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Darke County Parks Winter Speaker Series:
“Thru-hiking
the Buckeye Trail”
Join Darke County Parks as we welcome our first Winter Speaker, Andy
Niekamp to Shawnee Prairie Preserve Nature Center on December 6th at
6:30pm. On an 88-day thru-hike of Ohio's Buckeye Trail, Andy "Captain
Blue" Niekamp made the most amazing long-distance journey of his life.
As he walked his home state through wilderness, farmland, small towns,
big cities, rural and urban areas, he discovered Ohio in a way that can
be only experienced on foot. Captain Blue's stories about the people
and places, past and present will change the way you see Ohio. His
beautiful photos and experiences will surely inspire you to hike the
Buckeye Trail.
Andy "Captain Blue" Niekamp has been a wilderness adventurer for more
than 25 years. This IT professional, turned long-distance hiker has
logged over 14,000 miles in more than 30 different states
coast-to-coast including 9,500 miles on the Appalachian Trail.
Hiking is Andy's passion and his acclaimed "fountain of youth."
He has hiked the entire Appalachian Trail end-to-end four times. While
more than 10,000 have completed the Appalachian Trail at least one
time, fewer than 12 people worldwide have reported completing the
Appalachian Trail four times.
Andy is the founder and Chief Adventure Officer of Outdoor
Adventure Connection, a backcountry guide service based in Dayton,
Ohio. Andy has guided hundreds of people on backpacking trips that
focus on backcountry skills, education, confidence, and Leave No Trace
techniques. His company's motto is Live, Learn and Love Adventure.
His goal is to inspire others to get exercise, make friends, explore
nature, live a healthier lifestyle and make their community a better
place to live!
For more information about this or any of the other exciting winter
speakers in this season’s series or other park district programs,
please call the Nature Center at (937) 548-0165.
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