RACGP-Backed Guide Encourages GPs to Prescribe Time in Nature
11 Nov 2026
Spending time outdoors could become a more regular part of patient care, with a new resource encouraging Australian GPs to recommend nature-based activities as part of their consultations.
The Nature Dose guide, developed by the People and Parks Foundation in collaboration with the RACGP, provides practical advice on helping patients connect with the natural environment.
It defines a Nature Dose as spending at least 120 minutes each week connecting with nature. Suggested activities include walking in local parks, gardening, listening to the sounds of nature and spending time in green spaces.
The guide is designed to help GPs discuss preventive health, mental wellbeing and lifestyle habits with their patients.
Dr Nicole Sleeman, Chair of RACGP Specific Interests Climate and Environmental Medicine, said the resource gives doctors practical ways to introduce nature into patients' daily routines.
She said activities such as visiting a local park, gardening or walking through green spaces can help patients find simple and achievable ways to spend more time outdoors.
Dr Sleeman also highlighted the connection between human health and the natural environment, saying that protecting nature is part of supporting healthier communities and future generations.
Evidence supporting nature-based activities was also highlighted in a University of Melbourne evaluation of a six-week People and Parks Foundation program.
The study involved 62 young Australians living with mild to moderate mental illness. Participants took part in two hours of nature-based activities each week, including yoga, nature journaling, photography, tree planting and bushwalking.
By the end of the program, the average wellbeing score among participants had increased from 5.7 to 6.4 out of 10.
Professor Dianne Vella-Brodrick said participants also reported reduced psychological distress and loneliness.
The study found that participants experienced a 10% improvement in their sense of community connection after completing the program. Those who completed it twice experienced greater and longer-lasting mental health benefits.
The Nature Dose guide also suggests simple everyday activities, such as stopping to listen to the wind in trees, taking a lunchtime walk along leafy streets, picking up litter and avoiding damage to natural spaces.
Dr Sleeman said RACGP recognition gives the resource credibility and makes it relevant to Australian general practice.
She also acknowledged the long-standing understanding among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of the connection between health, Country and nature.
She said growing scientific evidence is reinforcing these holistic approaches to health and wellbeing, which have been understood by First Nations peoples for generations.
RACGP-Backed Guide Encourages GPs to Prescribe Time in Nature
Source: People and Parks Foundation – Nature Dose Guide; University of Melbourne.