As we have all expected being around nature makes us healthier! Exposure to green spaces has long been documented as being beneficial to our health. These health benefits include decreased restlessness, fatigue and improved mental health.

Although here in Canada we are free from the high costs of privatized healthcare, our neighbours to the south incur major costs through their system. The benefit that nature has on a person’s health can provide immense health care savings! Using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), a measure of green space density, researchers measured healthcare costs in relation to the “greenness” of an area. The results showed that the greener an area is, the less the residents would spend on healthcare!

The benefits that nature provides must not be neglected in our cities! Forêt Capitale Forest’s goal of increasing the forest canopy in Ottawa aims to provide communities with improved access to nature. Accessibility to green spaces is vital for both human health and the health of our planet!

A new study that investigates the relationship between residential green space and health care costs adds to the growing body of evidence that exposure to green space has health benefits. Perhaps framing the goals of urban afforestation and measuring tree canopy benefits with real dollar values can incentivize decision makers.

The study is referenced in the summary article linked below which is well worth the read! Residential Nature Tied to Hundreds of Dollars of Savings in Healthcare Costs