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Contact with green spaces
and nature improves psychological health by reducing stress levels, enhancing mood and self-esteem and offering a restorative environment which enables people to relax, unwind and recharge their batteries.
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Participating in physical activity results in positive outcomes for both physical and mental health.
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For
the last 7 years
the Green Exercise Research Team
at the University of Essex, has combined these ideas
into a programme of research to investigate the synergistic
benefits of engaging in physical activities whilst
simultaneously being exposed to nature.
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We
refer to this as
"GREEN EXERCISE"
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Latest
News.....
'A Dose of Nature'
- Our new research paper
was recently published in the Environmental Science and Technology
journal. For the first time
we have been able to show dose-response relationships for the positive
effects of nature on human mental health.
To date the paper has had over 400 press articles written about it in over 40
countries....
New book now published
- Nature and
Culture: Rebuilding Lost Connections, Edited by Sarah Pilgrim and Jules
Pretty. July 2010. Earthscan, London. 'The book tells important stories about how indigenous
cultures are closely tied to the ecosystems they inhabit. As their
societies are harassed by encroaching and usually hostile forces, those
close links are being stretched and broken. Quite apart from their right
to continue to live as they choose, there is much we can learn from them
about how to live in harmony with nature. Indeed, our very existence may
depend upon our recognising this'.
3rd National Care Farming Conference:
"Care Farming - Working Partnerships"
at Harper
Adams University College on
16th September 2010.
Please use this link for
further information and booking form
and for details of the press release click
here.
BBC Film Clip
- Watch a film clip of a 'Let Nature Feed Your Senses' farm visit to
see how people benefit from spending time in nature.
Generations Growing Together (GGT) Toolkit
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Residents of Essex can now access information and advice about the GGT
project developed by Essex County Council. The document provides you
with the tools to locate your local growing areas and other useful and
interesting information.
Richard Louv visits the UK
- Read more about his work on 'children's nature deficit disorder'
in the
Guardian article and visit his
webpage...
Healthy
Parks Healthy People International Congress 2010
- Read more about the Melbourne event that looked at the contribution of
nature and parks to health and wellbeing.
A Conceptual Framework for Green
Care - A conceptual model and
theoretical framework for 'green care' has been developed by the working
group on the health benefits of green care within
COST Action 866 (Green care
in Agriculture).
The book will be out shortly and associated papers are also available.
The Development of Green Care in Western
European Countries
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What is green care, and what are its basic goals? What are the most
commonly known types of green care interventions, and how are they
connected to each other? There are different sectors of green care
intervention that vary from each other regarding their structure,
specific goals, and purpose. These traits are investigated in this
review.
'Nature, Childhood, Health and Life Pathways'
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We
have written an occasional paper which looks at the relationship between
nature, children, health and life pathways. We propose a funnel of
pathways within which all our lives are shaped. At the top, people live
longer with a better quality of life; at the bottom they die earlier and
often live years with a lower quality of life. The paper discusses the
many factors that influence our life pathways. Many of the social and
environmental conditions of childhood predict or track adult health
status and early socially-stimulating environments are crucial. There is
a need to establish good behaviours early and engagement with wild
nature can secure positive adult outcomes.
Outdoor activity has a positive effect on long-term memory and cognitive
development is influenced by free play and exploration. The need for
engaging children with nature at an early age is clear.
If you have any relevant news,
information, projects or papers you would like to share please contact
Jo Barton (jobarton@essex.ac.uk)
and we will include a link to your work on our website.
Who are
we working with.....
Mind -
Ecominds Grant Programme:
Fund environmentally-orientated
projects involving people with direct experience of mental distress.
Linking Environment And Farming (LEAF) and The Sensory Trust -
Let Nature Feed Your Senses:
Connect disengaged groups and individuals with nature and the
countryside, through food and farming.
Discovery Quest -
Walking and Outdoor Activity Therapy
Project:
Promote
healthier lifestyles
through challenging 6 month walking
programmes, where people get quality time spent in green and wild
places.
Wilderness Foundation -
TurnAround Project:
Manage an
ongoing 10-12 month
community based, holistic intervention programme aimed at vulnerable
14-17 year old young people from Mid-Essex.
The
programme is a structured combination of wilderness trails, one-to-one
mentoring by community volunteers, skills workshops, nature based
activity/education days, dedicated tutoring and work experience form
local employers.
Dementia Adventure -
Enable people living with dementia
to connect with nature and engage in adventure activities.
Essex County
Council - Generations Growing Together:
An intergenerational approach to social activities which actively
encourages the 'breaking down' of barriers and challenges, negative
stereotypes and behaviour. It encourages participation in
intergenerational neighbourhood growing areas, such as allotment
activities.
Suffolk Wildlife Trust - Youth Outdoor Experience:
Provide structured outdoor activities in local green spaces for
young people to help them build exercise outdoors into their lifestyle.
