Step into Spring is a new initiative between the Health Action Trust, Top of the South Neighbourhood Support, Te Whatu Ora Nelson Marlborough and both Nelson and Tasman Councils. It will happen in October 2022 across the Nelson Tasman region.

The festival is a month-long collection of safe, guided walks organised by community groups and other organisations. The walks will be hosted locally and will cover a range of themes and purposes to cater to a variety of audiences.

Step into Spring is a festival that promotes the benefits of walking for well-being and provides an opportunity for people to connect with each other and the environment. We hope Step into Spring will spark interest and support people in developing meaningful connections while exploring the region on foot and creating safer communities.

Check out the list of upcoming events on the Facebook page

How Step into Spring works

Events and activities will be locally organised and hosted by community groups, organisations and individual experts. We want to make it easy for the community to get involved, so there will be a variety of activities for various activity levels, durations and in various places.

Events will be promoted and supported under the "Step into Spring" umbrella, and we will provide a framework and support event organisers to create consistency.

Please get in contact if you would like to organise a walk or help with the festival. You can fill in the Expression of Interest form or contact Bill Huppler at Nelson City Council on 022 035 0758 or email bill.huppler@ncc.govt.nz.

Why we created Step into Spring

We want to foster feelings of community spirit, show how walking is easy and fun, and promote the positive benefits of walking in the environment. Walking is an activity that can easily foster and maintain social connections and has well-established benefits across all ages for physical and mental health. By promoting the use of existing community infrastructure, such as parks, pathways, edible walkways and reserves, we are reducing transport congestion and creating safer communities. Offering guided walks will increase the confidence of the community to start exploring our region, and help create meaningful connections.

Who is organising guided walks

We want to provide the opportunity for all Community Groups, Organisations and individuals to run their own walks under the Step into Spring umbrella, to engage their target groups across the community. If you know which walk you are going to organise please fill out this online application form.

Walks will take place within the Nelson-Tasman region, in the parks, in your neighbourhood, in the bush or along the stream - you pick!