CENTER INITIATIVES
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Programs that put our mission into practice......
Bringing nature prescriptions into clinical care...
CHN is developing a nature prescription program that brings together expertise in medicine, conservation, and public health. Building on an IRB-approved pilot, the initiative will work with Houston Methodist physicians to prescribe visits to local parks for patients with a range of physical and mental health concerns.
The program will evaluate how nature prescriptions may support health and well-being, while also examining their relationship with sustainability behaviors.
SETTING · Houston Methodist
FOCUS · Nature prescription · Clinical implementation · Health & well-being
Bringing evidence-based nature into the hospital environment....
Bringing evidence-based nature into the hospital environment.
Houston Methodist's 26-story Centennial Tower will include an outdoor rooftop Healing Garden on the 14th floor, designed to provide patients, visitors, and staff with access to nature for respite, rehabilitation, and therapeutic healing.
Through CHN, Houston Methodist collaborated with a Texas A&M Landscape Architecture Design class to develop evidence-based concepts for the garden. Elements from the selected design are planned for incorporation into the new garden, scheduled to open in 2027.
SETTING · Healthcare environment
FOCUS · Healing gardens · Evidence-based design · Nature in healthcare
PARTNERS · Houston Methodist · Texas A&M
Bringing the science of nature and health into the community.
CHN and Houston Botanic Garden have collaborated to make nature-and-health science accessible through public education and immersive experiences. The partnership has included the 2022 Nurture by Nature festival and educational programming featuring CHN researchers.
The collaboration also includes development of a Science of Health and Nature walking tour, designed to use the Garden's ecosystems as an experiential setting for communicating how nature can influence health.
SETTING · Community
FOCUS · Public education · Nature & health · Experiential learning
PARTNER · Houston Botanic Garden
Understanding who uses Houston's trails.... and who does not.
In partnership with Houston Parks Board, CHN researchers use geospatial measures, observations, and intercept surveys to examine patterns of use along Houston's Bayou Greenways.
A central goal is to identify populations that may be underrepresented among trail users. These findings can help inform community-based strategies aimed at improving access to and use of the Bayou Greenways across Houston.
SETTING · Houston Bayou Greenways
FOCUS · Greenspace access · Equity · Trail use · Community health
PARTNER · Houston Parks Board
Financial Support
Research initiatives are generously supported by the Kinder Foundation and the Marek Family Foundation.
There are many ways to get involved and support our mission. Collaborate on garden projects, sponsor or attend our symposium, or make a contribution to the Center for Health & Nature Collaborative Research Innovation Fund to support research projects that help us understand the connection between nature and health. Contact us for more information.
Have an idea that aligns with our work?
Have an idea that aligns with our work?
CHN collaborates across healthcare, research, design, conservation, and community settings to develop and evaluate approaches connecting nature and health.
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