Story Archives - Nature: Accessible for All

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped bring the Soiree to life and to everyone who joined us. It was a wonderful evening of community, connection, and a shared commitment to making New Jersey’s natural spaces more accessible for people with disabilities.

This evening would not have been possible without our sponsors whose generosity is supporting our work:

? Duke Farms
? Children’s Specialized Hospital
? Joan Rechnitz
? Planned Retirement Consultants & Administrators Inc.
? Inspira Health
? Kessler Foundation
? EAB Risk Management
? OceanFirst Foundation
? Charlie Chapin
? Merrill G. & Emita E. Hastings Foundation
? New Jersey Conservation Foundation
? Partners for Health Foundation
? Suydam Corkery Family Charitable Fund

Thank you again for your support, enthusiasm, and commitment. We are building a movement of people and organizations committed to making parks and natural areas accessible for people with disabilities and mobility challenges.

This movement is open to everyone with an interest in making natural places accessible and inclusive, so if you’re interested in getting involved, please reach out!

Visit the Nature: Accessible for All website to learn about the campaign and how to get involved

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The newly launched New Jersey Rural Health Transformation website (https://nj.gov/rural-health-transformation/) provides a central resource for communities, health care providers, partners, and others interested in the program.

Visitors can:
• Define rural — Learn what qualifies as rural in New Jersey and who is eligible for the program.
• Explore NJRHTP initiatives — Learn more about the investments and activities supporting rural health transformation.
• Check program status — Follow the program’s progress as it moves through its five-year funding period.
• Find answers — Explore frequently asked questions about the program.
• Connect with the team — Find contact information and ways to get in touch.
The website also provides an at-a-glance look at the scale of the Rural Health Transformation

Hosted in collaboration with University of Michigan Adaptive Sports and Fitness and Ann Arbor Sports Commission May 11 – 13, 2027 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

With Momentum to Movement as the theme, Move United is looking for sessions and ideas that turn knowledge into action—from organizational excellence and athlete development to education, sport programming, and the continued growth of the Paralympic Movement.

Submit your proposal:

• Presenter Applications: Due October 16, 2026

• Exhibitor Applications: Due March 26, 2026

• Poster Session Applications: Due March 26, 2026

Find out how to apply – 2027 Move United Education Conference

Do you have a green thumb? Or interested in learning and sharing small-scale gardening and cultiviating techniques? You can sign up and join as a volunteer at the Stockton University Farm at the Galloway Campus.

Those interested can scan the QR code to learn more and register.

The Watershed Institute releases regular podcasts to help further their mission and connect with the community.

Their work focuses to protect and restore watershed and the natural environment in central New Jersey through conservation, advocacy, science, and education.

In this episode of Watershed Matters, our host Lucia Middleton sits down with Pri Oliveira, Outreach and Inclusion Manager at The Watershed Institute, and our guest Sean Kane-Holland, Access Nature Disability Advocate at Pinelands Alliance, to explore what inclusive access to nature looks like in practice.

You’ll learn:

♿ Why accessibility means something different to everyone
? How trail design, signage, parking, and adaptive equipment can make outdoor spaces more inclusive
?️ How accessible trail maps help visitors understand what to expect before arriving
?️ Why language access and culturally inclusive outreach matter
? How environmental organizations can bring nature and environmental education directly into communities
? How outdoor spaces can support physical, mental, and emotional well-being
? How projects like the Pemberton Lake Trail and The Watershed Institute’s Hickory Loop Boardwalk are expanding access to nature
? Why listening to people with lived experience is essential when creating inclusive outdoor spaces

You can view the podcast through these apps:

YouTube: https://youtu.be/oLIcdDR1ty4

Spotify: Accessibility in Nature with Sean Kane-Holland

Apple Podcast: Accessibility in Nature with Sean Kane-Holland – Watershed Matters – Apple Podcasts