Upper Valley Trails for Life
New Hampshire/Vermont

Promoting physical activity via trails. Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Active Living By Design program, a partnership led by the Upper Valley Trails Alliance, which includes NPS, is implementing an innovative plan to increase physical activity among residents of four communities in New Hampshire and Vermont. To date, the partnership has initiated a "prescription for walking" program at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and a four-town trail guide to promote the significant health benefits of physical activity. "In essence, we are addressing and preventing health concerns related to a sedentary lifestyle by increasing awareness of local opportunities to be active on trails, enhancing access to trails, and protecting trails for the future." Wally Elton, Executive Director Upper Valley Trails Alliance.

You can read more about this innovative partnership, in the Associated Press article, Doctors Prescribing Excercise to Fight Fat, by J. M. Hirsch. (Please note, the Upper Valley Trails Alliance is based in Norwich, VT, not White River Junction, as stated in the article.)

To learn more about this project contact Lelia Mellen, at lelia_mellen@nps.gov or (802) 457-3368, ext 14 or visit the Upper Valley Trails website at www.uvtrails.org