Patients across Hamilton will soon have a new kind of prescription to fill: one that leads outdoors.
Through a new partnership between the Hamilton Conservation Authority (HCA) and PaRx, patients receiving a PaRx nature prescription can now access a 30-day membership pass to HCA conservation areas, making it easier to spend time in some of the region’s most iconic natural spaces.
PaRx, Canada’s national nature prescription program led by BC Parks Foundation, supports healthcare professionals in prescribing time in nature to improve physical and mental health. Grounded in research showing that even two hours outdoors each week can support better health outcomes, the program is helping make nature part of everyday care.
In Hamilton, that care can take place across a remarkable network of landscapes, including Dundas Valley, Christie Lake, Fifty Point, Valens Lake and more, giving patients nearby places to spend time outside as part of their recovery and wellbeing.
For Hamilton resident Paul Stacho, that access has been life-changing.
After a serious workplace accident left him dealing with chronic pain, insomnia, and depression, Paul began slowly returning to nature, starting with short visits to HCA conservation areas.
“Step by step, I started going into the Hamilton conservation areas,” says Paul. “Later, I took a camera with me. My doctors told me to focus on what I loved before the accident: the forest, the animals, the quiet. It really helped me enormously.”
Over time, those visits became a steady part of his recovery. Today, he credits time in nature with helping him rebuild his health—physically and mentally—after the accident.
“I truly believe time in nature enabled me to survive and recover.”
Healthcare providers in the region are increasingly recognizing the role nature can play in patient care.
Dr. Meghan Davis, a Hamilton-based physician and PaRx prescriber, says the program is helping patients take meaningful steps toward better health, especially when access is built in.
“In Hamilton, we’re surrounded by incredible natural spaces, but not every patient feels able—or even permitted—to prioritize time there,” says Davis. “When I write a nature prescription, it creates a clear, supported step. Removing the cost barrier with these passes makes it much more likely that patients will actually go, and keep going.”
For HCA, the partnership reflects the value these places already hold for the community.
“HCA conservation areas offer something truly special, from the Niagara Escarpment to our forested trails,” says Lisa Burnside, Chief Administrative Officer at HCA. “We see people returning to these spaces again and again. Making access easier means more people can spend time here when it matters most.”
The program is part of a broader shift toward recognizing nature as a practical, evidence-based part of care.
“PaRx is growing across the country because we’re seeing what happens when nature becomes part of care and when access is built in,” says Jennie McCaffrey, Vice President, Health & Education at BC Parks Foundation. “Partnerships like this one with the Hamilton Conservation Authority help turn a prescription into a daily habit. Even small amounts of time in nature can support better health, and people who spend time outside are more likely to protect these places. That’s the shift we’re working toward.”
For Stacho, that shift began with short visits and became something he’s returned to for decades. Now 71, his experience of healing in nature has inspired him to become a donor to the Hamilton Conservation Foundation.
“I’m a living example,” he says. “If people are struggling, I tell them to go to nature. Try it. It can help more than you think.”
