IUCN World Parks Congress

In November 2014, People and Parks Foundation took its key program Active in Parks on the road. The IUCN World Parks Congress in Sydney, an event only held every 10 years and attended by parks protectors from all over the world, was the perfect event at which to launch the brand new Active in Parks website www.activeinparks.org.

The launch was an excellent example of the collaborative approach the Active in Parks program has formed with partner organisations throughout Australia. Representatives from two of our key supporting partner organisations, Medibank Community Fund and Parks Victoria were present at the launch and praised the Active in Parks website for its practical application of the Healthy Parks Healthy People philosophy.

Congress delegates were tremendously enthusiastic about the potential of this new online resource to encourage Australians to use and to enjoy the plethora of stunning outdoor spaces Australia offers to residents and tourists alike. After the launch, the Active in Parks booth was inundated with questions and positive feedback around the Active in Parks program and the new website.

www.activeinparks.org provides a platform unlike any other in Australia, where community groups as well as more established organisations running outdoor-based programs or events can promote their activities. As the number of activities and events being promoted through the website continues, #WhatsOnOutdoors will also become an invaluable database, searchable by anyone and everyone, of outdoor-based activities and events.

The legacy of Sydney will no doubt inspire many organisations, communities and individuals in Australia to find out more about the very real health benefits of regular participation in outdoor activities. As more and more people begin to use their parks regularly, we will move closer to guaranteeing the future protection of these spaces.