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		Wilderness Therapy
		We evaluated the Wilderness Foundation’s ‘TurnAround’ community project, which was a nine month pilot programme targeting youth at risk in Essex. It combined the use of wilderness trail experiences, monthly personal development workshops and one to one life coaching to bring about a change in outlook, build self esteem, social ability and life skills. It used the power of nature as a catalyst for change and aimed to encourage disaffected young people to make long term positive changes. There were many changes reported over the course of the programme, both in terms of trends for the whole group and for individuals. In general there were fluctuations in all of the measures over the time period, but net improvements from levels at the start of the project were seen across the majority of measurements.

Participating in the wilderness therapy programme contributed to an improved self-esteem (Figure 1), enhanced mood and a greater connectedness to nature. Participating in challenging activities in the wilderness allowed the opportunity for personal reflection and all members of the group experienced a real sense of achievement. The young people successfully engaged in a personal growth journey and learnt how to manage their behaviour and express their emotions constructively. Major differences in their behaviour were observed and comparisons were extreme between the beginning and end of the programme. Thus, the Turnaround experience contributed significantly to a range of important outcomes for the young people involved.

Read the report (pdf)

We have also completed a literature review to identify the social, personal, cultural, and health related benefits of wilderness experiences, using quantified benefits wherever possible and identified areas for further research.

Read the literature review (pdf)