Why nature?
Nature is good for us.
Research shows that spending time in nature is not only good for our physical health, but it also benefits our mental health and wellbeing, reduces our levels of stress and can improve our blood pressure.
It’s not only spending time in nature that’s good for us, simply living nearby to nature has shown to enhance immune function and speed up recovery time at hospitals, which has led to doctors prescribing nature to their patients.
Natural England has estimated that £2.1 billion per year could be saved in health costs if everyone in England had good access to greenspace.
However, there is inequality nature. For many, there are social, physical, and cultural barriers that prevent people from being involved with nature and feeling connected to it.
Data from Natural England has found that 12% of children have never visited the natural environment.
It’s important we all work together to help connect people to nature so that we can all make the most of it. This also means making nature and activities in green space as accessible, relevant and inspirational as possible.