The Healing Power of Nature | Meet Dr. Melissa Lem, The Doctor Who Prescribes Nature

Many are familiar with the age-old wisdom that emphasizes the positive impact of nature on one’s well-being. Those who have immersed themselves in the tranquility of forests, mountains, oceanfronts, or other natural settings can attest to the profound sense of wellness they impart.

Beyond the intuitive understanding that nature feels good, there is actually also an extensive amount of research spanning over a decade that substantiates the remarkable impact it has on both our physical and mental health.

To delve in-depth into this topic, I invited, as a guest of our show, Dr. Melissa Lem—a family physician who is an internationally recognized proponent of nature and health, and who is also the Director of PaRx. An initiative of the BC Parks Foundation, PaRx is driven by healthcare professionals who want to improve patients’ health by connecting them to nature.

Show notes for this episode with all the resources mentioned can be found here: https://theipsproject.com/2024/02/dr-melissa-lem/

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🕒Timestamps🕒

• Intro 0:00 - 02:57
• Back to basics: why prescribe nature? 02:58 - 05:07
• Dr. Lem’s childhood hero: Dr. Suzuki 05:08 - 10:37
• The PaRx project 10:38 - 16:38
• Who benefits from a nature prescription? 16:39 - 18:21
• The science behind it all 18:22 - 22:30
• The healing power of nature 22:31 - 25:17
• How much nature time we need to reap the benefits 25:18 - 30:08
• The IPS Academy 30:09 - 31:25
• How much nature is enough? 31:26 - 34:00
• Nature time reduces loneliness 34:01 - 35:01
• The 3/3300 rule: more nature for everyone 35:02 - 35:55
• Bringing nature indoors 35:56 - 38:49
• Getting the most out of your nature time 38:50 - 41:55
• Measuring the effectiveness of nature 41:56 - 44:22
• The upwards trend of nature prescription 44:23 - 47:15
• Exciting upcoming research and projects 47:16 - 49:14
• The future of nature prescriptions 49:15 - 51:39
• Final question 51:40 - 55:00
• Outro 55:01 - 57:13