A prescription to visit the zoo

[Catherine]

Ontario has started a program where health care providers can write you a prescription to spend time outdoors. They are acknowledging that time spent with nature improves our health, especially our mental health. In three years, over 11000 health care providers have registered to prescribe nature encounters for their patients. The Toronto zoo is now on the list of places they will be prescribing.

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2023/09/27/t...essionals/

Finally we are admitting that we need nature in out lives to be healthy. If more people spent time outside things would improve for everyone. Happier people make the people around them happier.
It is smart that they have actual locations to prescribe. A lot of people would not know where to start. The zoo is good because it is safe, it is beautiful and it is big. The pathways are accessible and there are places to eat, there are many buildings filled with plants and animals if the weather is bad.

I am glad Ontario has started this program. I hope more places follow our example.