Overview
- Provides a framework for understanding the components of woodland wellbeing
- Spotlights multiple case studies to explore how wellbeing and health are promoted in woodland settings
- Accessible overview of the importance of relationship between the natural world and public health
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Table of contents (11 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
Keywords
About this book
This book provides a framework for understanding the components of woodland wellbeing. Based around the collaborative project, Good from Woods, the book spotlights multiple case studies to explore how wellbeing and health are promoted in woodland settings and through woodland inspired activity. It illustrates forms of wellbeing through real examples of woodland practice and draws out implications for the design of programmes to support health and wellbeing across different client groups. Chapters discuss health and wellbeing from a variety of perspectives such as psychological, physical, social, emotional and biophilic wellbeing.
The book will be of great practical use to commissioners, providers and users of woodland based activity who want to take a deeper look into how trees, woods and forests support human health and happiness, as well as of interest to academics and students engaged in research in outdoor activities, urban forestry and natural health andwellbeing.
Reviews
“The book is rich in examples of different ways to gather evidence, appropriate to real woodland management, making it an excellent source of ideas about how to show that your own woodland activity has wellbeing benefits.” (Mandy Haggith, Reforesting Scotland, Issue 63, 2021)
“When I told a friend I was part of a research project to investigate whether being out in the woods was good for health & wellbeing, he said “why would you need to research that – everyone knows it’s good for you!” … But is it? Why? And how? This book goes deeper into these questions: what is it about being in nature that delivers benefits for health and wellbeing? Could I get the same benefits just by going for a woodland walk with my dog? At a time of so much discussion about the potential benefits for health and wellbeing of being in nature, this is an important book for anyone thinking of commissioning a nature and wellbeing programme, as well as practitioners who are designing or running such woodland projects for health and wellbeing.” (Nicola Ramsden, Health and Wellbeing Officer, The Forest of Avon Trust)
“In this extremely well researched book Goodenough and Waite have gathered a wide body of evidence from the literature and diverse collaborative projects to explain how the idea of ‘woodland wellbeing’ can be used to evidence the impact of woodland activities on psychological and wellbeing services. This book provides a much needed evidence base as well as descriptions of best practice and project evaluation that can allow commissioners and service users to understand woodland based activities and to have full confidence that they will be receiving an effective health and wellbeing service from woodland practitioners within the setting of the woods.” (Roger Duncan, CAMHS systemic Psychotherapist and author of Nature in Mind, systemic thinking and imagination in ecopsychology and mental health)
“The need for people to be able to manage effectively the pressures that daily life brings seems more acute than ever. There is now a very strong body of evidence, which this publication eloquently brings together, which clearly identifies the connection between improved wellbeing and access to greenspaces, particularly woodland. As a forester who has worked amongst trees for over 20 years, I am sure I intrinsically understood this but have only recently, by reading research such as those detailed within, been able to understand what this really means. My hope, along with that of the National Trust is that this information can only help to encourage more people to access the amazing array of greenspaces located across the whole UK and benefit from the increased wellbeing that I am fortunate enough to take for granted.” (John Deakin (Head of Trees ad Woodland at the National Trust))
“From the very first sentence this timely book wrestles with some of the most pressing issues of our time. An ecological masterpiece, exploring the nuances of our complex relationship with trees, as detailed as the electron microscope imaging used to understand mycorrhizal fungi in the woodland and as far reaching as the broad canopy of a parkland oak. Grounded in culture, history and science, Wellbeing From Woodland offers meta-analyses, case studies and human stories; reflecting a depth of love for woodland and commitment to making life better for people and our planet. This will be on every Forest School training booklist. It shows why children need woods and woods need children.” (Sarah Lawfull, Director of the Forest School Association, UK and Endorsed Trainer)
Authors and Affiliations
About the authors
Alice Goodenough was Project Researcher for the Good from Woods project, and has worked with a wide range of organisations to research impacts and outcomes of aspects of their work in natural environments.
Sue Waite holds honorary positions at the University of Plymouth, UK and Jonköping University in Sweden. Passionate about the benefits of spending time in nature, she has published widely in this field and conducted research projects about health and wellbeing in natural environments.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Wellbeing from Woodland
Book Subtitle: A Critical Exploration of Links Between Trees and Human Health
Authors: Alice Goodenough, Sue Waite
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32629-6
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and Psychology, Behavioral Science and Psychology (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2020
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-32628-9Published: 11 December 2019
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-32631-9Published: 11 December 2020
eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-32629-6Published: 30 November 2019
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XVII, 265
Number of Illustrations: 4 b/w illustrations, 17 illustrations in colour
Topics: Community and Environmental Psychology, Environment Studies, Human Geography, Medicine/Public Health, general, Environmental Geography, Environmental and Sustainability Education