A Healthy Dose of Green

Our health and well-being are intricately interconnected with the health of our natural environment.

While it has been well-documented that new, thriving forests offer one of the most important, sustainable, nature-based solutions to boost biodiversity and mitigate the harmful effects of climate change, less is often written about the incredible health and wellness benefits our natural landscapes provide.

From declining stress to improved rehabilitation, there is growing evidence that human mental and physical well-being is closely associated with the health of our forest ecosystems. Trees help reduce smog and pollution in our neighbourhoods by filtering out many airborne pollutants that can negatively impact our health, and forests are an integral part of the water cycle, helping to maintain the quality of groundwater.

The following Healthy Dose of Green paper was produced by Trees Ontario (now Forests Canada) a few years ago, and highlights the links between human health and the health of rural and urban forests.