BERKSHIRES
Berkshires
About
Nature Treatment is a community health initiative exploring natural alternatives to medicine and designing programs in collaboration with healthcare providers, land managers and community partners to inspire the utilization of parks, trails, and open space for the purpose of improving individual and community health.
The link between human and ecological health is not new knowledge, but the growing movement of the health care sector prescribing nature to highlight this link is. This collaborative effort shows that nature prescriptions have the potential to shift human health care to include nature-connecting interventions.
With the support of community partners, Nature Treatment encourages and even assists everyone to start seeing visits to parks and public lands as very important parts of their health.
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Planning Meeting
Sat Feb.9th 10-12
Lenox Community Center
Treatment Options
“Nature is good for us – it is a great antidote to a variety of ailments, including obesity, heart disease, and depression,” Jarvis said in a press release titled “Doctors Warn that Hiking is Contagious: Park Rx Day Events in 26 States Encourage Everyone to Take a Hike.” “A growing number of public health officials now prescribe time in parks for the overall well-being of their patients. In fact, it is becoming a standard medical practice to tell patients to take a hike.”
Jonathan Jarvis
National Park Service Director
"Initiatives like Hike With Healers led by Eric Krawczyk epitomizes the therapeutic role being connected with nature has in our busy modern lives. Our connection with nature is in our DNA! Hike With Healers is a unique opportunity to connect compassionate caregivers in the Berkshires with individuals hungry for a better quality of life. The venues are beautiful, inspiring, and the opportunity to connect with others in a healing context, truly special. Vitamin "N" is both new and ancient and we need to cultivate this connection more than ever.
Dr. Mark Pettus, MD, Director of Medical Education, Wellness & County Health
Berkshire Health Systems
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