A Toronto Doctor, Dr. Conrad Sichler, has been giving people a "green" Rx for Stress and/or depression.  He has written a prescription, using his prescription pad, encouraging more than a dozen people so far to walk the nature trails near their homes.

This should come as "news" to a very few people... I am sure if we have had a chance to walk in solitude in the woods or forests in our pasts, and we think back, we all know this, that the quiet time, absorbing the beauty in the world around us, relieves our stress.

In the U.S. parks and conservation areas have combined with health centres encouraging people, both adults and children to get a "dose of the outdoors" by hiking trails, paddling rivers and inhaling the fresh outdoors.

Proponents of getting outdoors have suggested that we realize benefits even if we cannot get out to a forest, a wooded hiking trail or a conservation area by spending time outdoors in a playground or neighbourhood park.

Such an activity can provide a boost to the metabolism, soothe the soul, and give one time to unwind.  The added physical activity is a bonus =)

It seems to make sense to me that exposure to the outdoors and participating in activities such as these would tend to benifit both mental and physical health.

The Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington, ON. has organized family walks on Sunday afternoons to help with the initiative to bring families back outdoors.

Interested?

More information on this topic or local intitiatives can be found childrenandnature and Backtonature