As Vice President of Programs at the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, Chris Perkins leads strategic efforts to elevate outdoor recreation as a transformative force for national health, economic opportunity, and community well-being. In this keynote, Chris will unveil ORR’s Health Vision — “America’s Outdoor Era”--a bold call to action positioning outdoor recreation as a solution to some of America’s most pressing health challenges. Drawing on evidence from emerging research and ORR’s national priorities, he will outline how time spent in nature can reduce healthcare costs, improve physical and mental resilience, and strengthen social and economic outcomes for communities across the country.

Chris will spotlight takeaways from the National Executive Forum on Health and Outdoor Recreation — the first convening of its kind bringing together leaders from the recreation, healthcare, research, policy, and wellness sectors to chart a shared agenda for integrating outdoor experiences into public health strategies. He will show how cross-sector partnerships, intentional investment, and expanded access to outdoor spaces can help address chronic disease, mental health crises, and societal disparities while unlocking the $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation economy’s full potential.

Attendees will come away inspired by a compelling case for why outdoor recreation must be central to the national dialogue on health — and equipped with a forward-looking framework to advance this work in their communities and institutions.