Collective action for health and wellbeing benefits from human-nature relationships

Sharma-Bymer, Vinathe, Brymer, Eric and Loynes, Christopher ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9779-7954 (2025) Collective action for health and wellbeing benefits from human-nature relationships. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning .

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Abstract

As climate change and biodiversity loss continue to devastate the planet and human mental health impacts more than a billion people across the globe, the human–nature relationship has become even more vital for human and planetary health (Brymer et al., Citation2019, Citation2024; Fletcher et al., Citation2024). This special issue supports the need for an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach to deepen our understanding of how human–nature interactions benefit human health and wellbeing (Ghosh & Dutta, Citation2024; Seymour, Citation2016). We envisaged critical discussions of health and wellbeing beyond the traditional focus on formalised and structured sport and exercise, and the narrow biomedical model. We hoped submissions would illuminate alternative ways of engaging with adventure, outdoor learning and experiential education occurring in natural environments that would positively influence health and wellbeing. We anticipated that this focus would bring forth critical analyses and reflections on how capitalist societal systems, industrialisation, modernity, urbanisation, unsustainable consumption together with globalisation and commodification of nature for human exploitation are at odds with a sustainable relationship with nature ideal for healthy planet and people (Mago et al., Citation2024). We are delighted that in this special issue, researchers and practitioners from diverse disciplines and geographical locations have shared comparative and interdisciplinary critical discussions, lived experience, intervention-focused approaches, policy-oriented examinations, and empirical studies that would extend the intersectional lens into our understandings of the roles outdoors and adventure play in enhancing human and planetary wellbeing (Loureiro et al., Citation2021; Zwart & Ewert, Citation2022). We sincerely thank the authors of these 18 articles for sharing their valuable works and the reviewers of their manuscripts for providing further insights into respective research areas with their expertise and experience.

The articles reflect multiple paradigms from a range of fields, representing multidimensional perspectives on ‘outdoor learning’ and ‘adventure,’ ‘outdoor education,’ and interactions with nature through activity, participation and experience. What is perceived as formalised outdoor learning and or education in the Western-centric approach can also be understood asexperiential education that ancient wisdom cultures practised over many generations. The traditional one-size-fits all approach to outdoor adventure activity design that focuses on tasks and performance outcomes in one context can, in another, be simple informal nature-based activities resulting in a wider reach and more collective benefits. For example, migrants’ walks in outdoor urban recreational spaces, community nature-journalling and nature play. At another level, nature-based activities are perceived and experienced as therapeutic, empowering and forming a sense of identity, especially for adolescents and at-risk youth. Outdoor residentials and nature-based activity focused programs bring changes to individual and community wellbeing. Early life experiences of nature are significantly impactful for personal wellbeing, extending into the later years of life for older adults. As with local traditional ecological knowledge systems, Indigenous Knowledges embedding place-based relationality are profoundly meaningful in deepening human–nature relationships in post-colonial societies. In these varying contexts and approaches, all populations may feel and experience unique personalised meanings, results and insights that can be more-than-human and fulfilling at individual and collective levels (Sharma-Brymer, Citation2022a). Justifiably, these articles offer new narratives of human–nature relationships in a broad diversity-focused, stimulating and considered critical dialogic space.

Articles in this special issue seem naturally to fit within several themes: 1) Therapeutic interventions and diversities in nature-based experiences, 2) Outdoor learning and wellbeing, 3) Outdoor adventure education and wellbeing, 4) Nature-based interactions across the lifespan, 5) Theoretical/conceptual models, 6) Immigrants, nature-based experiences and community connectedness and 7) Nature’s influence on authentic leadership style. In the following paragraphs, we present short summaries.

Item Type:	Article
Journal / Publication Title:	Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning
Publisher:	Taylor and Francis Group
ISSN:	1754-0402
Departments:	Institute of Science and Environment > Outdoor Studies Centre for National Parks and Protected Areas (CNPPA)
Additional Information:	Editorial.
Depositing User:	Christopher Loynes
Date Deposited:	16 Jan 2025 10:39
Last Modified:	16 Jan 2025 10:45
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/8583

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