“It's opened my eyes to what's out there”: How do nature-based interventions influence access to and perceptions of the natural environment?

Abstract

The health and wellbeing benefits of engagement with the natural environment are well documented. Nature-based interventions (NBIs) can widen access, but little is known about how they affect independent use and perception of greenspace. This mixed methods study examines the longer-term influence of one NBI on woodland visits. 120 adults took part in a longitudinal questionnaire survey, and 20 participated in focus groups. An increase in independent woodland visits was found to continue to rise beyond the programme endpoint suggesting that NBIs can act as a turning point for engagement with nature, breaking down psychological, emotional and socio-cultural barriers.

Keywords

• Natural environment
• Wellbeing
• Access
• Nature-based intervention
• Long term change