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Leaping Forward for Dementia

Work Experience Week

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Written by work experience student Ellis Armfield. 

I am an A Level student who is lucky enough to have the opportunity to partake in a weeklong work experience placement with Froglife. As an aspiring wildlife conservationist, this placement was perfect for me and through it I gained invaluable experience and knowledge of the conservation sector, whilst meeting inspiring people and gaining practical skills. I’m extremely grateful to have had this opportunity and I have learnt so much. I want to thank everyone who I have spoken to and most of all Amy who has been my placement coordinator and without her I wouldn’t have had this valuable experience.

 

My week

Monday 26th June:

For my first day I went to Banstead Beds community garden in Clapham Common. There was a community atmosphere, and the space was bursting with fruits and vegetables.

In our Wild Times session, I worked with a lovely group of dementia patients sampling water from the wildlife pond and testing it for things such as PH. We also used challenging, but fun, equipment to preserve a sample to be sent off and tested for DNA to show what species the pond has in it.

Everyone got involved and challenges such as putting on gloves and using equipment were overcome with teamwork an encouragement. It was great to see the group enjoying the fresh air and trying something new, as well as giving me the opportunity to work with an age group I hadn’t had much experience with previously. Afterwards we all sat down and had a nice chat and I remember Richard saying “we had a smashing afternoon” with a great big smile. Knowing I had made a difference to him made my day.

 

Tuesday 27th June:

On Tuesday I went to Lewisham hospital gardens. Despite being only a year old the beautifully designed gardens have many plants growing from trees to wildflowers and many fruits and vegetables.

I helped with general tasks, thinning out and replanting lettuces, watering and picking radishes. While I was gardening, I spoke with volunteers from the local community, showing me how much of a positive impact the gardens have had.

I also had a chance to speak to the project manager Alice, who told me about her role in the project and working for RHS as well as plans for further projects similar to this one. There is an idea of putting a wildlife pond in the gardens too and I was able to have a chat with a health and safety officer regarding implications of putting a wildlife pond in a public space. This made me think about legal aspects of conservation which can often be a major barrier.

Afterwards, Amy showed me the nearby newly planted ‘Tiny Forest’ which I had never heard of before and was enthused by such a great conservation idea to boost biodiversity in such a small space and within urban areas. Seeing so many community-integrated conservation projects has really showed me how much the local community wants to get involved and how essential this is to the project’s success.

 

Wednesday 28th June:

I had no sessions booked in so used this time to write this work experience blog as well as writing up a few social media posts.

I also had a zoom call with Kelvin, a manager of another project at Froglife called the ‘London Blue Chain Project’ giving me an insight into further projects I could get involved in. I will be volunteering for the Blue Chain Project in the future and am grateful to have had the chance to make this connection. Kelvin also spoke to me about the conservation sector as a whole and how he started working in conservation which was very interesting to hear about.

 

Thursday 29th June:

On Thursday I went to The Rookery community gardens in Streatham common. The lovely gardens have two large ponds and lots of plants growing.

Due to the rain that morning I managed to see lots of tiny froglets hopping about the gardens which was a highlight as I had never seen froglets before.

We worked with a large, chatty, and enthusiastic group who were lively as soon as they arrived and didn’t let the weather dampen their spirits. Just like Monday, our task was to sample water from the two ponds and send it off for DNA testing as well as testing the water for other things like PH and nitrate.

Due to the large size of the group, we split into two smaller groups and each group tested one sample. I lead one of the groups which gave me great experience in managing people, leadership skills and working as a team. Everyone had a go and got involved which was great to see and were very intrigued by the process of using the scientific equipment.

Afterwards we had a nice walk around the gardens and managed to spot a few froglets hopping around, before siting down and all having a nice chat with tea and biscuits. It was great to see everyone smiling and enjoying themselves and when leaving everyone said they had a great time.

 

Friday 30th June:

I had no sessions on Friday, so I finished up this work experience blog and an end-of-placement feedback form as well as writing up a few posts for Froglife’s social media. I also had my final zoom call with Amy, my placement coordinator, to say thank you for everything. I am sad that the week is over, but so grateful for such a valuable experience in which the knowledge and skills learnt will stay with me for the future.

 

Croaking Science: The benefits of green spaces and nature on mental health

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“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks” – John Muir

As well as the conservation work Froglife does for amphibians and reptiles across the UK, we also run projects that promote education amenities and research activities for the benefit of the public. We run wildlife projects for disadvantaged young people and those with dementia, such as our Green Pathways, Green Pathways for Life and Leaping forward for Dementia projects. A common issue amongst our participants is mental health, especially coming out the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our Eco therapy style project is based on scientific research that suggests being outdoors and connecting with nature, have hugely positive effects on individuals.

As countries become increasingly urbanised, the world’s population is spending increasingly less time exposed to natural environments (Cox et al, 2018). It has been reported that 55% of the world’s population live in urban areas and this is expected to increase to 68% by 2050 (United Nations, 2018). Unfortunately, urbanisation not only means spending less time in natural environments but more time destroying them and reducing the number of green spaces around the globe (Collins, 2014). Aside from the detrimental environmental effects of this, loss of these green spaces and time spent in them could have hugely negative effects on people’s mental health and well-being.

There is growing evidence to suggest that being in nature has positive effects on people’s mental health. Studies have shown that green spaces can lower levels of stress (Wells et al, 2003) and reduce rates of depression and anxiety, reduce cortisol levels (Park et al, 2010) and improve general well-being. Not only can a simple walk in nature boost your mood but also improve your cognitive function and memory (Berman et al, 2012).  Green spaces can provide a buffer against the negative health impacts of stressful life events. A Dutch study showed that residents with a higher area of green spaces within a 3km radius had a better relationship with stressful life events (Van den Berg et al, 2010) which was soon to be increasingly important in recent years with the effects of COVID-19.

So what is it about natural environments that are good for mental health and wellbeing?

Positive Physiological effects

Something as simple as exposure to natural environments can be physiologically restorative (Conniff et al, 2014). This means that being in a natural outdoor environment can have positive mental health effects due to the physical processes elicited in the body. A Japanese study showed that viewing and walking in forest environments can promote lower concentrations of cortisol, lower pulse rates and blood pressure when compared to city environments (Park et al, 2010). These physiological effects are all a counter to the physical effects stress causes in the body and are what happens when you relax. A recent study found that those who had access to natural spaces during the COVID-19 lockdowns had lower levels of stress and those that could view nature from home had reduced psychological distress (Ribeiro et al, 2021).

There are multiple psychological theories as to how nature helps our mental well-being. The two common prevailing theories on how nature brings about these positive effects are the Stress Reduction Theory (SRT) coined by Ulrich (1981) and Kaplan et al’s (1989) Attention Restoration Theory (ART).  SRT suggests that nature promotes recovery from stress and that urban environments have the opposite effect. Ulrich proposes that being in unthreatening natural environments (a green space you would consider safe) activates a positive emotional response. That being in nature produces this as a universal innate connection, promoting the physiological effects of lower blood pressure, heart rate and increases attention which in turn blocks negative thoughts and emotions (Ulrich et al, 1991). Kaplan et al’s ART works around the idea that we have different types of attention: voluntary or involuntary, and that the latter requires no effort. After using voluntary attention we experience ‘attention fatigue’, reducing our cognitive abilities and increasing mental fatigue. According to Kaplan et al, when we use our involuntary attention it gives us time to restore our voluntary attention. From this, Kaplan et al have suggested that what nature provides acts as a restorative power by providing four processes:

  • Being away – an opportunity to distance from routine activities and thoughts.
  • Soft fascination – nature holds attention effortlessly: think about the sunsets, sound of water, leaves blowing in the wind all-natural phenomena allowing your voluntary attention to rest.
  • Extent – nature provides an immersion experience, engaging the mind and rest from concerns.
  • Compatibility – a setting that is well matched to human needs and desires, providing a feeling of being in harmony with a greater whole.

These two theories have much in common: they focus on cognitive vs autonomic processes and both support a change in attention and stress load when an individual interacts with the natural environment (Gregory N. Bratman, 2012). However, they differ in how they suggest the primary mechanisms work. The effects the theories suggest are blurred in the sense of cause and effect: does a reduction in stress levels allow someone to concentrate better or does replenished direct attention help reduce stress?

Both these assertions are controversial in the field of environmental psychology, yet much research falls under either both or one of these theories.

Mental Health and Nature Policy

To what degree these theories influence policy is debated but it is clear that in recent years, especially after the recent pandemic, that nature spaces are becoming an increasing priority for mental health provision. Research has evidenced that we need to shift our attention from focusing on people visiting green spaces to how we interact and connect with nature close to home through simple activities (Mental Health Foundation, 2021). The Mental Health Foundation suggests from their research findings that we need to focus on six main areas in policy:

  1. Facilitating connection with nature
  2. Protecting the natural environment and restoring biodiversity
  3. Improving access to nature
  4. Making green spaces safe for all
  5. Using the planning system and urban design to improve the visibility of nature in every local area
  6. Developing a life – long relationship with nature.

Through our projects at Froglife we provide ways for people to interact with the environment instead of simply just being in it.

Promotion of Physical activity

Green spaces such as nature reserves, wilderness environments and urban parks also promote certain behaviours, such as encouraging physical activity within the space, which is a pro-mental health behaviour. Experimental studies have shown that not only do green spaces promote experience but they may be better for mental health than activity in other environments. Those that perform exercise in natural environments once a week are at about half the risk of poor mental health as those that don’t (Mitchell, 2013). Participation and involvement in nature is often tied to physical activities such as gardening or farming, trekking or running: the evidence of the benefits of this promotes the idea that green spaces should be seen as an essential health resource (Pretty, 2004).

There are many more benefits associated with natural green spaces. However, in terms of mental well-being, greener areas have been associated with a sustained improvement in mental health, highlighting the significance of green spaces, especially in urban areas. They provide not only a habitat for wildlife but also sustainable public health benefits (Alcock et al, 2014). Many studies have shown that more time spent in nature is associated with better mental health, independent of culture and climatic contexts, as well as the promotion of physical activity.

In addition to the wildlife and environmental benefits of conserving nature spaces, especially in urban areas, we also benefit in many ways from these natural spaces. This gives us even more reason to continue to protect our wildlife and conserve our natural areas and green space.

 

References

Alcock, I, et al., 2014. Longitudinal Effects on Mental Health of Moving to Greener and Less Green Urban Areas. Environmental Science & Technology , 48, 1247-1255.

Berman, M.G, et al., 2012. Interacting with nature improves cognition and affect for individuals with depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 140, 300-305.

Bratman, M.G, et al., 2012. The impacts of nature experience on human cognitive function and mental health. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (Issue: The Year in Ecology and Conservation Biology), 1249, 118-136.

Collins, A.M., 2014. Destruction of urban green spaces: A problem beyond urbanization in Kumasi city (Ghana). American Joural of Environmental Protection, 3, 1-9.

Conniff, A, et al., 2016. A methodological approach to understanding the wellbeing and restorative benefits associated with greenspace. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 19, 103-109

Cox, D.T.C, et al., 2018. The impact of urbanisation on nature dose and the implications for human health. Landscape and Urban Planning, 179, 72-82.

Kaplan, R, et al., 1989. The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Mental Health Foundation, 2021. Nature- How Connecting with nature benefits our mental health. Published on-line.

Mitchell, R., 2013. Is physical activity in natural environments better for mental health than physical activity in other environments? Social Science & Medicine, 91, 130-134.

Park, B.J, et al., 2010. The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing): evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan. Environmental Health and Preventative Medicine, 15, 18-26.

Pretty, P. J., 2004. How nature contributes to mental and physical health. Spirituality and Health International, 5, 68-78.

Ribeiro, A.I, et al., 2021. Exposure to nature and mental health outcomes during COVID-19 lockdown. A comparison between Portugal and Spain. Environment International, 154 article 106664.

Ulrich, R. S., 1981. Natural Versus Urban Scenes: Some Psychophysiological Effects. Environment and Behavior 13, 523-556.

Ulrich, R. S., et al., 1991. Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 11, 201-230.

Van den Berg, A. E, et al., 2010. Green space as a buffer between stressful life events and health. Social Science & Medicine, 70, 1203-1210.

Wells, N.M. & Evans, G.W., 2003. Nearby Nature: A Buffer of Life Stress among Rural Children. Environment and Behavior, 35, 311-330.