Washington, D.C. – Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced the launch of the Task Force on Outdoor Recreation for Veterans, with the goal of reporting on and making recommendations regarding the use of public lands or other outdoor spaces for medical treatment and therapy for veterans.
For five nights in a row, starting today, National Geographic is airing a PSA from First Lady Jill Biden as part of the White House’s Joining Forces initiative, which supports military families. This PSA serves as a reminder for the military community of their free entry into all national parks.
This week, Sierra Club’s Military Outdoors program will be featured on the latest episode of Tango Alpha Lima – a popular podcast produced by The American Legion. Among the topics covered were nationwide efforts to expand veterans access to nature.
This week, the New York State Division of Veterans’ Services, nongovernmental organizations, universities, and others officially launched the Outdoor Rx Coalition, a first-in-the-nation partnership for improving veterans health through nature-based therapies on public lands and waters. The new partnership will examine barriers preventing New York veterans from accessing public lands and waters to heal from service-related trauma, boost the availability of effective outdoor programs, and facilitate communication between State agencies and the many organizations serving veterans.
On Tuesday, April 26 at 2 p.m. ET, the Outdoor Rx Coalition will host a press conference and webinar on the movement in New York to help veterans heal from service-related trauma on public lands.
On Tuesday April 26, the Outdoor Rx Coalition will host a press conference and webinar on the movement in New York to help veterans heal from service-related trauma on public lands. The event marks the official launch of the Outdoor Rx Coalition, a partnership of nonprofits, Veterans Service Organizations, universities, and others focused on facilitating access to the outdoors and nature therapy for veterans, active duty servicemembers, and military families. As of 2021, more than 714,000 veterans resided in New York State.
The national Veterans and Military Outdoors Coalition and New York’s Outdoor Rx Coalition are adding Blue Star Families, one of the largest military family organizations in the country, to their membership. Launched in 2021, the Veterans and Military Outdoors Coalition is a national partnership of more than 35 organizations focused on improving veterans health nationwide through access to nature-based therapies and outdoor recreation. The Outdoor Rx Coalition, which also began work in 2021, is an alliance of 67 groups in New York advocating for the effective implementation of the state’s…
Today, the New York State Division of Veterans’ Services and the Outdoor Rx Coalition announced a partnership to address barriers that prevent veterans recovering from service-related trauma from accessing New York public lands and waters.
The Sierra Club and researchers at the University of Utah have published a new study linking exposure to nature and improvements to veterans’ mental health.
Today, a group of nearly 30 groups including Sierra Club, Blue Star Families, and Y-USA launched the Military Outdoors Coalition. The new group aims to raise awareness of veterans health issues and collaborate on ways to expand veterans’ access to the outdoors for healing purposes.