 "Photo: courtesy of Google Maps")
At 9 a.m. rain or shine, on the fourth Saturday of the month, College of the Redwoods librarian Ruth Moon leads a crowd of about 10 people for a walk in Eureka.
Moon's group, Discovery Walks Eureka, takes about three-mile walks with themes such as "Rest of the Waterfront" behind the Bayshore Mall, and "Eureka's 'Lost' Freeway" on the sidewalks of homes once planned to be part of a freeway through Eureka.
Before leading walks around Eureka, Moon sat on the defunct Eureka Trails Committee. But serving on the Eureka Trails Committee did not suit Moon.
"Committee work is frustrating for me," Moon said, "I wanted to get out and walk."
Credit for the walking group's name, Moon said, goes to local architect and former Trails Committee chair John Ash.
Getting other people to be out and about was on committee members' minds.
"I and other people came up with the idea," Ash said, "for people to see more and get more involved with their towns."
When leaving the committee, Moon began Discovery Walks. Moon leads walks and designs the themes for the walks.
"No money changes hand," Moon said, "If I did get money, I don't know what I'd do with it."
Moon's walkers learn about something in or around Eureka from any given walking theme.
"It is an opportunity for people to come together and learn about (the theme)," Moon said.
Choosing a favorite Discovery Walk theme calls for a moment of reflection for Moon. "I like them all," Moon said, "I like 'Arts & Murals' because the murals keep changing."
Before a mural walk, Moon reinvestigates Eureka's murals to keep the walk up to date. Moon has seen murals painted over or lost to renovation.
"It is kind of surprising to learn that [Eureka murals] change fairly frequently," Moon said.
On Moon's "Eureka's 'Lost' Freeway" theme, walkers tour the sidewalks of homes once tagged for demolition to build a freeway.
To create the lost freeway walk, Moon got a map of the freeway plans from the California Department of Transportation.
"I needed to find out where it was. I called up Caltrans and got the map," Moon said. From a roughly 5-foot spread of a Caltrans map, Moon created the walk. She said the walks are not for conditioning purposes.
Group walking like Discovery Walks, or any kind of walking, is good for people's health. At Humboldt State University's nursing department, associate professor and licensed nurse Piri Barger sees walking benefits from a nursing perspective.
Group walking helps to combat depression, Barger said, "just having the sense of belonging."
Another asset to walking is that a walker chooses the pace they walk.
Associate professor Tina Manos, from Humboldt State Department of Kinesiology and Recreation Administration, said walking allows control. "You can determine the intensity," Manos said.
On any of Moon's walks, participants can do the same.
"I make it clear that I don't want people over-exerting themselves or being bored," Moon said.
"It is supposed to be fun," Moon said.
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