Public Health in the Rockies 2026

Connection is the antidote to loneliness | Belonging is the antidote to social isolation.

We know that we have an epidemic of lonliness and social isolation. This session is designed to encourage attendees to drop the surface level small talk and engage more deeply with their peers and colleagues. Think of it as a way to step up your networking into something more meaningful that leads to real connection, collaboration and opportunities to partner.

It's a gift to be given permission to leave the devices behind and focus on real connection with others. And it works best when we're outside. Nature is a great connector.

This session is a two-fer: an opportunity for attendees to recharge their emotional/mental health being outside and new ramped up skills for networking in a device free environmental.

Attendees will be provided with samples of better questions to use, hands on activities to engage with one another, guided conversation and reflection, a note card to record lessons learned and ann opportunity to create a nature art project.