Welcome to the latest round up of information for March. Contributions featuring members of the SRN and direct recipients of this round up are highlighted in green below.
This round up has the following sections
RESEARCH & REPORTS
CONFERENCES AND CALLS
MEDIA SNIPPETS
RESOURCES
RESEARCH AND REPORTS
LEARNING
Muddy knees and muddy needs: parents perceptions of outdoor learning
K. J. Parsons & J. Traunter - Children's Geographies
This paper aims to explore parents perceptions of outdoor learning by examining data collected through a combination of questionnaires and interviews with parents and teachers. The results indicate a significant disconnect in parent and teacher perceptions related to the purpose and opportunities for learning outdoors. These findings have a range of important implications for early childhood educators, parents and others looking to promote the outdoors as a learning environment across the foundation stage
What role do emotions play in transforming students' environmental behaviour at school?
R Robina-Ramírez, JAM Merodio, S McCallum - Journal of Cleaner Production
- Students’ emotions are triggered by learning experiences at school.
- Achieving educational goals requires special social support from the academic community.
- The research outcomes explain what role emotions play in shaping student’s behaviour.
- The prediction of the research model delineates future empirical research at school.
Developing Place-responsive Pedagogy in Outdoor Environmental Education
A Stewart - Book
This book is a story about the author’s attempts to construct outdoor environmental education (OEE) pedagogies and experiences that are place-responsive; that is, to create educative experiences that are about the natural/cultural history of the Australian places in which they occur.
Rewilding education? Exploring an imagined and experienced outdoor learning space
Bates – Children’s Geographies
A landscape architect, school personnel, and students worked together in imagining, making, and experiencing a transformed outdoor space in the UK. While the outdoor landscape changed, so did the school’s culture, especially in relation to children’s freedom and adults’ willingness to embrace risk and danger.
Can an outdoor learning environment improve children’s academic attainment? A quasi-experimental mixed methods study in Bangladesh.
Khan, McGeown & Bell – Environment and Behaviour
Two schools in Bangladesh participated in a study examining possible benefits of outdoor learning. One school had a transformed yard with natural elements; the other school had only barren ground. Children participating in outdoor classes on the transformed school grounds showed significantly higher levels of academic attainment than children not participating in the outdoor classes.
Questioning Nature and Environmental Ethics in Schools
J Moreira, F Alves, A Mendonça – Article in Oxford Research Encyclopaedia of Education
Educational institutions play a relevant role in shaping future human actions to be more ethically harmonic (both environmentally and socially) as they are sites of knowledge production and sharing. Hence, it is crucial to rethink the entire educational paradigm and learning system (objectives, curricula, pedagogical strategies, instruments, competencies, school management framework, and even school buildings), because schools often function as “islands,” isolating students from nature, the community, and the “real world,” not preparing them to be well-informed and conscious citizens nor for the challenges that lie ahead.
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Regular Doses of Nature: The Efficacy of Green Exercise Interventions for Mental Wellbeing
M Rogerson, C Wood, J Pretty, P Schoenmakers, D Bloomfield, J Barton - International Journal of Research and Public Health
This study investigated the efficacy of medium-term Green Exercise (GE; being physically active within a natural environment) interventions for improving wellbeing, by pooling data collected at the start and end of participants’ engagement with a range of GE interventions. Compared to those reporting ‘average-high’ starting wellbeing, participants reporting ‘low’ starting wellbeing exhibited greater improvements with 60.8% moving into the ‘average-high’ wellbeing category. GE can play an important role in facilitating wellbeing and can provide alternative pathways for health and social care practice.
Nature doesn't judge you–how urban nature supports young people's mental health and wellbeing in a diverse UK city
J Birch, C Rishbeth, SR Payne - Health & Place
- Young city residents gain mental health support through everyday urban nature.
- Such support was felt by ethnic minority youth and those in deprived urban areas.
- Benefits included: a stronger sense of self; feelings of escape, connection and care.
- Benefits were not universally felt and were undermined in certain situations.
- Creative qualitative methods offer new understandings of youth mental health and place.
A walk on the wild side: How interactions with non‐companion animals might help reduce human stress
RC Sumner, AE Goodenough - People and Nature
This study sought to understand whether a brief encounter with non-domestic animals might reduce stress and improve well-being of participants, and whether participants' nature relatedness, and their appraisals of the interaction might influence these changes. There was no decrease in participants’ heart rate after their encounter but there was a statistically significant decrease in salivary cortisol. Measures of mood significantly improved immediately after the encounter. Reductions in cortisol were associated with dimensions of an individual's nature relatedness, as well as aspects of the animal encounter (number of lemurs and lemur proximity).
Towards a greater global understanding of wellbeing: A proposal for a more inclusive measure
L Lambert, T Lomas, MP van de Weijer, HA Passmore and more – International Journal of Wellbeing
The science of wellbeing has come a long way from the early days of measuring wellbeing via a nation’s GDP. To meet the challenges and opportunities arising from cross-disciplinary research worldwide, the Well-Being for Planet Earth Foundation and the Gallup World Poll have joined forces to add more culturally relevant constructs and questions to existing Gallup modules. Overall, the new items reflect a richer view of wellbeing than life satisfaction alone and include hedonic and eudaimonic facets of wellbeing, social wellbeing, the role of culture, community, nature, and governance.
National Academy for Social Prescribing
The Strategic Plan 2020-2023 aims to
- Make some noise
- Find resources
- Build relationships
- Improve the evidence
- Spread what works
The Role of Outdoor Recreation Activities in the Dimension of Meeting Basic Psychological Needs
M Ceylan - International Journal of Applied Exercise Physiology
This study thus aims to investigate the effect of outdoor recreation activities in nature (seakayaking, canyoning, mountain biking, trekking and antique-city touring) in terms of meeting basic psychological needs of human beings. Findings of the study revealed that; scores obtained from scale of basic psychological needs and its subdimensions after participating in outdoor recreation activities were significantly above the scores obtained before the activity and rendered effect was in a positive direction and in the level of “strong effect”
The Outdoor Guided Walk as a Culturally Sensitive Research Method
MK Brunette - Diversity of Research in Health Journal
The researcher used a three-stage outdoor guided walk, with emphasis on recommendations to advance this method. An outdoor guided walk can encourage open and pressure free dialogue, which can be especially useful in building rapport with culturally diverse participants. Future researchers wishing to employ an outdoor guided walk must consider weather, privacy and noise, and building a balanced relationship with participants. The guided walk offers many benefits in contributing to a dynamic and context-rich research environment and contributing to both research and participant wellness.
Psychological and Physiological Relaxation Induced by Nature-Working with Ornamental Plants
J Tao et al - Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society
The primary goal of this study was to determine the physiological and psychological benefits of horticultural activity in adults. The participants were instructed to perform the making of a flower basket (horticultural activity) and a computer task (i.e., control activity) was compared.. Analysis of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory data showed a lower anxiety score after performing the horticultural activity than after performing the control activity. Furthermore, in the EEG evaluation, variations in the brainwaves were observed after both activities. The study results suggest that horticultural activity induced physiological and psychological relaxation in adults.
Window view of nature after brief exercise improves choice reaction time and heart rate restoration
T Engell, HW Lorås, H Sigmundsson - New Ideas in Psychology
The present study investigates differences in choice reaction time (CRT) and heart rate responses in students resting with or without a window view of a modest natural environment after a physical exertion. Results indicated that subjects elicited significantly larger improvement in CRTs and more efficient heart rate restoration after resting with a window view, compared to resting without a view. Resting with a modest view of a natural environment after brief exercise demonstrated both a greater effect of cognitive enhancement and more efficient physiological restoration compared to resting without a view.
Association between greenness surrounding schools and kindergartens and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children in China
Yang et al – JAMA Network Open
Data for this study was based on approximately 60,000 children from 94 schools and kindergartens in China. Over 2,500 of these children (4.3%) had ADHD symptoms. Children attending schools with greater greenness levels were significantly less likely to have ADHD symptoms than children in schools with less greenness. Sociodemographic factors (including household income) did not modify this association.
Effect of greenness on asthma in children: A systematic review.
Hartley et al – Public Health Nursing
This review of the literature considered primary research relevant to the relationship between asthma and greenness in children. The aim was to determine if recent research might show different results than a similar review conducted in 2017, which showed inconsistent results. This updated review found either positive or no direct associations between greenness and child asthma. It also identified ways in which greenness may help protect children from asthma.
Minimum time dose in nature to positively impact the mental health of college-aged students, and how to measure it: A scoping review
Meredith et al – Frontiers in Psychology
The aim of this review was to identify a ‘dose’ of time in nature that would be effective in supporting the mental health and well-being of college-aged students. Overall results show that as little as 10 – 20 minutes of time spent in nature has a beneficial effect on college-aged individuals’ mental health. The same amount of time spent outdoors in urbanized settings does not have the same beneficial effects.
Partnership for Health: the role of cultural and natural assets in public health
Chaterjee - Chapter in Connecting Museums
This chapter focuses on the social role of museums and seeks to reposition museums as vital community assets supporting public health and community cohesion. The notion of community assets focuses on positive benefits as a mechanism for solving individual and community challenges, rather than the deficit model underpinning modern health and social care systems.4 Such community-based assets include the physical, environmental and economic resources within a community, such as museums, public parks and open spaces, as well as voluntary and third sector organisations.
'Into the Wild': A meta-synthesis of talking therapy in natural outdoor spaces
SJ Cooley, CR Jones, A Kurtz, N Robertson - Clinical Psychology Review
- Psychologists, counsellors, and psychotherapists are increasingly using talking therapy outdoors.
- Individualised assessment and formulation is required to determine client suitability.
- Outdoor therapy benefits from holism, mutuality, freedom, and interconnectivity.
- Most common in private practice due to barriers in organisational cultures.
- A framework is provided with key considerations for the outdoor therapy process
Attention restoration during environmental exposure via alpha-theta oscillations and synchronization
Z Chen, Y He, Y Yu - Journal of Environmental Psychology
- Alpha-theta brain waves may play an important role in restoration.
- Restorative environments may induce occipital oscillations associated with fatigue recovery.
- Nonrestorative environments may induce inefficient synchronizations associated with incoherence
NATURE CONNECTEDNESS
Nature connectedness among adults and children in England
Natural England Summary Report
This latest report summarises analysis of the NCI data collected via the MENE survey between May 2015 and February 2018 and explores the relationships between nature contact, nature connectedness, wellbeing and pro-environmental behaviours.
National Trust and the University of Derby ‘Noticing Nature’ Report
The report aims to understand people’s sense of their relationship with the natural world and create everyday interventions in order to improve it for human and nature’s wellbeing
The Lovebug Effect: Is the human biophilic drive influenced by interactions between the host, the environment, and the microbiome?
JM Robinson, MF Breed - Science of The Total Environment
- Animal behaviour can be strongly influenced by the host's microbiome.
- A microbially-influenced mechanism could contribute to the human biophilic drive.
- We present a conceptual model for microbially-influenced nature affinity.
- This conceptual model is called the Lovebug Effect.
- The Lovebug Effect could have implications for ecological resilience and human health
Mindful Awareness, But Not Acceptance, Predicts Engagement with Natural Beauty
NR Harrison, DPA Clark - Ecopsychology
Here we investigated the relationship between engagement with natural beauty and trait mindfulness. Specifically, we examined whether mindful awareness, or mindful acceptance, was associated with aesthetic responses to the natural world. Participants with higher levels of mindful awareness reported significantly higher levels of engagement with natural beauty, while controlling for connectedness to nature and openness to experience. Mindful acceptance did not predict engagement with natural beauty.
Natural Beauty Moves. Aesthetically Rewarding Nature Motivates to Work on a Mindless Task–a Preregistered Study
Y Joye, M Fischer - PsyArXiv
In this study participants were asked to watch a slideshow of either aesthetically rewarding (high reward condition) or relatively unrewarding nature scenes/elements (low reward condition), while also varying pre-slideshow workload (high vs. low workload). Following the slideshow, all participants had to perform a mindless routine task, i.e., clicking radio buttons. We found that under a low (vs. high) workload, participants who had watched aesthetically rewarding nature clicked more buttons, and reported to feel more motivated to click buttons compared to participants who had watched unrewarding nature. These findings testify to the motivational potential of aesthetically rewarding nature, and raise the possibility that cognitive nature benefits observed in restoration studies are not solely indicative of resource replenishment, but might also reflect increases in work motivation.
Significant life experiences that connect children with nature: A research review and applications to a family nature club
C D'Amore, L Chawla – Chapter in handbook on childhood nature
This Chapter opens with a review of past Significant Life Experiences research and theories of child development that predict these repeated findings. It also reports on an evaluation of family nature clubs. This study of more than 330 FNC leaders and participants found both quantitative and qualitative support for the effects of these formative experiences. Statistically significant survey results are complemented by ethnographic observations and interviews that offer insight into what happens during these experiences that makes them important and lasting in memory. The consistency between this study’s results, previous SLE research, and relevant concepts in the psychology of child development is discussed.
Social media, nature, and life satisfaction: global evidence of the biophilia hypothesis
C Chia-chen et al – Nature
Quantifying the connection between humans and nature at a global scale remains challenging. This paper looks at this by coupling social media and artificial intelligence using 31,534 social media photographs across 185 countries. It finds that nature was more likely to appear in photographs taken during a fun activity, honeymoon, or vacation compared to photographs of daily routines. More importantly, the proportion of photographs with nature taken during fun activities is associated with national life satisfaction scores.
How consumers' respect for nature and environmental self-assets influence their car brand experiences
UA Saari et al - Journal of Cleaner Production
- Eco-friendly brand experiences influence consumers’ general brand experiences
- Pro-environmental characteristics of consumers influence their car brand experiences
- Respect for nature impacts how consumers experience the eco-friendliness of brands
- Impact of pro-environmental characteristics differ depending on education level
Of mowers and growers: Perceived social norms strongly influence verge gardening, a distinctive civic greening practice
AJ Marshall, MJ Grose, NSG Williams - Landscape and Urban Planning
- We surveyed residents to discover their beliefs about verge gardening.
- Cultural background, gardening enthusiasm and education differentiated verge gardeners from others.
- Normative beliefs were the main cognitive construct affecting resident behaviour.
- Sense of community, beliefs regarding verge gardening benefits, and feelings for nature were also important.
- Municipal authorities are in a good position to lead change by embracing verge gardening.
Toward a social ecology of prosociality: Why, when, and where nature enhances social connection
Goldy & Piff – Current Opinion in Psychology
This brief review of the literature identified ways in which nature – an “asocial” environment -- can enhance social connection and solidarity. Specific pro-social behaviors linked to exposure to nature include greater orientation to others and increased sensitivity to the needs of others. Young children showed more prosocial behaviors and fewer behavior concerns.
Bird Feeders Increase Connection to Nature in Parents But Not in Their Children
RL Hammond - Ecopsychology
This study assessed the efficacy of bird feeders as tools to connect people to nature in sixth graders and parents. Pretest/posttest assessments suggested that over the course of a 1-month intervention, adults who did not previously own a feeder in experimental classrooms experienced significant increases in connection, while those in control classrooms and those who previously owned feeders did not. However, students' connections to nature did not change regardless of group. Parents who became new owners of feeders experienced similar, or greater, percent increases in connection to nature compared to some studies of tourism, zoo, and museum experiences, suggesting feeders may be as effective as interventions that may be more logistically and financially challenging to employ in some settings.
Does Digital Nature Enhance Social Aspirations? An Experimental Study
J van Houwelingen-Snippe et al - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
This study explored to what extent digital nature projections can stimulate social aspirations and related emotions. To this end, participants were asked to watch, individually or in pairs, digital nature projections consisting of animated scenes which were either dense or spacious and depicting either wild or tended nature. Results show that spacious scenes elicited significantly higher social aspiration and awe scores, especially when watching alone.
Childhood Experience in Forest Recreation Practices: Evidence from Nine European Countries
FA Tayea et al - Urban Forestry & Urban Greening
This study examines the role of childhood experience in forest recreational practices at adulthood. It investigates the effect of visitation frequency and type of settlement during childhood on frequency of visits at adulthood and analyses variations in nine European countries including Austria, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, France, Poland, Slovakia, and UK. Childhood experience is found to be a significant factor determining frequency of forest visits at adulthood. In addition, current residential settlement, distance to the nearest forest, and other socioeconomic factors influence frequency of forest visits.
Socio-ecological connectivity differs in magnitude and direction across urban landscapes
M Egerer, N Fouch, EC Anderson, M Clarke - Scientific Reports
Community gardens are social-ecological systems that support food production, social interactions, and biodiversity conservation. We investigate how these hubs of ecosystem services facilitate socioecological connectivity and service flows as a network across complex urban landscapes. We show that community gardens within a city are connected through biological and social mechanisms, and connectivity levels and spatial arrangement differ across cities. We found that biophysical connectivity was higher than social connectivity in one case study, while they were nearly equal in the other two. This higher social connectivity can be attributed to clustered distributions of gardens within neighborhoods (network modularity), which promotes neighborhood-scale connectivity hotspots, but produces landscape-scale connectivity coldspots. The particular patterns illustrate how urban form and social amenities largely shape ecosystem service flows among garden networks.
The Heritage Fund has released the Space to Thrive Report,
A rapid evidence review of the benefits of parks and green spaces for people and communities
CONFERENCES AND CALLS
Call for Workshops at the CLOtC National Conference
The conference is dedicated to learning outside the classroom on Thursday 12th November, London. To submit a proposal for a workshop, please download and complete the proposal form by Friday 24 April 2020.
The MARCH network have launched a study into the psychological and social experiences of Covid-19 in the UK during this period of the pandemic. The study is open to all adults in the UK. Participation involves answering a 15-minute online survey now and then answering a shorter 10-minute follow-up survey once a week whilst social isolation measures are in place. They are aiming to recruit a very large longitudinal sample, so spread the word about the study to those who may be interested
MEDIA SNIPPETS
BBC article on the UKs first ‘tiny forest’
i newspaper article on teaching outdoors
Guardian article on books about nature and mental health
RESOURCES
Online Behaviour Change for Conservation Course
The MARCH Network have a resource page of creative activities to do at home during isolation.
Sustrans Blog on how Walking and cycling can increase healthy life expectancy
Sustrans have been working with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Longevity to consider what measures might help to extend healthy life expectancy by five years by 2035.
Wellbeing, Space & Society is a new interdisciplinary journal concerned with the difference that space, place and location make to wellbeing. We welcome submissions that are theoretically informed, empirically supported, of interest to an international readership, address a problem of interest to society, and illustrate the links (potential or theorized) between (aspects of) society and space and wellbeing. We publish papers from a range of social science disciplines - geography, sociology, social psychology, social epidemiology, economics, anthropology, political science, amongst others. We are particularly interested in the policy implications of the research, including work informed by policy analysis.
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