gratitude for having this kind of access to nature in this beautiful part of the world. In that moment of calm, I asked myself: How can I do more of this? How can I share this feeling with my family, and with others? I am typically a planner, thinking through all the details and logistics before making a decision. Yet in that moment, the challenging realities of starting a business with two young children did not even cross my mind. This feeling of joy and calm felt so right, I uncharacteristically decided to just follow my intuition.
And thus Hudson Valley Adventure Club was born.
Nature has always been a grounding force in my life. No matter where my work or life has taken me in the world, from Northern Iraq to New Hampshire, Kazakhstan to Washington, DC, I have sought out the mountains and nature. It’s one of the reasons my husband and I chose to live in the Hudson Valley. We got married on a mountaintop in Tannersville and when we were still living in the city, child free, we spent our weekends hiking and camping in the Catskills. At the start of the pandemic, after we made the decision to leave the city and move upstate, being in nature felt like a lifeline. Like many parents, however, I have found that outdoor adventures have become harder to access after having children. I want to change that—not just for my own family, but for others in our community.
My first test event in May for a group of friends and their kids was immediately validating. We did a nature scavenger hunt, we wrote a group hike-u, we pretended to be different animals in the forest. I ran ahead on the trail, hid behind a tree, and hooted like an owl as toddlers ran to find me with glee. It was joyful, silly, and fun. “Could this really be my job?” I thought. Of course not every day is so self-assured. There are days when my toddler is home with a fever and I have to prepare for an upcoming event or plan social media marketing, and I wonder if this is all too much. But then another event comes and that familiar wave of joy and gratitude comes over me, and it feels worth it.
Hudson Valley Adventure Club began simply as a way to spend more time outdoors with our children. It is still coming into focus, but as I test more events and collaborate with more inspiring members of the community, it is becoming something more: a space to nurture imagination, and connection through time in nature. We know the many benefits of nature to child development, and how necessary access to nature is to raise children who know respect for and stewardship of the natural world. I am also beginning to see the benefits to adults of being with children immersed in nature. Sure, we move slower, but it encourages presence, play, curiosity, and joy. In a world that feels increasingly dark and chaotic, this is one of the best possible antidotes.
Lauren is the founder of Hudson Valley Adventure Club, an outdoor and nature-inspired events company and community for families, and former international aid worker. She lives in Livingston, NY with her husband Bryan, two boys Owen (3.5) and Jesse (1), and dog Barley.
Hike with Hudson Valley Adventure Club
Ready to get outdoors after reading about Lauren’s adventures? Lauren and Hudson Valley Adventure Club will be hosting a family-friendly group hike with The Soft Spot on Sunday, September 21. We’ll start at the Schutt Road Trailhead in Palenville and end at one of the Catskills’ most beautiful lookouts at Inspiration Point.
Snacks, suncreen, and bug spray will be provided, and kids’ carrier backpacks are available to rent.
What We’re Reading
[Lauren] - You can accuse me of being too on brand here, but I just finished reading Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Originally published in 2005 and expanded in 2008, at times it feels a bit dated (how quaint, for example, that the author’s greatest concern was about video games). Yet many of Louv’s fundamental tenets, like the numerous developmental benefits to children of unstructured play in nature, are as relevant and important as ever. The book inspired a movement of nature schools across the U.S. (this was already a thing in many parts of the world), and a wonderful organization called the Children & Nature Network.
[Ashley] - I’m continuing the love for Melinda Wenner Moyer from last week’s issue and sharing her essay “The Myth of the Magical Summer”. Expectations around summer are always high, but I find myself overbooked, sweating, and exhausted by 9pm when my 3-year-old is STILL awake. In that moment, I always question why I ever yearn for the longer daylight hours of summer. This piece was validating - I will relish my daycare hours for one more summer before the camp madness begins.
[Maddie] - My husband opened a running store a couple weeks ago, and seeing all the fresh shoes and race kits has me excited to up my mileage. For the extra humid mornings where I need a little nudge to get out the door, I've been finding inspiration in these newsletters by runners and moms of young children - The Sweat Lookbook by Lee Glandorf, Run the Shoes by Elaheh Nozari, and Running Wylder by Katie Douglas. All three are generous, funny, and very stylish.
Our Picks
[Lauren] - Outfitting kids for outdoor adventures can be time consuming and expensive. I’m working to collate a whole list of seasonal recommendations for HV Adventure Club, but as a little teaser, here are two of my family’s go-to picks: 1) For summer sun protection, the SwimZip baby and toddler sunsuits ease at least some of the battle around applying and reapplying sunscreen; 2) For toddlers going the distance on the trail, the Tsukihoshi Tokyo Child Shoes are extremely well designed and definitely win style points. Shout out to Little Pickles in Red Hook and Hudson for always stocking excellent children’s footwear! I know I said two, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Outdoor School Shop’s secondhand section for an excellent collection of pre-loved kids’ gear.
[Ashley] - Over the weekend, I went to a friend’s 40th birthday party set in a magical fantasy land. Since the invitation encouraged lots of adornment, I accessorized with semi-permanent tattoos from inkbox. At the end of the night, I kept thinking to myself, “Do I need some tattoos?” and now that I’ve lived with them for close to a week, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t still tempted.
[Maddie] - I’m very into this vacuum - it’s the size of a half-used (half-full?) roll of paper towels and it’s so light that my three-year-old can clean up his own mess. And he does, eagerly. We’re still working on the Duplos and Magnatiles underfoot, but his help handling the sand he tracks into the house feels like progress.
Working Together
This week we’re calling our representatives and senators and asking them to support humanitarian aid efforts in Gaza. 5 Calls makes it easy to call with phone numbers and scripts.
In the Neighborhood
We live in the Mid-Hudson Valley and we’re keeping tabs on these (mostly family-friendly) events near us. If there’s another event you’d like us to share, please send it our way!
Ongoing Events
Through August 16 - Bard Summerscape, Annandale-on-Hudson
Mondays - Wiggles and Words (for 0-6 months) at the Red Hook Library, Red Hook
Mondays - Songs & Stories at Ulster Public Library, Ulster
Mondays and Fridays - Tunes and Tales at the Red Hook Library, Red Hook
Tuesdays - Storytime with Robbie at Starr Library, Rhinebeck
Wednesdays - Runs with Return Run Club, Hudson
Wednesdays - Catskills Nature Explorers, Arkville
Wednesdays until August 20 - Waterfront Wednesdays, Hudson
Thursdays - Music & Movement Storytime at the Hudson Area Library, Hudson
Thursdays - Haema pop-up at Return Brewing, Hudson
Fridays - Preschool Story Time at Ulster Public Library, Ulster
Fridays through August 22 - Wethersfield Adventurers Club, Amenia
Saturdays - Hudson Farmers' Market, Hudson
Saturdays - Maverick Family Saturday concerts, Woodstock
Saturdays - Outdoor Yoga (with llamas) at Clover Brooke Farm, Hyde Park
Sundays - Rhinebeck Farmers’ Market, Rhinebeck
Sundays - Farm-to-Table Family Buffet at Random Harvest, Craryville
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August Events
Friday, August 1 - GODDESS: Origins of Wonder ft. Goddess Party, Athens
Friday, August 1 - Comedy Night at the Park Theater, Hudson ^
Saturday, August 2 - Sunday, August 3 - Great Estates Garden & Landscape Weekend, Dutchess County
Saturday, August 2 - Dance Showing at Art Omi, Ghent
Saturday, August 2 - Hudson Sankofa Black Arts and Cultural Festival, Hudson
Saturday, August 2 - The Cloven Pendulum Murder Mystery Show, Hudson ^
Saturday, August 2 - Sunday, August 3 - A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Orpheum Theater, Tannersville
Sunday, August 3 - The Moto Social, Hudson
Sunday, August 3 - Free Family Meditation at Village Yoga, Kinderhook
Starting Monday, August 4 - Youth Summer Camp at Cone Zero Ceramics, Catskill
Tuesday, August 5 - Little Wonder Storytime at Hudson Area Library, Hudson
Thursday, August 7 - Kingston Cooks workshop, Kingston
Thursday, August 7 - PlayPals playgroup at Town of Ulster Library, Kingston
Thursday, August 7 - Sunday, August 10 - Hudson Film Festival, Hudson
Sunday, August 10 - Free movie screening of Encanto at Story Screen Cinema, Hudson
Sunday, August 10 - Children & Families Workshop at Storm King Art Center, New Windsor
Starting Monday, August 11 - Baby Nature Class with Hudson Valley Adventure Club, Livingston
Starting Monday, August 11 - Youth Summer Camp at Cone Zero Ceramics, Catskill
Saturday, August 16 - Summer Music Series: The Goddess Party, Athens
Saturday, August 16 - Nature Walk & Craft with Hudson Valley Adventure Club, Hudson
Monday, August 18 - Infant and Young Child CPR Workshop at The Spark of Hudson, Hudson
Thursday, August 21 - How to Run Your First Long Distance Race at The Spark of Hudson, Hudson
Friday, August 29 - Sunday, August 30 - Hudson Valley Hot-Air Balloon Festival, Lagrangeville
^ = for adults
* = will likely sell out, so book soon
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I love this part: "This feeling of joy and calm felt so right, I uncharacteristically decided to just follow my intuition."
It is my work and calling in the Natural World to help people decide to just follow their intuition. Thanks for this great post.