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Mental health and wellbeing

Enhancing Access to Green & Blue Spaces for People with Visual Impairment

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Mental health and wellbeing, Natural England, Science and evidence, Uncategorized
Amar Latif, President of the Ramblers and blind adventurer is walking in the woods with a colleague. Amar is wearing a brown overcoat and is carrying a white cane. He is smiling broadly. His colleague is wearing a blue rain jacket and has his hands in his jean pockets. He is also smiling. The trees in the woods don’t have any leaves and it appears to be a chilly day.

Natural England's mission is 'Building partnerships for Nature recovery,' and we are passionate about building partnerships that make outdoor recreation activities available to everyone. Our commitment to the Equality Act 2010 underscores our dedication to inclusivity in all our endeavours. …

Black History Month 2023: Saluting Our Sisters

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Education, Mental health and wellbeing, Natural England, Uncategorized

October is Black History Month, and across the Defra Group we are celebrating the twin themes of ‘Eliminating prejudice is everyone’s business’ and ‘Saluting Our Sisters’- honouring the achievements of Black women. Black History Month is a time to celebrate …

Reconnecting communities with nature through local libraries

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Education, Mental health and wellbeing, Natural England
A mother gives a leave to her young child, who is holding a small rake for working in the garden

In our increasingly fast-paced and urbanised world, the need to reconnect with nature has never been more pressing. Recognising this, Natural England and Libraries Connected have joined forces to launch the Culture Nature project, a ground-breaking initiative aimed at bridging …

Children & Nature Programme: the importance of integrating time spent in nature at school

Fathe with two children looking at nature

Across government, we share an aspiration to create healthy, happy societies. One mechanism for achieving this is by improving the connection people have with nature, which provides better mental and physical health. For children, the effects are more profound, with …

A blueprint for a better future: new Green Infrastructure advice

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Climate change, Mapping, Mental health and wellbeing, Natural England

My connection with nature started when I was a small boy, aged 9, sat by a small pond no more than 10 feet across, watching sticklebacks swimming around in the weeds. As I sat there a kingfisher arrived and started …

Celebrating the Children and Nature Programme – how learning in nature supports children’s mental and physical health, social skills and attainment

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Education, Mental health and wellbeing, Natural England
Group of children enjoying nature

“Who wouldn’t enjoy witnessing the children having a forward roll race on the grass outside?” Natural England was delighted to be joined recently by representatives from government, the education and environment sectors at Liverpool John Moores University to celebrate the …

People and Nature Survey: How has COVID-19 changed the way we engage with nature?

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Mental health and wellbeing, Natural England, Science and evidence
Many people sat within an urban park

 Dr Tom Marshall, Senior Responsible Officer for the People and Nature Survey shares what new data can tell us about how our relationship with nature has changed since coronavirus.  It has been over two years since coronavirus restrictions were first …

Wildfire: Why following the Countryside Code is essential in reducing the risk of fires in the countryside

Fire burning corn fields

  Wildfire. The term conjures up images of raging fires and smouldering forests, something we would usually expect to see on television from international news stations, caused by freak weather events. Unfortunately, so-called wildfires are all too common in England …

Social Prescribing: the power of nature as treatment

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Mental health and wellbeing, Natural England
Mother and son exploring park

Taking place between 4-11 March, Social Prescribing Week saw a national celebration for social prescribing. Across the country, organisations shared their stories on social media and at national and international conferences about the activities they were undertaking to make a …