Our Mission

History

As college students face rising levels of stress and mental health challenges, Campus Nature Rx (CNRx) was created to harness the timeless healing power of nature to support well-being on campuses. The idea for the network grew out of the book Nature Rx: Improving College-Student Mental Health (Rakow & Eells, 2019), which highlighted the profound and positive impact nature can have on student health. 

Inspired by this work, representatives from Cornell University, the University of California–Davis, the University of Minnesota, and William & Mary came together in January 2019 to share their campus-specific approaches to integrating nature engagement into student life. Their collaboration led to the founding of the Campus Nature Rx Network—a dynamic coalition that now includes more than 90 colleges and universities and over 100 higher education professionals.

The mission of CNRx is to serve as a coordinating hub that supports individual campus programs by fostering connections and collaboration, sharing evidence-based practices, providing inspiration and practical resources, making a strong case for Campus Nature Rx initiatives, and advocating for institutional change that prioritizes inclusive student, staff, and community well-being through regular, meaningful, and equitable nature engagement. 

We at CNRx welcome everyone interested in this work to join us in our mission. Please visit our members page to view a list of our network, join CNRx, find information on individual programs, and/or connect with campus representatives.