Encouraging Enjoyment of The Great Malden Outdoors

The City of Malden in collaboration with First Seed Sown are excited to announce the launch of The Great Malden Outdoors, an outdoor enablement campaign designed to make outdoor recreation accessible and equitable for all Maldonians. During the COVID-19 pandemic, more people than ever spent time outdoors, but not all Malden residents were aware that activities like rock climbing, hiking, and bird watching exist within city limits. In fact, many of Malden’s beautiful outdoor spaces are enjoyed by residents of neighboring towns and states rather than the local community. 

The Great Malden Outdoors aims to create awareness through an advertising campaign and website featuring local Malden residents enjoying the outdoors within the city limits photographed by National Geographic Photographer, Irene Yee. Created by the Malden-based marketing agency, First Seed Sown, the campaign will also showcase where to go within the city to access the outdoor spaces, the skills recommended, community and activity groups to go with, professionals to hire to guide folks, and local retail partners to acquire outdoor gear or take skills building classes. 

First Seed Sown will work directly with community groups throughout the city to understand what barriers to entry their members have to enjoying the great outdoors. First Seed Sown will deliver a report to city officials and take action to understand, reduce, and/or remove physical barriers to outdoor recreation like the lack of a crosswalk leading to a trailhead, trail signs only available in English, and communal barriers to entry.

Lastly, The Great Malden Outdoors has a youth development aspect. By working with the City of Malden’s Career Services Program Coordinator, select Malden High School Students will work alongside paid professionals on all aspects of the campaign with the goal of exposing them to outdoor recreation opportunities within the city and building resume pieces to kickstart a potential career in the outdoor industry in New England or beyond. 

The Great Malden Outdoors kicks off in mid-September of 2023 with a photoshoot and the advertising campaign and website going live in May of 2024. For more information about The Great Malden Outdoors please visit: https://www.firstseedsown.com/municipalities. For more information about potential sponsorship opportunities or media inquiries please contact: Darren Josey at DJ@FirstSeedSown.com.