The City of Newton has recently installed permanent courses for orienteering, a sport of navigation that individuals and families can enjoy at their own pace, walking or running as they move from point to point in the woods with map and compass. Newton Parks & Recreation Program Manager, Channon Ames, has been working with a local Eagle Scout as well as with an experienced orienteering mapper to create maps for multiple orienteering courses in each of five Newton parks. The City’s Orienteering webpage has links to the maps for the first courses, which are in Auburndale Park. You can print them out and get navigating anytime during daylight hours. The webpage also has links to resources for learning more about this sport of “thinking+running” as well as links to local orienteering clubs that hold public events throughout the Greater Boston area in the spring and fall. You can also take the new Parks & Recreation courses, Introduction to Orienteering for families or individuals and Orienteering Programs for Youth. Next April, Parks & Recreation will install additional permanent courses — with increasing levels of challenge — in Cold Spring Park, Kennard Park, Nahanton Park, and Edmands Park.