Over the last few years, we have seen growing research and policy interest in the potential for time spent with nature to promote experiences of health and wellbeing.
What ‘nature’ is and what it means to different people can vary according to the environments we grow up in, those we experience over time, and with the many stories that circulate about nature within different societies and across generations. From everyday weather and bird song, to encounters with more extensive forms of nature – such as parks, woodlands, gardens, coastlines and the countryside – this presentation will highlight why such experiences may encourage a sense of health and wellbeing. For example, an appealing setting might invite physical activity and social interaction, or opportunities to experience moments of peace, perspective and relief from day-to-day demands.
The presentation will also discuss how and why varied life transitions can influence the role of nature in shaping feelings of health and wellbeing through the different chapters of our lives, and how we can promote more inclusive nature ex
Dr Sarah Bell is a Research Fellow whose research focuses on the complex intersections between human health, wellbeing and the interlinked physical, social and cultural environments encountered through the life course.
Sarah’s work is underpinned by a passion for qualitative methodological development, designing sensitive approaches that promote critical awareness of alternative ways of embodying, experiencing and interpreting diverse everyday geographies.
Free.