First came Halloween—with its costumes, candy, sugar highs, and general chaos. Then Daylight Saving Time arrived to scramble our sleep schedules and internal clocks. And just when we thought we might catch our breath, Election Day rolled around with its own emotional roller coaster.
And that's all on top of our jobs, families, responsibilities, relationships, and everything else we're carrying these days.
CONGRATULATIONS, you're here and still with us!
But does anyone else out there feel a little overstimulated and burned out from that ride?
At We Hike to Heal, November is our month to Reflect & Give. But before we ask you to give anything—to your family, your community, or even to us—we'd like to invite you to give yourself a little breathing room.
You don't have to process everything today. You don't have to solve everything tomorrow. And you certainly don't have to earn your rest.
So before the holiday season picks up speed, in this little slump after Halloween and Election Day, let's make a little space to reconnect with ourselves, reflect on what matters, and remember the good we're creating together.
⚡Time For A Little Nervous System Reset 🪫
Inspired by WH2H Co-Founder, Kenya Jackson-Saulters', Nature Meditations Deck
This month, we're taking inspiration from a few beautiful themes in our Nature Meditations Deck: Cleansing Rain, Seasons of Growth, and The Little Victories.
Find a quiet spot outside, or simply sit near a window. Place both feet on the ground, relax your shoulders, and take three gentle breaths.
Then choose a prompt for your journal:
Cleansing Rain:What emotions, worries, or expectations am I ready to wash away this month?
Seasons of Growth:What has this year taught me about myself, even through its most challenging moments?
The Little Victories:What small accomplishment, act of courage, or moment of joy deserves celebrating today?
Our November Mantra
I can care deeply without carrying everything.
I give myself permission to slow down, reflect, and grow at my own pace.
Take that thought with you on your next walk. No mileage goals, no stopwatch, no expectations. Just you and the natural world.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
🎬 This Friday! Show Up for CJ, Boyz N The Wood & REI
Friday, November 6 | REI Perimeter, Atlanta | 5:30–9 PM
We've shared this event before, but this one deserves another shout-out!
Our very own WH2H Board Member CJ Goulding is also the Executive Director of Boyz N The Wood, an organization creating opportunities for connection, representation, and belonging in the outdoors.
CJ brings that same commitment to community and emotional wellness to his work with We Hike to Heal. Now it's our turn to show up for him!
Join WH2H Board Chair J Greathouse, and more WH2H community members, at REI Perimeter for Our Nature Connection, featuring screenings of Boyz N The Wood: Resilience in the Redwoods and Marcus & Me: Connecting with Nature in Steel City. The short screenings will be followed by a conversation with CJ and Marcus Shoffner.
It's a chance to celebrate the important work of Boyz N The Wood, support CJ, and show some love to REI, one of WH2H's longtime sponsors.
Expect inspiring stories, meaningful conversations, food, music, and a room full of people who believe the outdoors should belong to everyone.
Catch us next year for the next Chattahoochee River outing. Photos here and in newsletter banner by WH2H Ambassador, Sharon.
A Canoe Full of Women, One River, So Much Gratitude!
Thanks to a wonderful collaboration with the Chattahoochee Nature Center and Wilderness Inquiry's Canoemobile, WH2H community members gathered last Friday (10/30) for an afternoon of adventure, mindfulness, and connection.
Led by WH2H Ambassador, Sharon, the experience began with a grounding meditation and a land acknowledgment. The group then explored themes of personal growth while walking and paddling, paused in a marsh for journaling, and enjoyed an animal encounter before closing with a gratitude circle.
This is exactly the kind of experience we love creating: accessible, intentional, and rooted in the healing power of nature and community.
A huge thank-you to Sharon for bringing such thoughtfulness to the afternoon, to every participant who showed up, and to our partners at Chattahoochee Nature Center and Wilderness Inquiry for making this FREE experience possible.
Here's to more adventures together, both on land and on water! 💚
Welcome Outside! Connecting HBCU Students with Nature
Wednesday, November 11 | 3:30–7:30 PM Roosevelt Hall | Atlanta University Center, Atlanta, GA
We're excited to share another November opportunity - Welcome Outside, an initiative from HBCUs Outside, founded by Ronald Griswell!
This campus-centered event brings HBCU students, outdoor organizations, and community members together to inspire adventure, connection, and a greater sense of belonging in nature.
Their philosophy? “Not just a booth. A door.” It's about helping students discover welcoming outdoor communities and opportunities that extend beyond campus.
Know a student at Spelman, Morehouse, Clark Atlanta, or another HBCU? Spread the word and encourage them to come explore what's possible outdoors!
Because everyone deserves to feel welcome outside.
🫴🏽Giving Tuesday Is December 1 — Help Us Finish 2026 Strong!
As we reflect on another year of community, connection, and healing, we're also looking ahead to what it will take to keep this work going.
Tuesday, December 1, is Giving Tuesday, and we're asking our WH2H family to come together for one final fundraising push before the end of the year.
Our Ambassador-led hikes, mindfulness experiences, and community partnerships don't happen by magic. They happen because people believe women deserve welcoming, supportive spaces outdoors—and choose to invest in making those spaces possible.
Every dollar matters.
$5 is a meaningful act of support. $25 or $50 helps us meet the everyday costs of keeping programs running. And when our community gives together, those small gifts become the foundation for something much bigger.
This Giving Tuesday, will you help us?
Give what you can. Share our campaign with five friends. Or start a personal fundraiser on behalf of WH2H.
Our work is free to many of the women we serve, but it isn't free to create. Your generosity helps make it possible.
As we move toward Thanksgiving and the final weeks of the year, we're reminded that gratitude doesn't mean pretending everything is wonderful or ignoring what's difficult.
Sometimes gratitude is simply noticing what is still good. The friend who checks in. The trail that welcomes us back. The stranger who becomes a hiking companion. The people who continue showing up for one another, even when life feels overwhelming.
To our Ambassadors, volunteers, donors, partners, and every woman who has joined us outside this year: thank you for being part of what we're growing together.
May November bring you a little more quiet, a little more perspective, and plenty of reasons to feel grateful.
Until next month, take good care of yourself—and we'll see you outside.
With gratitude,
Deva Executive Director (Interim) We Hike to Heal
🌿Share this newsletter with a friend🌿Mark your calendar for Giving Tuesday: Dec. 1st
We Hike to Heal encourages women all over the world the world to tap into the healing and empowering influences within ourselves, our communities and the Great Outdoors.
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