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Healthy Communities Conference comes to Canyon Lodge |
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Friday, 28 September 2007 |
It seems to be a fairly undisputed fact today that obesity is the number one health problem facing America. The connection to physical inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle is being recognized by physicians nationwide, and interestingly one of the answers may be as close as America’s backyard—the vast public lands and waters managed for outdoor recreation.
The growing connection between personal health and well-being, the health of our communities and the health of our public lands will be the topic of a one-day conference to be held in Mammoth Lakes this month. The Coalition for Unified Recreation in the Eastern Sierra (CURES) is hosting the “Healthy Communities/Healthy Landscapes” conference on Friday, Sept. 28, at Canyon Lodge. The conference, which is free to the public and includes lunch, will feature speakers and successful programs that promote and build a strong local economy and healthier lifestyles through connecting Californians to the outdoors.
Headlining the conference is keynote speaker Michael Suk, M.D. Dr. Suk has served as a White House Fellow with the Department of the Interior, in which he has spearheaded an initiative to develop the link between public health and outdoor recreation.
Other conference speakers include Marlene Finley, California Director of Recreation for the U.S. Forest Service and Acting Forest Supervisor of the Inyo National Forest, who will speak on the use of our public lands for outdoor recreation and the need for responsible recreation in order to maintain the health of those areas; Jennifer Roeser, owner of McGee Creek Pack Station; Paula Brown-Williams of the Eastern Sierra Institute for Collaborative Education; Phil Pister, known as the father of native fish restoration in America, who will speak on environmental ethics and the respectful use of our public lands; Mike Gable, Ph.D., Physical Therapist at Northern Inyo Hospital, who will speak on the prevention of recreation injuries; and Kathy Copeland, Executive Director of Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra, who will speak on the physical benefits of outdoor recreation. Table-top information booths will be provided by local recreation and health care providers.
“This symposium is an opportunity for members from every sector of our communities to work together for the betterment of our region through the promotion of outdoor recreation,” states CURES executive director Kastle Lund. “Hiking, biking, camping and paddling on the lands and waters of the Eastern Sierra can permanently change lives for the better, creating a much more fit and healthy population. By encouraging people to get outdoors and get active, and through the use of local recreation oriented businesses and services there can be great economic benefits to our communities that are so dependent upon public land recreation. Outdoor recreation reconnects people to their natural and physical heritage, creating a passion for the great outdoors that can be passed on from generation to generation, thus in itself building in sustainability.”
Since its inception, CURES has sought to catalyze public/private partnerships to enhance and protect outdoor recreational opportunities in the Eastern Sierra and the resources upon which such experiences are based. CURES boasts a diverse membership including representatives from the outdoor recreation industries, environmental organizations, land managers, user groups and affiliated industries, all of whom are united under a common goal.
Through hosting this conference, CURES hopes to promote and coordinate cooperative efforts between participants, and increase understanding of and support for outdoor recreation and its myriad links to personal and community wellness, as well as the health of our public lands which provide the landscape backdrop for the great outdoor recreation opportunities in the Eastern Sierra.
CURES' one day conference is free to the public. For more information or to RSVP, visit www.easternsierrarec.org or call Kastle Lund at (760) 876-4560. - CURES/MT
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 04 October 2007 )
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