Boost mental health with a nature prescription

A new scheme beginning this summer at the WWT London Wetland Centre will focus on wildlife therapy to help individuals alleviate depression and anxiety. This follows a recent wetlands project that showed nature helped people diagnosed with depression or anxiety move up a clinical mental health grade, from below average to average. Activities could include nature walks, habitat protection work, pond dipping and birdwatching. The 6 week courses have been designed by the WWT, the Mental Health Foundation and participants themselves. Like greenspaces, blue spaces are increasingly important for both physical and mental health and this new scheme will introduce hundreds of people experiencing poor mental health to the natural beauty and serenity of the wetlands under a ‘blue prescribing’ scheme.

From the WWT (Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust) on sustainability
“Our vision is for a world where healthy wetland nature thrives and enriches lives. For WWT, a wetland conservation charity, sustainability means making the best use of our resources while minimising our impacts on the environment and society.”