Healthy Living Programs
Healthy Living
Numerous studies have shown that as we grow older, our health may decline from lack of exercise and, more importantly, loneliness and isolation. Join Timucuan Parks Foundation for walks featuring Jacksonville’s parks and preserves and learn about the physical and mental benefits of recreating outdoors.
The popular Healthy Living walk series gets folks outdoors to explore new parks, meet new people, and enjoy low-impact exercise.
Previous Healthy Living virtual presentations are available for viewing at the links below.
Our Healthy Living series typically takes you on paddling, walks, and other adventures in the wilderness parks, helping to bring awareness about these special places and how spending time in nature may improve our social, physical and mental well-being.
Join the list for 2024 events by signing up to our email list below or checking this page for updates.
June - Hikes into History
Join Timucuan Parks Foundation as we "Hike into History" with our national park partner, Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, in two of Jacksonville's premier park locations.
Sunday, June 2, 2024
2:00 - 3:00 PM
Fort Caroline National Memorial
12713 Fort Caroline Rd
Jacksonville, FL 32225
At Fort Caroline, NPS Ranger Josh will lead a tour of the Timucuan Village and fort replica and relate stories of "exploration, survival, religious disputes, territorial battles, and first contact between American Indians and Europeans."
Sunday, June 16, 2024
2:00 - 3:00 pm
Kingsley Plantation
11676 Palmetto Ave
Jacksonville, FL 32226
Kingsley Plantation, overlooking the Fort George River and complete with a late-18th century planter's house, slave cabins, gardens, barn and kitchen, is a complex tale of freedom, enslavement, royalty, lineage, and survival. Join Ranger Josh for a tour of this significant part of Jacksonville's history.
Free but Registration Required
The event is free, but limited to 30 people. Please register at the button below.
Healthy Living -- Registration to Get on Our List
Register here to get added to our Healthy Living email list.
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Go365
Duval County ranks 42nd of 67 Florida Counties in overall health with critical concerns about obesity and mental health. Mayor Curry recognized how important it was for our residents to improve their overall health, announcing two initiatives – Journey to One and a Million pound weight loss program. We at the Timucuan Parks Foundation believe our preserves can be instrumental in building a healthy city and we are doing our part through our community health initiative.
As part of that health initiative, the Timucuan Parks Foundation is pleased to announce that they have teamed up with Humana, Inc. to offer a unique opportunity for Jacksonville employers and employees who offer the Go365 wellness program.
Go365 is a wellness and rewards program where participants check in to “Beacons” and accumulate points on their smartphone Go365 app for rewards and incentives. Timucuan Parks Foundation has placed 25 Go365 “Beacons” in 22 of Jacksonville’s parks and preserves, offering Jacksonville employers who support Go365 and their employees new motivation and inspiration to get active. If your employer uses Humana, you can start earning awards today.
Note: This is a pilot project (Jacksonville is the first in the country!) and we are happy to report, the beacons are installed and working at the Timucuan Parks!
Youth Education
In partnership with City of Jacksonville, Florida State Parks, and National Park Service, our outdoor youth service-learning programs provide a fresh, hands-on approach to the ways learning can be integrated with the outdoors, empowering students to become avid learners, and enabling them to begin building a lifelong connection to the wilderness parks and other public lands.
Our goal is to encourage outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship as life-long pursuits.
Healthy Parks Advisory Group
Timucuan Parks Foundation has created an inaugural Healthy Parks Advisors group to assist the City of Jacksonville with the updating of Castaway Island Preserve as a therapy park. Members include professionals from:
- City of Jacksonville Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services
- Brooks Rehabilitation
- Jacksonville University Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences
- Mayo Clinic
- University of North Florida Department of Public Health, Brooks College of Health.
These stakeholders are enthusiastic about our moving forward with this Castaway Island Preserve pilot project to serve as a template for physical and mental rehabilitation in the parks for patients and their caregivers.
For more information or to get involved, contact us at [email protected].
