EPA Region: CANADA (ENGLISH-SpeakING)
Our environmental physiotherapy community in English-speaking Canada is diverse and dynamic. Our community includes many perspectives and places, uniting around common interests and values, with our connecting thread being environmental justice, social justice, and health justice.
The philosophy of Two-Eyed Seeing (Etuaptumumk in the Mi’kmaq language), alongside the perspectives and teachings from the cultural melting-pot that is Canada, guides our engagement and reflections on environmental physiotherapy. From identifying the problems we are facing to creating solutions together, we hold space for the injustices of the past to ensure we are doing better moving forward.
We believe this work starts where the members of our community are: clinical, research, teaching, learning, policy, and the many other professional roles physiotherapists hold.
To get involved, contact our current EPA region representative Nicole Struthers: nstruth2 (æt) uwo.ca
Land Acknowledgement
Poem: BEYOND “Thank you for the real estate”: https://decolonialfutures.net/beyond-thank-you-for-the-real-estate/
Key readings
An international and interdisciplinary framework for nature prescribing in healthcare: A modified Delphi study
The international and interdisciplinary framework for nature prescribing in healthcare exemplifies the interconnectedness of human and environmental health, the role of society and culture on experiences of and with environment and health, and the planetary health potential of environmentally-conscious nature prescribing. It proposes future directions for various communities and stakeholder groups, including clinical practice, research, education. It acknowledges the land and territories where the framework was conceived, through intentional choice of including a turtle (Mikinaak/Mshiikenh) to acknowledge Turtle Island (Canada) and the original guardians and care takers of the Land from time in memorial; Indigenous peoples of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit descent.
For physiotherapists engaging in environmental physiotherapy, it provides an overview of definitions, knowledge, and connections that would support clinical reasoning, as well as an outline of how and when nature prescriptions should be offered, as well as what physiotherapists and patients or clients need to know for safe provision and participation.
Struthers, N. A., Zecevic, A. A., Stanhope, J., Breed, M. F., Gittings, L., Gunz, A., Wagenfeld, A., Birmingham, T., Kothari, A., & Maric, F. (2026). An international and interdisciplinary framework for nature prescribing in healthcare: A modified Delphi study. PLOS Global Public Health, 6(4), e0006361. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0006361
The determinants of planetary health: an Indigenous consensus perspective
Redvers, N., Celidwen, Y., Schultz, C., Horn, O., Githaiga, C., Vera, M., Perdrisat, M., Mad Plume, L., Kobei, D., Kain, M. C., Poelina, A., Rojas, J. N., & Blondin, B. (2022). The determinants of planetary health: an Indigenous consensus perspective. The Lancet Planetary Health, 6(2), e156–e163. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2542-5196(21)00354-5
The determinants of planetary health: an Indigenous consensus perspective
Redvers, N., Celidwen, Y., Schultz, C., Horn, O., Githaiga, C., Vera, M., Perdrisat, M., Mad Plume, L., Kobei, D., Kain, M. C., Poelina, A., Rojas, J. N., & Blondin, B. (2022). The determinants of planetary health: an Indigenous consensus perspective. The Lancet Planetary Health, 6(2), e156–e163. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2542-5196(21)00354-5
Podcasts
Global Physio Podcast
The Global Physio Podcast was created to bring global health topics to life for physiotherapists.
Hot Air, Cool People Podcast
Devoted to cool professionals with cool ideas for a planet full of hot air. Together, we bring forward interesting knowledge and ideas about how our health, climate change and environmental issues are all related & what we can do to make our world a “cooler”, healthier place.
Continuing Education
Nature Rx: Foundations of Outdoor Physical Activity Prescription for Older Adults
Led by experienced physiotherapists and researchers, join this on-demand course that introduces the Nature Rx movement, highlighting how time in nature can be used as a safe, accessible, and effective prescription to promote mobility, reduce frailty, and improve mental well-being in aging populations.
PaRx Canada – A nature prescriptions initiative
An initiative of the BC Parks Foundation, PaRx is driven by Canadian healthcare professionals who want to improve their patients’ health by connecting them to nature. Featuring practical resources like quick tips and patient handouts, its goal is to encourage patients to incorporate outdoor experiences in their local communities into their daily routines by formalizing an evidence-based recommendation in writing, giving it the same weight as a traditional prescription for medication.
Header image by Cole Keister on Unsplash