Doctors in Halton can now prescribe nature 'to help people have a better quality of life'
CBC
If you're in Halton, Ont., your doctor can now prescribe that you touch some grass.
Conservation Halton has partnered with Halton Healthcare and PaRx to offer up to 10 free visits to conservation areas in the region when receiving a prescription for nature.
"Anything that we can do to help people have a better quality of life, we should try to do," said Craig Machan, director of parks and operations at Conservation Halton.
Machan said being able to disconnect and walk through fresh air is "so important."
He said 75 per cent of prescriptions written are for mental health.
"But there are opportunities to improve your physical well-being as well," said Machan.
"We've got a lot of trails that are flat and they're easy to walk on."
The program officially launched Dec. 2 in the Halton region, which includes Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills, but the BC Parks Foundation started the initiative in 2020.
Jennie McCaffrey, vice president of health and education at the BC Parks Foundation said the program was started not just to connect people to nature, but also to advance conservation.
"It's been really proven that when people are connected to nature, they're more likely to engage in pro-environmental behaviours for the long-term," she told CBC Hamilton.
She said one of the program's goals is for nature to be recognized as the "fourth pillar of health."
The program has several partners across the country, including Parks Canada, the Canadian Medical Association, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, and more.
Dr. Stephen Chin, interim vice president for medical affairs at Halton Healthcare said walking outside for 20 minutes "can make a big difference in our health by triggering a drop in our cortisol levels."
Halton Healthcare said in a statement they are the first hospital system to partner with the PaRx program.
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