NHS Forest Newsletter - July 2021
@NHSForest @SusHealthcare
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One great thing about being part of the NHS Forest is that the soggy summer days were quite welcome! Especially for sites with thirsty young trees that require frequent watering through the drier months - those watering cans will be put to good use now that the sunshine is back.
It's not all about trees though; we've been delighted with the success of #NoMowMay, which saw a proliferation of wildflower meadows at healthcare sites across the country, and even allowed rare orchids to bloom.
We've launched a new Meadows Health Route in Wales, set a date for our annual NHS Forest conference, and loved watching the green space activities of our hospital-based Nature Recovery Rangers. Read on to learn more about what we've been up to.
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Nature Recovery Rangers
In spring, the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare embedded three Nature Recovery Rangers at health sites around England. The rangers are running multiple small-scale projects to improve biodiversity while supporting patients, staff and the wider community in engaging with nature.
Though only in post since April, the rangers are already making an impact. At Southmead Hospital in Bristol, Phoebe Webster’s push for 'No Mow May' has resulted in blooming wildflower meadows. Staff took part in flower surveys, and calculated that the allotment lawn was able to support 2025 bees!
At Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in London, a large lawn is being turned into a wildflower meadow that will extend to encircle the staff football pitch. Our ranger Karen MacKelvie has also encouraged dozens of staff to get involved in ‘Pimp Your Patch’, a site-wide initiative to create thriving green corners close to the wards.
And at three health sites in Liverpool, our ranger Fiona Megarrell is developing a new communal allotment scheme connecting staff with community members who are learning to grow food together. She’s also leading volunteer groups to improve the condition of an NHS-owned woodland, while boosting the health of volunteers involved.
This innovative partnership is funded on a pilot basis and CSH will be collecting data throughout the project to fully evaluate its outcomes. Read more about our Nature Recovery Rangers here.
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Meadows Health and Wellbeing Route in Wales
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Our first Meadows Health and Wellbeing Route was launched in Bangor in May with an inaugural walk for health staff, patients and community members. Developed with our partners at Plantlife, the new route is part of Magnificent Meadows Cymru, a programme funded by the Welsh Government that is working to restore over 500 hectares of wildflower meadows and grassland while connecting communities to these environments for their own health and wellbeing.
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NatureWell workplace wellbeing sessions begin
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We have started trialling our programme of “NatureWell” sessions for hospital staff in Bristol and London, in partnership with Natural Academy. The first of the three weekly sessions has a theme of Contact and Beauty and is designed to encourage staff to engage with the beauty of nature using their senses, via short meditations, grounding exercises and a craft project.
Read more about the initiative here, with reflections from participants.
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Report: Inequality in access to urban nature
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A report from Groundwork calls on planners and landscape managers to tackle barriers that prevent communities from connecting to nature in towns and cities.
“Out of Bounds: Equity in Access to Urban Nature” highlights disparities in access to urban green and blue space. It argues for more support and training for health and care workers to offer nature-based activities for their clients.
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Funding opportunity The government’s new Urban Tree Challenge Fund is supporting the planting of 44,000 trees over two years. The fund provides 50% of the costs for planting and establishment, and is open to anyone who wants to plant trees in urban or peri-urban areas, who has full management control or consent to use the land.
Online course CSH’s next Green Space for Health course will be held on 16 September. It explores the links between health and nature and illustrates how you can integrate these into your own practice, whether you work in healthcare or with green spaces.
Create your forest! Need trees? We have plenty to give away for the next planting season, starting in November. If you’d like to request between 10 and 1000 free saplings for your healthcare site, get in touch with us: info@nhsforest.org
Funding opportunity The Welsh government is funding a 'Local Places for Nature' scheme which offers two packages: Starter packages for community or volunteer groups looking to create a Pollinator, Fruit and Herb, or Urban Garden. Development packages for community-based organisations that are ready to take on a bigger Food or Wildlife Garden.
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Summer tree care: Recently-planted trees need to be watered regularly over the summer if they are going to become established and thrive. The Arboricultural Association shares key tips for tree watering.
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Green prescribing: The “ Nature on Prescription” handbook explains how green prescribing can be used to support mental health, with suggestions on how to develop and implement a high-quality scheme.
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Hay fever: Pollen should be a key consideration for healthcare sites expanding their green space. These guidelines will help you select the best species to avoid exacerbating allergies.
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The NHS Forest in Scotland: Edinburgh Royal Infirmary has joined the NHS Forest! 1,760 trees were planted close to the hospital, 500 of which were funded by green search engine Ecosia.
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The NHS Forest Conference returns this autumn with a fantastic lineup of speakers and panellists. We'll be joined by Judy Ling Wong, Honorary President of the Black Environment Network, and Suzanne Tarrant, a Clinical Psychologist and Nature Connection Leader and Guide
The conference will he held online on 19 October, and we’ll send out details soon on how to register.
In the meantime, why not nominate an NHS Forest site for one of our Awards? The project could support the health and wellbeing of patients, staff or the community, or benefit the environment. It can be your own project - or another one you'd like to champion.
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The Green Recovery Challenge Fund is being delivered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England and the Environment Agency.
Tree planting photo: Chesapeake Bay Foundation via Creative Commons
Meadows Health and Wellbeing Route: Copyright Plantlife
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