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Ways to Help and Explore the Outdoors Online

Have an RV you aren’t using right now? A Facebook group connects RV owners with health care workers

Health care workers not only have the stress of serving on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the added stress of coming home at the end of the day and potentially exposing their loved ones to the virus. 

A Facebook group called RVS 4 MDs seeks to change that, offering health care workers a safe and isolated place to stay between shifts. The idea is simple, the group connects health care workers needing a safe place to stay with RV owners willing to donate the use of their RV. When a connection is made, RVs are transported and set up at the home of the health care worker, providing temporary shelter. The group is growing quickly and has nearly 8,000 members. 

Virtual Everest event seeks to fundraise for out of work Sherpas

COVID-19 has closed Mount Everest this year, leaving Sherpas who lead climbers up the world’s largest mountain without a job. Mountaineer Alan Arnette has devised a way to support the Sherpas through this difficult time, organizing a Virtual Everest event on his website

Daily for the next two months, Arnette will outline what happens on Everest each Spring, from arriving in Kathmandu to trekking to Everest Base Camp. Through this platform, Arnette has set up crowd-funding sites, collecting money in April and May that will go directly to the impacted Sherpas.

You can’t thru-hike the AT right now, but you can virtually explore the trail with this 3D map

Backpacker Magazine has released a 3D map of the Appalachian Trail, which highlights the footpath’s best views and trail towns. Virtual hikers can travel through Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah National Park, “climb” the trail’s highest peaks, and read tips from other hikers or share their own.

The map is best viewed on a desktop or tablet. Click here to check it out. 

Photo of Sherpa Mountain Guide and his Client on Mountain Footpath from Getty Images

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