Campus Health Now Offering Nature Prescriptions

As of the spring semester, NC State health providers have a new tool in their toolbox for treating students facing challenges to their wellbeing: nature prescriptions! Nature prescriptions are recommendations from medical providers to spend a designated amount of time outdoors or participating in a nature-based activity to improve physical and mental health.

This effort began with a partnership between Dr. Courtney Hinton, Medical Director of Campus Health, and Laura Boyd, Associate Director of Prevention Services and co-lead of Campus Nature Rx at NC State. Hinton and Boyd connected through their work together on NC State CARES, a referral program that is part of early detection efforts to help support the campus community. Through a holistic approach, CARES offers practical support for issues ranging from finances to housing to relationships, with accessible solutions that will positively impact their lives. And what is a more accessible and inclusive resource than nature? Connection with nature has been proven to improve both mental and physical health, and is particularly vital for students. Research from NC State finds that nature is key to building student resilience and coping with high-pressure stress (Lincoln et al., 2021).

The Power of Nature

Among the many takeaways from the COVID-19 pandemic was the positive impact of nature on mental health and well-being. During this difficult time, NC State’s beautiful outdoor spaces offered solace, comfort, and reprieve during a very trying and isolating time. Dr. Hinton argues that NC State’s robust outdoor spaces were a key reason for its resilience during the pandemic, allowing courses and activities to continue outside. “About 20% of the primary diagnoses of patients that are seen in Campus Health are mental health conditions,” explains Dr. Hinton. “So we have to always be thinking about how we can, in an accessible way, make sure they have the support they need.” One of those accessible solutions is nature. Dr. Hinton and her team often had conversations with students encouraging time outdoors to help improve their physical and mental health. 

Connecting Students with Nature on Campus

As a member of the Campus Nature Rx (CNRx) national network, NC State is in a prime position to offer student support through its plentiful green spaces. Boyd describes CNRx as “a national program for colleges and universities that harnesses the power of nature to enhance student overall well-being.” The concept for the network was inspired by Nature Rx: Improving College-Student Mental Health, which highlights the profound and positive impacts of nature on student health. CNRx at NC State is one of more than 100 member institutions in the Campus Nature Rx Network. Boyd, along with CNRx co-lead Dr. Megan Lupek, work together to support inclusive, student-centered engagement, research, and outreach programming at the intersection of nature and well-being through CNRx.

Connecting with Campus Partners

Boyd explains, “As someone who works at the intersection of mental health and nature, seeing the rise in anxiety and depression related concerns, it just seemed logical to look toward campus partners to pilot innovative ways to improve students’ mental health.” Boyd came to Dr. Hinton in Fall 2025 presenting the concept of nature prescriptions. “For me, I thought, ‘This is great!’ This is already what we are doing, so now we can make it a more formal process,” says Dr. Hinton. While nature prescriptions may be new to NC State, they are not a foreign concept. In fact, there are about 75-100 nature prescription programs nationwide aimed at increasing physical activity and improving overall well-being (Kondo et al., 2020).

Prescribing Nature

To forge this partnership between Campus Health and CNRx, Campus Health providers first had to learn more about CNRx and their identified campus green spaces. Then, they had to work with their informatics team to add a nature prescription option to the electronic health record (EHR). “We built out a nature prescription in the  EHR where we can check a box recommending the students to visit green spaces on campus,” shares Dr. Hinton. The prescription does not include a prefixed time in nature to allow the providers the flexibility and opportunity to work more closely with the students, identifying a plan that works best for them. The nature prescription lives alongside other medical recommendations in the students’ health record – such as  rehab exercises for an injury or recommended over-the-counter medications – highlighting the importance and validity of nature exposure in improving health outcomes.

Everyone can benefit from time outdoors. But what necessitates a nature prescription as part of a treatment plan? Dr. Hinton likens it to a vitamin or mineral deficiency, such as vitamin D. While everyone needs vitamin D, not everyone needs a prescription for it between their sun exposure and dietary intake. The same holds true when prescribing nature. “It is a common question for us in Campus Health, to ask, ‘What are you studying on campus?’” says Dr. Hinton. “Believe it or not, this can be very tied to our diagnosis of what is going on with the student.” Students may already have nature exposure as part of their studies and day-to-day life and therefore don’t need a prescription, whereas others may need a prescription to encourage their exposure to nature.

The ultimate goal at Campus Health is to assess students’ health and move them in the direction needed to feel their best. For some, that means getting a nature prescription to encourage nature-based activities. With this collaboration between Campus Health and CNRx, NC State is forging a more resilient campus community in touch with nature and student well-being.

Sources

• Kondo, M. C., Oyekanmi, K. O., Gibson, A., South, E. C., Bocarro, J., & Hipp, J. A. (2020). Nature prescriptions for health: A review of evidence and research opportunities. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(12), 4213.
• Larson, L. R., Mullenbach, L. E., Browning, M. H., Rigolon, A., Thomsen, J., Metcalf, E. C., … & Labib, S. M. (2022). Greenspace and park use associated with less emotional distress among college students in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Environmental research, 204, 112367