About Healthy People Healthy Trails

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The mission of Healthy People Healthy Trails is to work collaboratively with land agencies, health care providers and community partners to improve the health and wellbeing of community members through the use and enjoyment of trails, parks and open spaces.

Some Facts about Healthy People Healthy Trails

  • Healthy People Healthy Trails is a program to help people “get moving” in Santa Barbara County.
  • Participating healthcare providers use the Prescription for Outdoor Activity with their patients whom they believe could benefit from being more physically active. Providers will also give their patients a Healthy People Healthy Trails Trail Guide, which includes maps for easy walks, safety tips and more.
  • The Healthy People Healthy Trails Trail Guide is available to patients and to the community at large. It is a tool that anyone can use to find easy, safe paths and trails that they can enjoy with their friends and families.

Program History

In 2000, Parks Victoria, Australia established the Healthy Parks, Health People initiative to recognize and reinforce the connection between community health and a healthy environment. Today, Healthy Parks, Healthy People is a worldwide campaign to encourage personal health through fun activities in the outdoors while appreciating and taking care of public parks and open space areas. It has been embraced by 35 countries with model programs in the U.S., including San Francisco Bay and District of Columbia.

In 2014, Sansum Clinic and Santa Barbara County Trails Council requested help from the National Park Service to bring Healthy People Healthy Trails to Santa Barbara County. Other organizations have joined the effort, inspired by the opportunity to support environmental health through community health.

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