Features in Green Spaces: Trees, woodlands, meadows, lakes, What’s in a Green Space rivers, streams, scenic views, plants, birds, ponds, gardens, and wildlife Types of Green Spaces: Urban and rural parks, conservation areas, that makes us feel so good? community and home gardens, farmland, green roofs, cemeteries, Ecohealth multi-use trails, sportsfields, beaches, playgrounds, etc. What is Ecohealth? Better Physical Health Five Things You Can Do COLLABORATE across sectors and disciplines (e.g. public health, Ecohealth is the relationship between human Living Near Trees & Green Space Has Benefits: 1 planning, parks, watershed management, academia) to build awareness and influence the protection and enhancement of and environmental health. People who live in neighbourhoods with Walking outside has been proven to green space by highlighting the benefits to human health. a higher density of trees on their streets provide physical health benefits such as: ECOSYSTEM BENEFITS HEALTHY PEOPLE report significantly higher health 2 ADVOCATE for strengthened green space policies that support perception and less cardio-metabolic healthy communities e.g. provision of shade, heat reduction, conditions. improved air quality, active transportation, biodiversity Forests Clean air & water Improved mental conservation and access to green space. Wetlands Food & medicines & physical wellbeing Trees help to improve air quality and Water Important natural & wildlife habitat Livable communities combat climate change. Over 80 years, 3 PROMOTE equitable access to green space with a focus on Soil Less pollution, drought & heat increasing access to vulnerable populations (e.g. seniors, Plants Less mental anxiety the average Canadian tree absorbs 200 children and people living on low income). Animals More social interactions kg of carbon dioxide – plus ozone, More opportunity for physical activity carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, fine 4 INFLUENCE official plans, watershed plans, strategies and other particulate matter and sulphur dioxide. policies to protect and enhance green space. We rely on nature for multiple benefits for both a 5 SHARE information about health evidence for the protection healthy environment and healthy people. and/or enhancement of green space. Keeping Cool: Reduce Risk of Trees, green roofs, and Chronic Diseases: other green infrastructure SOME CHALLENGES Green spaces reduce ecohealth-ontario.on.ca reduce the demand for human exposure to air Who is EcoHealth Ontario? heating and cooling by pollutants, thereby Current levels reflecting light and heat, reducing risk factors for EcoHealth Ontario is a collaborative of public health, of AIR POLLUTION releasing water vapour into lead to: cardiovascular and environmental, planning, parks & education sectors who: the air through transpiration respiratory diseases. 3,550 HOSPITALIZATIONS and providing shade. Raise awareness of the public health benefits EcoHealth Ontario gratefully acknowledges 1,300 Each the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Forests Ontario PREMATURE DEATHS YEAR of a healthy & sustainable environment and our Steering Committee members for their in Toronto generous support of our work. Better Mental Health Build a common vision around ecohealth Influence policy EcoHealth Ontario Steering Committee Contact with nature (including trees, - Conservation Ontario Climate Change A ects Natural Environments and Human Health Develop and share ecohealth research, - Community of Practice in Ecosystem lakes, rivers, wildlife, blue skies) can information, and outreach tools Approaches to Health, Ontario Node provide stress relief, reduce brain - Credit Valley Conservation Expected human health impacts include: fatigue, enhance the five senses, - Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto • Vector-borne diseases (West Nile virus and Lyme disease) and improve memory, mood, Research - Forests Ontario • Extreme weather impacts (Injury and illness due to flooding) positive thinking, decision-making - Ontario Professional Planners Institute • Temperature related illness (heat stress, hypothermia) ability, mental sharpness, creativity, - Ontario Public Health Association • Air-quality effects (Cardiopulmonary diseases, asthma) and attention span. Collaboration Outreach - Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit • Water and food contamination - Toronto Public Health - Toronto and Region Conservation Selected Sources: • Berry et al. (2014) Human Health; in Canada in a Changing Climate: Sector Perspectives on Impacts and Adaptation, (ed.) F.J. Warren and D.S. Lemmen; Government of Canada. Policy - York Region Community and Health Services • Kardan et al. (2015) Neighborhood greenspace and health in a large urban center. Scientific Reports Vol. 5. • Zupancic et al. (2015) Green City: Why Nature Matters to Health – An Evidence Review. Toronto Public Health. • Zupancic et al. (2015) The impact of green space on heat and air pollution in urban communities: A meta-narrative systematic review. David Suzuki Foundation.