Outdoor toolkit unveiled for older Pennsylvania residents
It includes guides that extol the health benefits of outdoor recreation.
The Shapiro administration has unveiled a new toolkit for older Pennsylvanians and their caretakers that can be used to make exploring the outdoors safe and exciting.
Developed in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the toolkit offers practical strategies for caregivers, long-term care facilities and community organizations.
The toolkit includes guides for bringing nature indoors, tips to overcome access barriers, and 10 proven health benefits of outdoor recreation, ranging from reducing stress and anxiety to lowering the risk of chronic disease and improving memory, attention, and overall well-being.
“Getting outside and exploring our state parks is good for your health. We are proud to partner with Aging and Health to connect older adults with the many benefits nature provides and help them continue the outdoor activities they love as they age,” said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. “The Shapiro administration is committed to providing healthy, safe, and high-quality opportunities for all Pennsylvanians to get outside and enjoy our wealth of natural spaces.”
The full toolkit can be found at https://elibrary.dcnr. pa.gov/GetDocument?doc Id=9777413&Doc-Name=Guide%20to%20 Keeping%20Older%20 Adults%20Connected%20 to%20Nature.pdf.
The toolkit includes various outdoor activities, even for those who are disabled and need specific accessibility options. It features ideas for doing crafts, nature journaling, landscape drawing, and rock painting at home.
The Mon Valley and surrounding communities have many accessible outdoor parks. Some of the parks in the Mon Valley are:
• Cedar Creek Park, located on 453 Evergreen Dr. in Rostraver Township. The park also has access to the Great Allegheny Passage.
• Round Hill Park, located on 651 Round Hill Road, in Elizabeth. The park has access to hiking trails and an exhibition farm that is open year-round if you want to enjoy seeing farm animals.
• Renziehausen Park, which can be accessed from Eden Park Blvd. in McKeesport. The park includes the Renziehausen Park Rose Garden and Arboretum and the McKeesport Regional History and Heritage Center.
Another Mon Valley staple is the Joy Riders, a local nonprofit that provides rides along the Great Allegheny Passage using a special tandem wheelchair bicycle that allows for those with limited mobility to experience what it’s like to ride on a bike.
The program is free for anyone interested, and it has three locations from which it operates: the Great Allegheny Passage in Cedar Creek Park, the 5 Star Trail OUTDOOR TOOLKIT •A2
“We are proud to partner with Aging and Health to connect older adults with the many benefits nature provides and help them continue the outdoor activities they love as they age.”
CINDY ADAMS DUNN
DCNR SECRETARY in Greensburg, and the Three Rivers Heritage Trail in Pittsburgh. To schedule a time with the Joy Riders, they can be emailed at JoyRidersPA@gmail.com.
“Access to nature is more than leisure — it’s a vital component of health and well-being,” said DOH Special Advisor Dr. Rob Bonacci. “Outdoor activities like walking, bird watching, or fishing can bring real physical and mental health benefits for older Pennsylvanians.”
According to the toolkit, spending time outdoors can improve the immune system, cognitive function, happiness, and well-being.
The toolkit adds that nature can reduce stress, anxiety and that it helps with overall mood.
Spending time with nature also helps to reduce the risk of chronic illnesses like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
If someone is interested in finding regional state parks and state forests they can use the interactive DCNR map at https://maps. dcnr.pa.gov/dcnrinteractivemap/. A map to find accessible trails can be found at https:// www.traillink.com/stateactivity/pa-wheelchair- accessible-trails/.
