About Us

Today people increasingly spend more and more time indoors and less time in nature. As a result of sedentary lifestyles, obesity is a national epidemic, plaguing youth and adults with a variety of obesity-related disorders such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

National, state and local trails provide a catalyst for youth, adults and families to discover, explore and play in their natural world.

Mission Statements

The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park was established in 1971 with the following mission “to preserve and interpret the historic and scenic features of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and to develop the potential of the canal for public recreation…” Today the 184.5 mile C&O Canal is the backyard of numerous communities stretching along the Potomac River between Washington D.C. and Cumberland, Maryland. The value of the park as a recreational resource is immeasurable to these communities. In addition, each year nearly 4 million visitors seek the park to enjoy its natural and historical resources. The Nature Prescriptions program encourages the use of public lands for visitor enjoyment and recreation while promoting the importance of an active and healthy lifestyle.

The mission of the Eastern Area Health Education Center (EAHEC) is service to the community.  These services are provided in two ways: (1) the provision of services to the community via AHEC faculty and trainees (2) the provision of education to the community via community-based outreach education. The staff of the EAHEC along with West Virginia University’s Health Sciences Center/Eastern Division bring to this project an operational platform and infrastructure much needed and one which would be otherwise difficult to access. The EAHEC and has had now almost a decade of experience managing federal and private grant funds. EAHEC is proud to be part of Nature Prescriptions through the support of the work and initiative of Dr. Mark Cucuzzella and The C & O Canal NHP.