Understanding community engagement with nature and nature recovery

Nature for People and Place

Sarah Best

Project Development Manager

Sarah Best

Project Development Manager

Overview

This innovation portal module is based on research and community engagement activities carried out in the River Wansbeck catchment in 2024/5.  The work was commissioned by the Environment Agency and Natural England through the Nature Returns programme.  It includes:

  • A summary of current evidence around how people engage with nature and nature recovery, and how socioeconomic and environmental outcomes can be integrated.
  • The full report from the community engagement approach in the Wansbeck catchment, with learning to inform activities in other areas.
  • Case study examples of projects and initiatives that connect people and nature to deliver socioeconomic and environmental benefits.  Examples are mainly drawn from within and around the River Wansbeck catchment in Northumberland as this was the scope of our initial research, but we will continue to expand this over time.  If you have a case study you would like to share, please contact nicre@newcastle.ac.uk. 

Benefits of connecting people to nature

Our review of peer reviewed scientific literature, policy documents and grey material relating to people's experiences of connecting to nature found there is clear evidence that interaction with the natural environment has a range of socio-economic benefits.  These range from improved physical and mental health and resulting savings for public services to community cohesion, job creation and climate resilience.  Effective community engagement and collaboration is also a key success factor for environmental protection and nature recovery.

Further details of our literature review findings and sources used can be found in the full research report.

Spending at least 120 minutes per week in the natural environment is associated with improved health and wellbeing. 70% of people who spend time in green spaces feel better mentally and physically.

Exposure to nature in childhood can have very long-term health and wellbeing impacts.

£2.1 billion per year could be saved in health costs if everyone in England had good access to greenspace, due to increased physical activity in those spaces

Exposure to the natural environment can help with regulation of mood by reducing anxiety and promoting calmness. It enhances concentration and results in cognitive restoration.

Spending time outdoors can contribute to a healthy immune system. It can lead to a reduction in obesity, lowered incidence of heart disease, reduced stress levels and improved sleep quality.

Nature-based solutions can drive socio-economic recovery including job creation, improved public health and climate resilience

Increased interaction with the natural environment can boost community cohesion.

People who regularly engage with green and blue spaces develop a stronger appreciation for environmental protection.

Community involvement in green space management enhances both biodiversity and wellbeing, and helps drive sustained behaviour change

Community research and engagement in the River Wansbeck catchment

Between December 2024 - May 2025, NICRE carried out research to find out how people currently engage with green and blue spaces and nature recovery in the River Wansbeck catchment in South East Northumberland and how they would like to connect with nature in future. 

We captured views from individuals via an online survey and pop-up engagement in community spaces and a local primary school.  We also engaged stakeholder organisations through 1:1 interviews, an in-person co-creation workshop and an end-of-project webinar.

The research identified a range of inter-connected factors which influence community engagement with nature.  Based on the research findings, stakeholder organisations co-designed four potential solutions to increase awareness of, and engagement with, green and blue spaces across the catchment area and to coordinate cross-sector activity to achieve economic, social and environmental outcomes at the same time.

Read the report
Kids Poster

Case studies

Click on the boxes below to read case studies of community engagement with nature and nature recovery in the River Wansbeck catchment. 

If you have a case study to share, get in touch at nicre@newcastle.ac.uk. 

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