While numerous studies showing the health benefits of spending time in nature, it’s not always easy to carve out a daily ritual. For the fifth year, Genuine Health and the David Suzuki Foundation have partnered on the 30x30 Nature Challenge, which encourages Canadians to spend at least 30 minutes a day, for 30 days in May, in natural settings.
The benefits are huge, says Letelle Spezowka, Community Relations and Events Manager for Genuine Health. “It improves your work ethic, and helps people have fewer sick days—as a workplace challenge, it really makes sense,” she says. “There’s also a therapeutic effect: gardening, being nature, submerging yourself in it, gives you a sense of well-being and relaxation.”
Cultivating “the nature habit” in downtown Toronto isn’t always easy, and doing the challenge means Torontonians must seek out green spaces. “There are rooftop areas people don’t always know about, and the challenge gives them an opportunity to find those spaces,” says Spezowka. She suggests visiting parks like Trinity-Bellwoods or High Park as a way to get immersed in green spaces.
Spezowka also recommends less obvious places to commune with nature: “Go up the CN Tower and look at the view!” She says that finding nature in the city requires people to “think big, and think small. Have some plants in your home or condo, or making sure you have fresh-cut flowers at your workplace. Even looking at images of nature can be beneficial.”
Genuine Health is offering prize packs including camping gear, tea, and picnic supplies to help encourage Canadians to join the challenge. Participants are encouraged to write a love letter to nature, snap a picture, and post it on social media for a chance to win. But for most people, just being outside in Ontario’s natural spaces will be rewarding enough. Says Spezowka, “There are waterfalls, the escarpment, and so much out there. There’s a lot to explore.”