On a drizzly afternoon, soft rain seemed to purify the air as expectant mother JoAnna Massey led her two daughters through Ringgold’s paved trails, splashing in puddles and watching a great heron glide across a fog-filled creek. For Massey, these hour-long excursions are part of a yearlong mission: spend 1,000 hours outdoors.
Massey founded Bumps and Babies, an event dedicated to pregnant women and new mothers who yearn for wide-open spaces and company they can relate to. On the first Tuesday of every month, event attendees meet at stroller-friendly trails like Chief Richard Taylor Nature Trail and Camp Jordan Park.
With another baby on the way, Massey hopes to host child-led hikes as her youngest grows. “I think if we want our children to connect to nature for a lifetime and not just as little children,” she says, “then infancy is the prime time to foster that connection.” She adds that when it comes to having to change a baby while out on the trail, she just does it right there on the grass.
Massey, a lifelong Chattanoogan, is the program coordinator for Forest Families of Chattanooga, a nonprofit she co-founded during the pandemic to organize outdoor activities for all ages, from casual strolls to rugged hikes. No matter the difficulty of the excursion, Massey recommends parents bring clothes for play. Her events aim to encourage child discovery — no matter how muddy — and connect people in similar seasons of life. “I have made almost all of my friends through this group — people I didn’t even know,” she says.