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The Child and Nature Alliance of Canada is the custodian of the Healthy by Nature website in its legacy state. The website is also supported by the communications studio Rocketday and their Among Nature project.
The content on this legacy website is made possible through generous support from BC Parks and Healthy Families BC.
forum sponsors
endorsing organizations
steering committee
- BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres
- BC Healthy Communities
- BC Ministry of Health
- BC Parks
- BC Recreation and Parks Association
- Child & Nature Alliance
- Elders Council for Parks in BC
- The Kesho Trust
- Nature Conservancy of Canada
- Parks Canada
- Royal Roads University
other planning partners
- BC Ministry of Education
- Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – BC Chapter
- City of Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation
- KidActive
- Metro Vancouver
- Public Health Agency of Canada
- Young Naturalists’ Club of BC
previous events
Healthy Parks Healthy People

2010, Melbourne, Australia. Parks Victoria hosted the inaugural Healthy Parks Healthy People International Congress, based on an initiative which had been running for a few years. This Congress produced the Melbourne Communiqué, which called on governments of the world to recognize the association between humanity and nature.
Healthy Children, Healthy Spaces

2010, Ottawa, Canada. With more than 100 multi-sector champions and experts engaged, the Healthy Children Healthy Spaces conference explored the roles that outdoor spaces, risk, perceptions of risk and liability, access to safe, inspiring outdoor play, learning and living have on the health of our children and communities. Outcomes addressed eliminating existing barriers and increasing access to healthy spaces, fostering opportunities so that every child can learn, live and play outside. Keynote speakers Tim Gill, Dr. Andrew Pipe, Dr. Catherine O’Brien and Cornelia Oberlander offered critical insight into the health of children and the importance of time in nature.
Nature Child Reunion / Get Outside!

2007, 2009, Victoria, Canada. Two collaborative events initiated by the Kesho Trust were hosted at Royal Roads University. Nature Child Reunion (2007) and Get Outside! (2009) brought together multi-sector groups of professionals to address strategies to increase the connection that children and families have with nature. As a result of these events, the Child and Nature Alliance was launched. The Healthy by Nature forum is designed to build on the momentum of this event while making strong links with the health sector.
Canadian Parks Council

2006, across Canada. The Canadian Parks Council have developed a Healthy by Nature Concept Paper. Building on the early work of Healthy Parks Healthy People initiative, the Canadian Parks Council embraced the opportunity to extend the connections between environment, parks and population health across Canada. BC Parks and Parks Canada (Canadian Parks Council members) are participating in the development of the Healthy by Nature forum.