CONFERENCES
2015 CASIOPA Conference on Healthy Parks, Healthy People (HPHP) – Summary
Event On: May 06-07, 2015
Registration Deadline: April 30, 2015
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On Wednesday May 6 & Thursday May 7 2015, the first organized HPHP conference was held at the University of Waterloo Federation Hall Conference Centre (the final agenda is here: 2015-Casiopa-Healthy-Parks-And-Healthy-People-Agenda-28-4-15).
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. 70 people over 2 days joined us in Waterloo Ontario for one of the first Canadian conferences about this important approach. Attendees included people from private, government, NGO, and academic sectors; we were interested in expert advice, and participatory discussions – and considering where HPHP might lead. We had a lot of students and young professionals – that is very important as you all represent the real future of HPHP and parks and protected areas management.
We had an all-star lineup of invited speakers, topped off by two excellent keynote speakers: Diana Allen, Chief of the United States National Parks Services’ Healthy Parks, Healthy People initiative and Bill Kilburn, Royal Botanical Gardens & Manager of Ontario’s Back to Nature Network.
Below is a work in progress; I will be finalizing permissions from authors to post some or all of their presentations.
Day 1 saw Bill Kilburn posing the question of what motivates us – his answer was a good story and emotional connection.
Following Bill, Cathy McAllister focused on her work with the City of Waterloo on how children perceive their environment (sensu lato); suffice to say that Cathy has found cities can do much more to motivate and involve children in decisions that help them embrace the broader agenda of Healthy People, Healthy Parks: Mcallister
In the afternoon, we focused on roundtables (the questions and topics are here: 2015 CASIOPA HPHP Breakout Session I And II). We were inspired by Paul Eagles’ narrative on how much HPHP work is ongoing and how challenges have been overcome like this: Eagles
The groups reported back a surfeit of ideas relevant to the next HPHP meeting (and there will be one) as well as some insights worthy of peer reviewed publication.
After day 1 libations and dinner (emphasizing participants paid), we reconvened on an even more sunny and warm Thursday. Diana Allen led off with a tour de force on how HPHP has evolved and been implemented in the USA. Here is Diana’s talk: Allen
Robert Orland focused our attention on practical matters – how do we obtain resources for HPHP? Details: Orland
Scott Mitchell walked us through how mental health is facilitated by the appropriately named Mood Walks, thusly: Mitchell
WLU’s Chris Lemieux and colleagues showed us how to do surveys properly on HPHP and related subjects: Lemieux Et Al
Krystyn Tully of Lake Ontario Waterkeeper showed us how apps and related technology can operationalize aspects of HPHP
Neluka Leanage (groundSHIFT/modemaps Inc) focused on whether HPHP is still too much about environment and not enough about people and effective policies
Sondra Eger (U Waterloo) carried on the policy side and examined how policies on connectivity did or did not work in the Dominican Republic to foster HPHP.
U Waterloo’s Jody Andruszkiewicz (with Steve Murphy) got the save – we were running up against another event at the venue and Jody did his talk in half the time and extemporaneously. It was awesome as he described how there could be – should be – alternatives to representativeness in parks planning and how this fits the broader HPHP agenda.
