This is a hike that invites participants to think and learn more about hiking! In the United States, we tend to view outdoor walking as a way to be healthy, to connect with the environment, and to experience the benefits of being active. But we rarely think about where our way of walking came from, and what we mean by terms like "nature," "environment," and "the outdoors." Hiking is a modern phenomenon that started in Europe, and whose present-day shape was forged amid political and nationalist movements. What do we think about when we think about walking? By talking about it, maybe we can start thinking about how we encounter public spaces, and how those encounters can change the world for the better.
Shay Rabineau is Associate Professor of Israel Studies and the Chair of the Department of Judaic Studies at Binghamton University. His work focuses on walking, nationalism, and the environmental history of Palestine/Israel. His first book, Walking the Land: A History of Israeli Hiking won the 2024 Jonathan Shapiro Prize for Best Book in Israel Studies. His current book project is entitled Dead Sea Loop: Trails, Nationalism, and Environmental Destruction at the Lowest Point on Earth.