At Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba, nature time involves horses/Jennifer Bain

Health care professionals in four Canadian provinces can now prescribe time in the national park system to boost people’s mental and physical health.

Parks Canada is collaborating with a program called Park Prescriptions (PaRx). Doctors, nurses and other licensed health care professionals who register with the program can prescribe nature — and even a Parks Canada Discovery Pass — to their patients.

“Medical research now clearly shows the positive health benefits of connecting with nature,” Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, said in a written statement. “This exciting collaboration with PaRx is a breakthrough for how we treat mental and physical health challenges, and couldn’t come at a better time as we continue to grapple with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our daily lives.”

Parks Canada has provided 100 adult Discovery passes this year and will reassess this number in future years. The pass sells for $72.25 (Canadian) and provides unlimited access to national parks, national marine conservation areas and national historic sites for 12 months. The park system is already free for anyone 17 and under.

Learning about Indigenous culture at Pukaskwa National Park in Ontario/Parks Canada, Scott Munn

The BC Parks Foundation is the official charitable partner of BC Parks and the provincial park system. It launched PaRx — Canada’s first national nature prescription program — in November 2020 in British Columbia. In 2021, it expanded the program to Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

PaRx signed up more than 1,000 prescribers, garnered plenty of buzz, and won a Joule innovation grant from the Canadian Medical Association. But until now, the nature prescriptions revolved around working out what kind of nature time people should consider, and not something tangible like a parks pass.

For now, only people in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario are eligible for the Parks Canada passes, but the PaRx hopes to expand to Quebec, Alberta and New Brunswick soon, and eventually roll out in every province and territory.

“I can’t think of a better way to kick off 2022 than being able to give the gift of nature to my patients,” said PaRx director Dr. Melissa Lem, a family physician. “There's a strong body of evidence on the health benefits of nature time, from better immune function and life expectancy to reduced risk of heart disease, depression and anxiety, and I’m excited to see those benefits increase through this new collaboration.”

Sunset in Prince Albert National Park in Saskatchewan/Tourism Saskatchewan, Greg Huszar Photography

Participating prescribers who can prescribe a Parks Canada pass are asked to prioritize patients who live close to national parks, historic sites or marine conservation areas, and who could benefit from it the most.

Nature prescriptions were one of the top eight global wellness trends in 2019, and are cropping up around the world. Countries such as the United Kingdom are now investing in park prescription pilots to help tackle mental and physical health problems and the resulting strain on their health care systems and economies. PaRx was recently recognized by the World Health Organization in its COP26 Special Report on Climate Change and Health, where it was featured as a way to inspire protection and restoration of nature as the foundation of our health — one of only two case studies cited from North America.

“Research shows that children and adults who are more connected to nature are not only more likely to work to conserve it, but also engage in other pro-environmental behaviours,” said Lem. “I like to think that every time one of my colleagues writes a nature prescription, we’re making the planet healthier, too.”

PaRx has been endorsed by the BC Family Doctors, Saskatchewan Medical Association, Nurse Practitioners Association of Manitoba and Ontario College of Family Physicians. It offers practical, evidence-based online resources like quick prescribing tips and printable fact sheets, plus a green-time target of “two hours per week, 20+ minutes each time.”

Enjoy the ocean at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve in British Columbia/Parks Canada

As Canada grapples with the ongoing pandemic, it’s a critical time for health care professionals to promote the mental and physical health benefits of heading outdoors.

“Our goal is to make sure that people who need it can get out easily and affordably to benefit from the healing power of nature,” said BC Parks Foundation CEO Andy Day. “So far, through the generosity of our donors and partners, we have provided free trips and nature therapy sessions during the pandemic to health care workers, seniors, refugees, and vulnerable youth. It’s been incredibly inspiring to see the impact nature has on people.”