BLANDFORD – Friday afternoon Oct. 9, Town Administrator Joshua Garcia and his children Allison and Ethan were joined by approximately a dozen residents on the “Kaolin Road Loop,” one of the walks featured in the new Blandford Walking Map brochure, sponsored by Healthy Hampshire, HIghlands Footpath and the Hilltown Community Development Corp.

Walkers enjoyed a leisurely 30 minute hike starting at Town Hall, taking the right on Kaolin Road to Route 112, and back up past the Blandford Country Store, where Garcia treated everyone to freshly made apple cider donuts.

Along the way, Chips Norcross, president of the Historical Society and member of the walking map committee, said that Kaolin Road was named for the clay mined there to make kaolin bricks.  Administrative Assistant Joann Martin stopped along the road to enjoy a scenic view with Gateway student and Project 351 ambassador to Blandford Reeghan Morawiec.

The Kaolin Loop is one of 10 walks featured on the Blandford Walks map, rated from easy to moderate.  Others include Knittel Conservation Area, Cobble Mountain Road and the Chester-Blandford State Forest.

Sara Bankert of Healthy Hampshire, one of the map’s sponsors, also joined the group on the walk.  The goal of the project is to promote walking as a simple exercise to improve one’s health. According to the map, walking just 30 minutes a day may reduce the risk of heart disease, maintain a healthy weight, help prevent type-2 diabetes, decrease the risk of some cancers, boost energy levels, and  prevent/manage high blood pressure.

The Blandford Walks map is also available to download on the town website at www.townofblandford.com.