Celebrate Healthy Parks Healthy People with a coloring page for kids
Here’s an easy-to-download coloring page for kids, which celebrates the Cape Cod National Seashore Junior Ranger program. The page is a great way to introduce the kids to the program and all the activities at the Cape Cod National Seashore.
Cape Cod Healthcare and Cape Cod National Seashore are in partnership for the Healthy Parks Healthy People program as a way to encourage healthy activities and lifestyle. As a part of the partnership, Cape Cod Healthcare Cardiologist Elissa Thompson, MD, will be featured at the Healthy Parks Healthy People Talk and Walk with a Doc event on Thursday, Aug. 4, which begins at 6:30 p.m. at the amphitheater at Salt Pod Visitor Center off Route 6 in Eastham. Dr. Thompson leads the Healthy Parks Healthy People medical team and schedules many outdoor wellness activities for adults throughout the year.
The Aug. 4 event will kick off with a short talk from a Cape Cod National Seashore ranger, followed by a guided 1.3-mile trail walk. Participants are then invited to listen to Dr. Thompson's talk, where she will highlight the overall health benefits of good cardiovascular nutrition and offer practical tips to incorporate plant-based meals into one’s diet.
She has been encouraging patients for years to enjoy the Natural Seashore for healthy recreation.
“I always encourage people to make use of the beautiful locations that we have available to us at the Cape Cod National Seashore,” Dr. Thompson said. “Good health is easily accessible and doesn't require special equipment. Whether it's cardiovascular health, your blood pressure, your blood sugar or your body mass index, any amount of walking is going to improve those parameters. You can use the outside world to improve your overall health.”
All ages can pick up free Junior Ranger Activity Booklets at the Seashore visitor centers in Eastham and the Province Lands Visitor Center on Race Point Road in Provincetown. You can join a ranger at the beach to look for seals and other ocean life. Or, take a tour of an historic lighthouse and learn what life was like in the early 1900s, listen to stories around a beach campfire, and walk on a trail with your friends or family for fun and exercise.
If you can’t make it to the shore, check out the creative online activities here. Find out how to make your own paper lighthouse, scrimshaw, and lots more. (What’s a scrimshaw? You’ll have fun learning all about it when you watch this great video with Ranger Olivia.)
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends getting outside and taking advantage of the healing power of play.
The Cape Cod National Seashore is unique within the U.S. park system. Its 44,000 acres wind through Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet, Eastham, Chatham and Orleans and are a magnet for Cape Codders and visitors who enjoy swimming, kayaking, hiking, sailing, surfing, fishing and other activities.
Check out this field guide, your personal introduction to the beautiful trails, the medical team, and their Park Prescription for good health.
Illustration Credit: Brian Caleb Dumm
