PaRx expands global reach with Italy launch and international alliance

Nature Prescriptions Italy launches in partnership with BC Parks Foundation, while a new international alliance advances nature prescribing around the world.

Nature prescribing is gaining ground internationally, and BC Parks Foundation is helping bring Canada's experience with PaRx to new partners around the world.

In October 2026, Nature Prescriptions Italy officially launched in Milan, developed through a partnership between the Italian Academy of Biophilia (AIB) and BC Parks Foundation, the organization behind Canada's national nature prescription program, PaRx.

“It's wonderful to see the PaRx idea taking root around the world,” says Jennie McCaffrey, Vice President of Strategic Engagement in Nature, Health and Learning at BC Parks Foundation. “We're so happy to celebrate this milestone with our friends and colleagues at the Italian Academy of Biophilia. They've worked incredibly hard to bring nature prescribing to Italy, and we're excited to see where they take it next.”

Led by AIB, with scientific coordination from the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (SIMA), the program draws on Canada's experience with nature prescribing, with BC Parks Foundation sharing knowledge and resources to support its development.

“We want to make spending time in nature a more familiar part of everyday life and healthcare in Italy,” says Rita White, founder and vice-president of the Italian Academy of Biophilia. “We know how important nature is for our health. Now we want to help healthcare professionals put that evidence into practice, so more people can experience those benefits for themselves.”

On October 15, Rita presented Nature Prescriptions Italy at the First National Conference on Natural Health Presidia, organized by IRCCS MultiMedica and Parco Nord Milano, sharing PaRx's experience in Canada and the growing international interest in nature prescribing with Italian healthcare professionals and researchers.

AIB is also developing a training platform to help physicians, psychologists, and other healthcare professionals understand the evidence behind nature prescriptions and how they can be used in practice.

Also in October, the International Nature Prescribing Alliance (INPA) officially launched at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP17), with BC Parks Foundation among its member organizations.

BC Parks Foundation CEO Andy Day spoke at the launch in Yerevan, Armenia, highlighting the connection between human health and nature conservation and the importance of protecting natural spaces for the health of communities.

Founded by Canadian physician Dr. Melissa Lem, INPA brings together organizations working across healthcare and conservation to advance nature prescribing worldwide. The alliance will support international cooperation, share clinical and research resources, and help healthcare professionals incorporate nature into patient care.

For Jennie McCaffrey, one of the most promising aspects of this international collaboration is the opportunity to learn from other countries: “  What's encouraging is seeing people take an idea that has worked in Canada and finding ways to make it work in their own communities. We're learning so much from one another. That's how this movement will grow.”

AIB is a collaborating organization in INPA, with Rita White serving on its inaugural Advisory Board.

As Nature Prescriptions Italy develops its training and resources for healthcare professionals, BC Parks Foundation looks forward to continuing its collaboration with AIB and working alongside INPA members to help more people experience the health benefits of nature.

An initiative of BC Parks Foundation, PaRx helps healthcare professionals prescribe time in nature to support their patients' physical and mental health. Its recommended dose is at least two hours a week outdoors, in sessions of 20 minutes or more.

Since PaRx launched in British Columbia in 2020, an estimated two million Canadians have received nature prescriptions through the program, which now has more than 22,000 registered healthcare professionals across Canada.

Learn more: PaRx | Italian Academy of Biophilia | International Nature Prescribing Alliance