Philadelphia, PA, June 15, 2023: Awbury Arboretum is delighted to announce the appointment of Grace Parker as the new Project Manager for Prescribe Outside, a park prescription program. This move aims to further strengthen the program’s mission of improving the health and wellness of Philadelphia children by promoting the utilization of safe, accessible, and convenient public green spaces.
Prescribe Outside is a collaborative initiative between the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Primary Care Network, Awbury Arboretum, Let’s Go Outdoors, the City of Philadelphia, and the US Forest Service. The program equips physicians and families with essential tools to connect with nature, fostering increased nature experiences and contributing to better overall health outcomes for Philadelphia’s youth.
Grace Parker brings a wealth of experience from her career in nonprofits like Mt. Cuba Center and her personal relationship with CHOP. Parker has a deep understanding of CHOP’s compassion in their medical care. “This is a calling,” expressed Grace Parker. When her own family experienced health issues, she worked closely with CHOP providers. She wondered how to combine this mixture of “being highly creative, analytical, and a programmatic thinker” with her desire to “help people and CHOP families specifically.”
In her role as Project Manager, Grace Parker plans to fuse her diverse skill set to lead and coordinate the efforts of Prescribe Outside’s partners to their full potential. “This feels like such a timely subject – the sky’s the limit,” Grace Parker expressed. With her extensive experience in public horticulture, analytic education background, and passion for improving healthcare outcomes, Grace is confident that this collaboration between such compelling organizations will address a growing need in the Philadelphia area.
“Prescribe Outside strives to bring together the best of Philadelphia’s pediatric medicine with our abundant green spaces to create a force for children’s health while instilling a lifelong love of nature,” said Sara Stevenson, Awbury Arboretum’s Executive Director. “Grace’s leadership will help Prescribe Outside thrive. We’re excited to welcome her to Awbury in this new role.”
Prescribe Outside is excited to have Grace Parker as Project Manager to bolster the program’s capacity to improve the health and wellness of Philadelphia children. Through her expertise and collaboration with dedicated partners, Prescribe Outside will continue to make significant strides toward its goal of providing accessible and enriching nature experiences for the community’s youth.