Pandemic-weary Canadians have emphatically turned to nature to help them deal with the impacts of COVID-19, says a new poll from Nature Conservancy Canada. 

According to the Ipsos poll, 94 per cent of people credit time spent in nature with helping them to relieve the stress of the pandemic in its second wave. More than 85 per cent of people surveyed said access to nature has helped their mental health and three in four Canadians say time outdoors is even more important to them now than it was before the pandemic. 

Other poll findings: 

• 94 per cent of Canadians acknowledge that nature is helping them to relieve stress or anxiety
• 86 per cent of Canadians agree spending time in nature is important to their mental health during COVID-19
• 74 per cent of Canadians agree spending time in nature is more important to them now than ever before, given the pandemic.
• 78 per cent of Canadians say being in nature is the best way to visit with friends and family right now (depending on provincial protocols on bubbles)
• 55 per cent say they plan to spend more time outdoors to get through the winter months.
• 91 per cent of Canadians agree we must invest now more than ever in protecting, restoring and caring for natural spaces for Canadians

What does your access to nature look like? Share your images with us on social media using #ShareCanGeo!