Move & Connect Webinar Series
A Prescription for Nature
Presented on November 22, 2021, at 1:00 pm PT
Nature prescriptions were named one of the top eight global wellness trends in 2019. And it's no surprise—research shows that people who spend more time in nature are happier and healthier. One year ago the BC Parks Foundation launched PaRx, Canada's first national, evidence-based nature prescription program in BC. Today, over 1,000 prescribers in four provinces are prescribing nature to their patients to improve personal and planetary health.
Watch this engaging talk on how they made it happen in Canada, the effects of climate change on elders, and why spending time in nature is one of the best things you can do for your health at any age.
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Speakers
With Special Thanks to
The BC Parks Foundation & PaRx
Dr. Melissa Lem
Dr. Melissa Lem is a Vancouver family physician and Director of Park Prescriptions for the BC Parks Foundation. Also President-elect of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, she has been researching, writing and speaking about the nature-health connection for over a decade. A widely published writer, she was the resident medical expert on CBC TV’s hit lifestyle show Steven and Chris for four seasons and continues to appear on air as a regular contributor to CTV News. Dr. Lem is a 2020 Joule Innovation Grant recipient and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia.
Anna Cooper Reed
Anna is a PhD student at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation and holds a Master of Social Work, from the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto. Anna has practiced social work in the community, long-term care, and hospital, predominantly working with older adults. She is currently a Research Associate at the Bruyère Research Institute. In her role at Bruyère, Anna is currently working as part of the research team led by Dr. Amy Hsu on the COVID-19 Immunity Study, where she will be co-leading an environmental scan exploring COVID-19 vaccine education in long-term care. Anna co-led the launch of PaRx in Manitoba and continues to be an advocate for nature prescribing and planetary health.