Fresh Air Family Inc

Kids love dirt.  They marvel at the beauty of wildflowers, they gasp at the sight of a lizard darting across the rocks, and they are not afraid to get down on their bellies to watch a snail creep across their path after a hard rain. 

Founder, Verna Gates, started Fresh Air Family as a way to get children and families outside, away from televisions and video games, and back into the woods. She recognized a “nature deficit” and saw a clear way to bridge the gap between the people of Alabama, and the abundance of natural beauty in its rivers, lakes, and mountains.

Fresh Air Family provides a hands-on approach to environmental and scientific education. We are dedicated to strengthening families through a connection to and an appreciation of the beauty and biodiversity of nature.  We welcome all families, both traditional and non-traditional, young people and old, with or without children, to join us in hiking, camping, paddling, birding, and much more.  Our events are always free or low-cost, so why not go outside and get some fresh air with your family?