Parks Week 2023

Parks Week 4 – 12 March 2023

Dozens of walkers stepped out during parks week, enjoying walks across Victoria, NSW and SA.

Parks week provides a great opportunity for us to connect with our local green spaces, parks and reserves. Research shows that spending time being in green spaces and amongst nature has a positive effect on our mental health and wellbeing.

Many Heart Foundation Walking groups know this all too well, enjoying weekly strolls amongst the trees, for others, Parks Week was a great time to try somewhere new.

Heart Foundation Walking groups that hosted a walk during Parks Week enjoyed a number of new walkers on the day as well as visitors from neighbouring groups. Overall, groups reported the day a great success – morning teas were offered at some, a coffee stop at others. Walking was part of them all and so were smiles, new friendships and even good weather – which is a real win in Victoria!

Heart Foundation Walking and Parks Victoria teamed up for Parks Week to promote a range of walks across inner and greater Melbourne, guided by Parks Victoria volunteers. And the great news is, they offer these free walks all year round under their Park Walks program, so it’s never too late to try one out.

The Parks Vic leaders are so passionate about the park they walk upon, and have extensive knowledge of the animals and plants of their patch which they happily share along the way. For many it’s a bit of a home away from home, and they take great pride in their park often spending time outside of their walk in nurturing the space, removing invasive plants and ensuring locals treat the park with respect.

If you missed Parks Week, do not despair, the parks trees and animals will still be there!

Perhaps the next time you walk whether it be solo or with a group, try a new park if there’s one available to you. Take in the sounds of the birds, the gentle rustling of leaves and the sound of your feet as you stroll. The air is generally fresher in green spaces, so a big dose of that is a must. Enjoy the beauty, the calm and knowing you’re doing something good for the heart and head.

Happy walking all,

Tara and Maddy

To find out more about the Parks Victoria guided Park Walks program visit:

https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/healthy-parks-healthy-people/park-walks

The University of WA is currently surveying Australians on how they engage with their local parks. It is about the ones you visit, why you visit them and the benefits you get from using parks.

Your participation in the survey will ensure that future development of parks and open spaces is done in a way the best suits the needs of people using them.

https://crowdresearch.uwa.edu.au/project/australian-park-life-survey/