Gardening, walking in the park or other doses of nature can greatly improve our mental well-being, joie de vivre and happiness, as well as greatly reduce anxiety, according to a new British study.
A seven-week pilot project in Derbyshire, where two to three hours a week were dedicated to wildlife activities, for example. B. Creating a habitat for wildlife by building apiaries and “insect hotels”, growing food or gardening for wildlife, life satisfaction of 30 participants increased by 18 percent.
According to an analysis of a study shared exclusively with I.
It also found that participants felt 27% more immersed in nature, 12% less lonely, and 12% more livable, based on standard measures of these feelings.
Green prescriptions can take many forms depending on the individual, but the most common involves bringing people together outside the home so that patients can also benefit from social interaction.
Just 15 minutes of active rest a week has been proven to really help, even though environmental regulations usually call for an hour or two a week.
Over the past two years, the government has invested £5.7 million to test NHS environmental regulations in seven boroughs in England.
While the Derbyshire pilot is not among the government’s seven official pilots, the discovery that outdoor activities have clear health benefits will put further pressure on the government to expand its green recipe scheme when it starts next year. It will decide if she wants it. roll out wider.
Seven official pilots have not yet published their results.
“Participants reported a significant improvement in their sense of inclusion and connection to nature, as well as improved well-being and reduced feelings of loneliness,” said Lisa Witham of the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, who led the pilot project.
In addition to the pilot project in Derbyshire, the WWF has participated in all seven official government pilot projects and has tested a number of other “nature” interventions.
So Craig Bennett, CEO of Wildlife Trusts, has a good idea of how well they are doing in the UK.
“We strongly believe that there is very clear evidence that if you could promote social prescribing on a large scale, it would be good for people’s health and take some of the pressure off the NHS. We strongly believe that these pilot projects must continue,” Mr. Bennett said.
“People have said that it saved their lives for some of our employees – it’s anecdotal, but the feedback we get is pretty unusual.”
“In Canada, GPs prescribe free memberships to Canadian National Parks for their help. If there are ways to improve people’s physical and mental health in ways that are actually cheaper and more effective than giving medication, then that’s a good thing, especially given the NHS crisis,” Bennett added.
A government spokesman said: “We know that being outdoors and interacting with nature can have a positive impact on our health and well-being. That’s why £5.77 million has been invested in our green social recipes program to fight mental illness.
“Launched in October 2020, this initiative has resulted in over 6,000 referrals across our seven testing and learning sites, and we are now looking at the next steps for the program,” they added.
Even if the government does not introduce environmental regulations across the country, there is growing recognition of the benefits of nature, which has been accelerated by lockdowns due to the pandemic, Mr Bennett said.
This means people are more likely to prescribe natural doses for themselves, even if a doctor doesn’t, since former industrial sites are often an unlikely and fast-growing source of green treatments, he said.
Industrial sites are often located in and around urban areas, and with the industrial decline in the UK, many areas are in need of regeneration.
“After 100 years, when nature conservation was mainly focused on protecting the best remnants of biodiversity – the last remnants of nature, the classic reserves – today the focus is on reclamation and restoration of former industrial areas. for nature, in the city and outside the city. Disturbed old sites are mostly being restored,” Mr. Bennett said.
“The conservation industry in Britain used to be about birds and bees. There is now a very strong awareness and commitment that our work must be relevant to specific communities. Therefore, the restoration of these places where people live, in a way that dramatically improves the appearance of the city center or a specific place in the community, is highly valued,” he added.
“The cost of living raises questions about where people vacation because it means fewer people will vacation overseas. People will increasingly be holidaying in the UK and access to green space will become increasingly important,” he says.
And it’s becoming increasingly necessary for exercise, Bennett says, citing a report from YouGov this month that says 10 percent of adults in the UK – that’s 5.1 million people – are in the gym or doing other sports or exercise. . due to rising cost of living.
The Derbyshire Pilot Report provides further evidence that the mental and physical health of the UK population can be greatly improved by maximizing the amount of nature available to people and encouraging them to visit as much as possible, Mr Bennett said.
Former industrial sites that have been restored
Ripon City Wetlands, Yorkshire: Created on the site of an active quarry, it opened in spring 2019. It is a regionally renowned sanctuary for wintering shorebirds and winter murmurs.
North Cavern Wetlands, Yorkshire: This was built on the site of a large sand and gravel quarry and is still being worked on.
Swanwick Lakes, Hampshire: Formerly an active clay quarry, now woodland and wetland.
The Hauxley, Linton Lane, East Chevington, Druridge Pools and West Chevington reserves in Northumberland are located on former quarries. East Cramlington Pond Preserve is on the site of a former clay quarry where clay was made for bricks, and a pond in Newsham Pond Preserve was created to provide water for the steam engines that powered and moved the Blyth and Tyne Railway.
Brandon Marsh SSSI, Warwickshire: Quarryed from the 1950s to the 1980s, its ponds, reed belts, meadows and woods are now home to many birds and wildlife. Nine bird feeders are scattered throughout the reserve, where wildlife such as kingfishers, otters, voles and badgers can often be seen.
Wigan Flesh, Lancashire: These are lakes formed by subsidence of a mine. Initially partially filled with mine waste and ash from the former Westwood Power Station, natural settlement and large-scale reclamation efforts have really helped heal the industrial scars. Now it is a mosaic of open water, reed belts, swamps, rugged grasslands, wet forests and scrublands that support an impressive variety of plant and animal life.
Gwaith Powdur, North Wales. From 1865 to 1995, this corner of Wales was world famous for its explosives. Its remoteness and natural steep valleys made it an ideal location for a specialized factory employing over 500 people. During World War II, more than 17 million shells were produced here.
Marford Quarry, North Wales: This is an old industrial area now teeming with invertebrates. With over 1,000 species recorded, Marford Quarry is one of the best sites in Wales for invertebrates. As the name suggests, the site has been mined for years (providing aggregate for the construction of the Mersey Tunnel), but now that nature has truly restored it, the insects thrive in the mixture of post-industrial habitats and have made several rare species their homes. here.
Minera Quarry, North Wales. With over 400 years of industrial history, this place is perhaps as culturally significant as the wilderness. Originally mined for lead and then (until 1994) for valuable limestone, the reserve today includes areas at various stages of settlement. A walk in the forest is accompanied by the singing of pied flycatchers, redstarts and blackbells, and in the evening you can hear the characteristic chirping of the tawny owl.
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.