Derby research featured in WWF’s national ‘A Prescription for Nature’ campaign

Research highlighting that engaging with nature supports good mental health by a team of Derby academics has been featured in World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF) new campaign.

The work, by Professor Miles Richardson, David Sheffield, Kirsten McEwan and Alison Pritchard, shows that those who have a greater relationship to nature, have greater wellbeing and higher levels of personal growth.

The research supports – and is included as evidence – in the WWF’s new ‘A Prescription for Nature’ initiative, which reveals that spending time in nature is the most common mood-boosting activity for the UK public.

The campaign is backed by fitness guru Joe Wicks, ITV This Morning’s Dr Sara Kayat and the Mental Health Foundation.

Miles Richardson, Professor of Human Factors and Nature Connectedness at the University, said:

“Our bodies and minds are calmed by engaging with nature. Simply pausing for a moment to regularly notice the sounds, sights and textures of nature starts to help manage our moods and feel good. 

“Simple things, such as noticing the song of a robin or the fall of leaves can be powerful, because just as a bird needs the sky, a fish the river and apes the forest, people need nature too.

“I am delighted that the research undertaken by our Nature Connectedness group has been used as part of this campaign.

The WWF’s campaign, launched this month, highlights that a huge majority of the UK public say spending time in nature has a positive impact on their mental health, yet a third say they spend time in it as little as once a week or less.

The research, by More in Common for WWF, reveals that almost 9 in 10 (89%) of the UK public say that spending time in nature has a positive effect on their mental health, with 69% opting to spend time outside if they want to lift their mood over other mood-boosting activities such as listening to music, watching TV or speaking to a family member. Nearly three quarters (73%) of the UK public say they feel calm when in nature and 61% feel happy. 

As a result, WWF is encouraging the nation to get their ‘daily dose’ of nature and has created an online hub aimed at both individuals and families with easy, bitesize, personalised prescriptions to help get their daily dose, no matter their circumstances or the weather.

Tanya Steele, CEO at WWF, said:

“Spending time in nature is proven to boost our wellbeing, whether it’s taking a walk through your local park or woodland, watching the birds from your window or marvelling at a starry sky as the nights draw in. 

“The evidence is clear – getting a daily dose of nature, even just for 20 minutes a day, can reduce anxiety and improve our mood, as well as making us more likely to take action to protect the health of our planet. Quite simply, when we restore nature, nature restores us.” 

Mark Rowland, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said:

“Research shows that people who are more connected with nature are usually happier in life and more likely to report feeling their lives are worthwhile. Nature can generate many positive emotions, such as calmness, joy, and creativity and can facilitate concentration.  Likewise, connecting with nature is also associated with lower levels of poor mental health, particularly lower depression and anxiety.” 

Joe Wicks, fitness coach and presenter, added:

"Spending time in nature works wonders for both children and adults' mental health and physical wellbeing.

“I’m proud to be supporting WWF with this important campaign, not only raising awareness about the vital role nature plays in enhancing our own wellbeing, but also highlighting that if we look after nature, it will look after us too.”

The University of Derby’s nature connections research aims to understand people’s sense of their relationship with the natural world. The researchers create everyday interventions in order to improve this relationship for the wellbeing of humans and nature.

The Nature Connectedness Research group’s research was honoured in the UK’s 100 Best Breakthroughs list, compiled by Universities UK, for its pioneering work looking at people’s sense of their relationship with the natural world.

Find out more about the campaign.