Park Rx America - Nature prescribed
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Nature Photographer Curt Given photographing a beaver pond, Sun Mountain Lodge, Winthrop, Washington State. © Rebecca Bailey, Nature Me
We stroll down the dirt path loving the vegetation. We are just east of the Cascade mountains near Winthrop in Washington state. Aspen trees, ponderosa pines, hemlocks, and flowering bushes border the trail. It is hard to convey how the smell of the dry warm foliage surrounding us makes me feel. It’s something akin to my younger days in Spokane when floating on an air mattress for hours or playing softball with friends and a keg of beer on the bench were at the top of my priority list.
It is a perfect day. Sunshine, blue sky, scattered clouds, and a slight breeze keep us uplifted. Curious, we study the flowers and trees, identifying them as we go. Our binoculars are often raised as we watch the calling birds in treetops.
Our pace is slow. Not our normal 20-minute-mile walk. I’m with my life partner, Curt, who is recovering from a small stroke that has limited movement in his right leg. The stroke is still shocking to us and a bit surreal. It happened out of the blue a little more than two months ago. This is a guy who is often out the door at first light with his 30-pound backpack and 20 pound tripod to capture some of the most beautiful nature photography on the planet. ( I admit, I’m shamelessly biased.) But you can see for yourself at givenphoto.com.
So what does Curt’s recovery have to do with Park Rx America? It’s an amazing program that is offering similar experiences to what Curt is doing on his own—spending time outside doing activities that make him feel better. Except Park Rx is taking it one step further. It is partnering with healthcare providers who are writing actual outdoor activity prescriptions. They draw from a large database of parks (6,000 +), writing prescriptions that include information on where to go, how often, and what activity to do while there. The program is working with state parks across the country. Here are some examples of prescriptions written specifically for patients who live in Washington State:
Take a 10 minute walk three times a week on a trail at Dash Point State Park.
Read a book while sitting next to the water at Deception Pass, three times a week.
Meditate for 20 minutes in the old-growth forest at Rockport, four days a week.
30 minutes of snowshoeing, three times a week at Lake Chelan.
Ultimately, the Park Rx program’s mission is to help decrease the burden of chronic disease. Widespread research shows that being in nature reduces blood pressure, anxiety and increases happiness. More research is needed about how long to spend in the outdoors to receive the health benefit. But I can attest, from my own experience, that it does not take long to get the benefits that come from spending time in nature. You can read the science behind nature and healing here.
Why not write your own prescription for outdoor activities this summer? No matter where you are in life, spending time in nature is super beneficial and fun. If you need ideas check out my e-book on Amazon - How to Make Every Day a Walk in the Park: 101 Empowering Ways to Connect with Nature (and Yourself). It’s inexpensive—only $2.99, but worth so much more in great ideas and suggestions. Or, you can find many summer activity suggestions on my blog here.
As for Curt, he is writing his own prescription for nature therapy. He will fully recover, but it will take some time. In the meantime, spending time outside and walking in nature is the best medicine for him right now.
