European Day of Parks goes online #ParksForHealth

The European Day of Parks is a commemorative day for Protected Areas across Europe that was launched in 1999 by the EUROPARC Federation to celebrate Protected Areas throughout Europe. It celebrates the creation of the 1st National Parks in Europe – a set of nine parks created in Sweden in 1909.

2020: Special Online Edition #ParksForHealth

When the EUROPARC Federation decided last year that ‘Healthy Parks, Healthy People’ would be the theme for the European Day of Parks in 2020, we would have never thought it would be this relevant. What we did know however, is that positive contact with nature is important for human health. It can create well-being, prevent public health problems and promote an active lifestyle.

Parks & protected areas have an important mission connecting people with nature! Parks not only protect our valuable natural resources – they deliver positive health outcomes. Contact with nature is essential for human health, and in an ever-more urbanised Europe, we must create more opportunities for citizens to connect and explore the outdoors… Positive contact with nature is proved to create well-being and promote active lifestyles!

In 2020, the European Days of Parks will highlight the connection of nature and human health… Healthy People need Healthy Parks! Due to the special situation Europeans are currently living in, the European Day of Parks goes ONLINE! Organising events on site will prove difficult this year, however, we can still excite, inform and remind people of the value of their parks in a digital format. For this occasion we created the hashtag #ParksForHealth.

Click on the image to open our guidelines for parks.

Join us!

Let us showcase how important our natural heritage is for our health AND the health of our planet. Using the hashtag #ParksForHealth, get the word out through your social media channels and your park’s homepage on how essential healthy parks are. Use the social media platforms you have – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube – and add #ParksForhealth in all your posts. Start today! The EUROPARC Federation will make a compilation of all posts with #ParksForHealth to send a message to the world on the 24th of May. Download the Guidelines for Parks to give you inspiration for your posts and activities.

You might organise activities such as

• online nature walks & guided tours
• sports activities (like an online yoga class)
• online education activities for children (involving the local schools!)
• online conferences & workshops

But remember: this year health must be at the heart of your events!

Of course, we must urge people to stay at home for the time being! However, Europe’s parks are still “working” for our communities, generating fresh air, clean water, a refuge for nature, and they will be there for people again to recover and restore after the confinement. This European Day of Parks we need more than ever to show the real value of our parks across Europe, for people and for nature! 

The EUROPARC Federation will create a video with footage, sounds and pictures from all parks throughout Europe, highlighting Europe’s amazing natural heritage. For this we need your help!

Send us footage from your park, from birdcalls to wildlife pictures and videos that showcase just how special these places are. We will create a ‘tour through Europe’ and release it on the 24th of May. Send your footage with the park name and credit info to communications@europarc.org