NatureRX

Our partners enrich our community with awe-inspiring places where we can encounter nature experiences from around the world close to our homes and families. By partnering with us, we can help them gather data on the impact these experiences are having on the health of our community. CHN catalyzes this research by finding faculty interested in the studies and providing them seed funding to run the studies with our Collaborative Research Innovation Fund.

NatureRX: A Prescription for Fresh Air

Imagine going to the cardiologist and, maybe along with a prescription for pills, you’re given a prescription for a walk in the park or a bike ride along the beach.

NatureRX is a nonprofit information hub for health practitioners interested in writing prescriptions for patients who would benefit from spending time in nature as part of their care and wellness plans.

Scientists at CHN are working with NatureQuant, an Oregon-based company that has developed an app called Nature Dose, to develop NatureRx.

Nature Dose can monitor a patient’s time inside and outside to nature to leverage the benefits of nature exposure for better mental and physical health. Researchers are working with the app developers to address potential behavioral problems. For example, if a patient hasn’t been out in green or blue space for a few days, the app would send a reminder telling them how great it would be to get outdoors for a while.

The NatureRX initiative builds on a CHN-led collaboration with the ParkRx project, in which primary care physicians and cardiology specialists will offer prescriptions to visit parks with the goal of improving their health and well-being in 2023. A study will evaluate the effect of the ParksRX program on health management and on sustainability behaviors that not only maintain our health but also preserve and enhance our environment.