Halton Healthcare and Conservation Halton announced in early December that it would partner with a British Columbia-based foundation to offer nature prescriptions to patients so they would have free access to local conservation areas.
They became the latest addition to the program, which has been available in other parts of Canada since 2020.
But how does it work?
Any licensed health care professional in Canada can give prescriptions of nature, “from nurses to doctors to physiotherapists,” according to the Parx website.
Dr. Stephen Chin, interim vice president of medical affairs at Halton Healthcare, said healthcare providers will need to register with PaRx to issue the prescription.
After registering and getting a code, they will be able to fill the prescription through their clinic and add their provider code, Chin said.
As for patients looking to get a prescription, Chin said there is a “pretty low threshold” for them to be prescribed, meaning the prescription will be “given freely” to most.
“I mean, there’s almost no reason why someone shouldn’t be more physically active,” he said.
After a patient receives the prescription, they will need to go to the PaRx website or, in some cases, to their local partner (for example, the Halton Conservation website and complete a form where they will be asked for basic information and the supplier code.
If the patient is on the Conservation Halton website, they will be sent an email with a code that they can use for 10 free visits to a Conservation Halton park.
If patients fill out the form on the PaRx website, they must also select which park or conservation area they want to visit.
Some patients could also be prescribed a year of unlimited visits to “more than 80 national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas,” with the Parks Canada Discovery Pass, which providers can only issue once a month.
Other PaRx program partners include Conservation Toronto, the Toronto Zoo and the Canadian Museum of Nature.
Disconnecting for a while is ‘very important’
Craig Machan, director of parks and operations at Conservation Halton, said the organization is the first outside the national parks to provide free daytime access to its parks.
Patients who choose Conservation Halton for their nature prescription can get up to 10 free visits to one of their parks. The Greater Toronto Area region includes Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills.
“Access nature, walk in the purest air, stand and be able to listen to the birds… hang up the phone or leave [it] in the car and being disconnected even for 30 minutes is very important,” Machan said.
He also highlighted the importance of being in nature, even when it’s cold.
“Winter can be a dark time for a lot of people,” she said, so being able to spend some time outdoors and disconnect from the pressures of daily life can make a big difference, she added.
Machan said 75 percent of natural recipes written are for mental health.
Chin said walking outside for 20 minutes “can make a big difference to our health by causing a drop in our cortisol levels.”
He also said that spending time in nature can improve mental health, lower blood pressure and “even [extend] life expectancy.”
“Hopefully it will be a trigger for them to have a healthier lifestyle and be a starting point for many,” he said.
Program available in all provinces.
The PaRx program was initiated by the BC Parks Foundation, an independent non-profit organization and charitable foundation.
Jennie McCaffrey, vice-president of health and education at the BC Parks Foundation, said the program is now available in all provinces and any health care provider can give the natural prescription.
He said the program was started not only to connect people with nature but also to promote conservation.
“It’s really been shown that when people are connected to nature, they’re more likely to engage in long-term pro-environmental behaviors,” Hamilton told CBC.
McCaffrey said the foundation hopes that integrating nature into daily life will become a “social norm” and the “fourth pillar of health.”
“We want people to spend their time in nature, just as they try to get eight hours of sleep a night, eat a healthy, balanced diet and get the exercise they need,” he said.
