The health benefits of time spent in nature have been the subject of intense study in recent years, and have proven to be broad. The largest meta-analysis of its kind, including data from 143 studies internationally and published in the journal Environmental Research in 2018, concluded that increased green space exposure was associated with decreased cortisol (stress) levels, heart rate, diastolic blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, risk of pre-term birth, Type 2 diabetes and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, and increased incidence of good self-reported health. And new studies continue to reinforce past results. For example in Finland, 36 Finnish daycare children were transformed from being primarily gravel-based to primarily nature-based and after 28 days in this wilder setting, the children's skin and gut microbiota became more robust and diverse, while markers of immune health and anti-inflammatory function surged. Getting results like this for health-care practitioners is a major win.

Back here in North America, we all know in our hearts that we have lost that personal connection with nature and that it lives somewhere “out there” beyond our reach of our ever growing concrete jungle. This year in 2020, we have seen huge impacts on our personal well being with the pandemic and the urge for us to escape into nature was seen here this past summer in British Columbia. Provincial and National Parks across the province saw record numbers of users, accessing these environments and spending more time in nature than ever before.