Nature is healing: Doctors in B.C., other provinces can prescribe Parks Canada passes to patients – CBC

Feb 08, 2022

Doctors and other licensed health-care professionals in four provinces can now prescribe a free pass to Canada’s national parks.

PaRx, Canada’s first national nature prescription program, was started by the B.C. Parks Foundation in November 2020 to help health-care professionals develop a “nature prescription” that encourages patients to spend time outdoors as a way to manage anxiety and improve mental and physical health.

Citing a growing body of research on the health benefits of time in nature, the program recommends about two hours a week in nature, for at least 20 minutes at a time.

On Jan. 31, Parks Canada announced its support for the initiative. Licensed health-care professionals who register with PaRx can offer patients a Parks Canada Discovery Pass — which costs around $72 for an adult — free of charge.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-parks-canada-prescription-1.6344141

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