Chronic diseases are the largest cause of mortality in Canada, costing $190 billion every year in treatment and lost productivity. Mental illness costs Canadians over $50 billion per year. Increasing access to nature is a powerful strategy for improving health and reducing healthcare costs.

PaRx is Canada’s national nature prescription program, led by health-care professionals who want to improve patient and planetary health by encouraging time spent in nature. The PaRx program makes it possible for health professionals to prescribe the health benefits of nature to any patient who would benefit from it. Collaboration between the BC Parks Foundation and Parks Canada on the PaRx program has expanded awareness of the health benefits of spending time in nature and increased the accessibility of Parks Canada administered places.

As the impacts of climate change on human health increase, increasing connections to nature will improve people’s health and resilience and increase public support for nature-based solutions.