Healthy Parks and Healthy People 2015

Healthy Parks and Healthy People 2015

A Conference and Workshop
General Information & Draft Agenda

“Healthy Parks, Healthy People” is a research agenda but most importantly it is action – an action that is going on around the world. Healthy Parks, Healthy People is eponymous – it is indeed about integrated approaches to better health of humans and their environmentally protected areas. Join us in Waterloo Ontario for one of the first Canadian conferences about this important approach. Attendees will include everyone from professionals and students from private, government, NGO, and academic sectors interested in expert advice, participatory discussions, and submitting contributed presentations. We have several invited speakers, topped off by two excellent keynote speakers:

/ Diana Allen
Chief, US National Parks Service Healthy Parks Healthy People National Program / / Robert Zarr
Pediatrician at Washington DC’s Unity Health Care, Inc. campus. Leader of DC Park Rx
twitter.com/doczarr

Audience.We intend this conference to appeal to a broad audience of professionals and students from private, government, NGO, and academic sectors interested in expert advice, roundtable participation, and contributing presentations to the thorny problem of concurrent management and motivating people to visit parks and protected areas that improve human health and maintain ecological integrity.
Formal Registration Opens March 2 2015. The Registration Fee is a flat fee of $150 for the two formal meeting days May 6 & 7- or $100 as a one-day rate. Student rates are a flat fee of $75for a 2-day registration. For Day 1, all meals and nutrition breaks are included. For Day 2, all breaks and meals are included, except dinner.Accommodation information is via the registration link.
Register Online:
Reaching the University of Waterloo by foot, bike, bus, car, train, or plane is easy:

Wednesday May 6. Making Healthy People, Healthy Parks A Reality.

0800-0855 / Registration and Breakfast
0855-0900 / Introductory Remarks
0900-1000 / Keynote: Robert Zarr, MD, MPH, FAAP
Pediatrician at Washington DC’s Unity Health Care, Inc. campus; leader DC Park Rx
1000-1030 / Discussion with Dr. Zarr
1030-1100 / Refreshment/Networking Break
1100-1200 / Plenary:
Catherine McAllister, PhD; University of Waterloo
The Green Grass Grew All Around: Healthy Urban Parks & Healthy Children
1200-1300 / Lunch Break
1300-1430 / Breakout Sessions I. Making Healthy Parks, Healthy People a reality:
Experiences and ideas about making the connections between disciplines
1430-1500 / Refreshment/Networking Break
1500-1630 / Breakout Sessions II. Making Healthy Parks, Healthy People a reality:
How to integrate HPHP into communities
1630-1800 / Brief Announcements as Needed + Free time (pre-dinner)
1800-onward / Dinner at Conference Venue
After Dinner Libations Elsewhere

Thursday May 7. Research & Reflections on Healthy People, Healthy Parks

0800-0855 / Registration and Breakfast
0855-0900 / Introductory Remarks by Organizing Committee Delegate
0900-1000 / Keynote: Diana Allen
Chief, US National Parks Service Healthy Parks Healthy People National Program
1000-1030 / Panel Discussion on Healthy Parks, Healthy People
1030-1100 / Refreshment/Networking Break
1100-1200 / Plenary:
Lisa Nisbet, Ph.D. Trent University
The nature connection and psychological well-being
1200-1300 / Lunch Break

Thursday May 7. Afternoon Sessions - Concurrent Contributed Presentations. Each speaker has 15 minutes + 5 minutes for questions. To apply for delivering a contributed presentation, please use the form on the next page. The sessions, of course, will be filled as people apply – we have up to 3 concurrent sessions available; the template for each concurrent session is below for your consideration.

1300-1320
1320-1340
1340-1400
1400-1420
1420-1440
1440-1500 / Refreshment & Networking Break
1500-1520
1520-1540
1540-1600
1600-1620
1620-1640
1630-1800 / Free time (pre-dinner)
1800-onward / Dinner at various venues around Waterloo

How to submit an abstract for a contributed presentation.

Send a free-form Word document by email to Stephen Murphy (). These should be sent by April 6 2015. We will inform participants if their presentation is accepted soon after submission; we anticipate sufficient room for participants to present but we do vet for quality. The format is as follows:
Surname First Name of Presenter, Surname First Name of 2nd author, (et seq). Affiliations (e.g. Department of Environment & Resource Studies, University of Waterloo, Waterloo ON). email of presenter.

Talk title (as pithy as possible).
Standard abstract of talk focusing on brief context/rationale, clear statement of a research question or topic of relevance, clear statement of methods or relevant approaches, clear statement of results or outcomes and explanations for these outcomes, brief statements on implications for healthy parks, and/or healthy people or other statement on relevance to this conference; limit is 500 words.