Healing Through Nature

A Park-Based Health Intervention for Young People in Oakland, California

Abstract

This field report describes a partnership between University of California-San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland (UBCHO) and East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) where nature is used as treatment for young people to combat stress and build resilience. Patients are recruited by healthcare providers at the UBCHO Primary Care Clinic. Patients come from diverse populations, the majority of whom live below the poverty level. Recruited patients are invited to join monthly excursions to local EBRPD parks and are encouraged to bring family members along with them.These excursions leave from the clinic on the first Saturday of each month, are facilitated by a naturalist and a physician, and include unstructured exploration, physical activity, and a group picnic. The lessons learned from this collaborative program include: 1.The health benefits of nature extend beyond physical activity. For our patient population nature has served as a tool to treat some of the stress associated with poverty; 2. Variations in temperament and developmental stage make each child’s response to nature unique; 3.Parents’ efforts to get their children outdoors should be acknowledged; 4.Being culturally responsive is as important in nature as it is in the clinic; and 5. Nature is about friends, family, community, and the security of place.