Whilst thinking about how to write this blog, how to squeeze a big concept into a little article, I was fortunate to be able to take a lunchtime walk. One mile of gentle exercise, including a riverside path, hedgerows squeaking with baby birds and a patch of flower-rich meadow has left me much more focused. 

At Dorset Wildlife Trust we’ve been making the case for ‘nature-based solutions’ to a whole range of issues facing society and the environment today. Nature has something to offer for flood management, improving air and water quality, capturing carbon and more. And there is increasing scientific evidence of the benefits of nature for both physical and mental health. 

Many societal problems are multi-faceted and difficult to untangle, which is perhaps why the proven benefits of access to natural green space have had a low profile and less investment than they deserve. More than one third of the population - nearly 9.5 million households in England – are unable to access green places near their home, and many of these households also experience multiple other disadvantages. Those living in the most deprived areas are ten times less likely to live in the greenest areas. 

This matters because evidence shows that access to nature can help, at a fundamental level, towards preventing illness in the first place. Of course it can’t prevent everything, but the less NHS time and money needed for preventable illnesses the better. Health problems that are linked with lack of exercise, mental stress or lack of social connections can sometimes be avoided or improved with a ‘dose of nature’. 

Accessing nature can be a challenge on your own, so The Wildlife Trusts are advocating what is termed green prescribing - supporting people to engage in nature-based interventions and activities to improve their health, sometimes alongside more traditional treatments like medicines, counselling or physiotherapy. This could include physical activity like walking or volunteer tasks, social activity through joining an outdoor-based group or mental involvement such as listening to natural sounds. Studies have shown that green prescribing has the potential to deliver cost saving benefits to the NHS .

In Dorset we are working with partners to embed nature-based wellbeing into the health system through Dorset Local Nature Partnership (hosted by Dorset Wildlife Trust) and Health & Nature Dorset (HAND). 

To bring about healthy and sustainable communities, we’re calling on all political parties to:
•    commit to a cross-Government fund to grow community-based health services like green prescribing.
•    identify access to a clean and healthy environment as a basic human right, giving Local Authorities a mandate to address inequalities in access to natural spaces.
•    Give every child the opportunity to learn outdoors and so experience the natural world around them.

You can find out more on the dedicated Health and Wellbeing page of our website.