Summary of Programme
This research programme will focus on the wider societal wellbeing benefits of and relationships with trees and woodlands to explore how these change across the urban-rural continuum, over time, and how to maintain and improve the delivery of these benefits as new treescapes are being created and existing ones expanded. The methodologies and methods used will include data review and synthesis, methodological exploration, innovation and development, and primary data gathering.
Connecting and engaging diverse people and communities with trees, woods and forests has become increasingly important in recent years due to major societal and environmental issues including concerns about widespread mental health problems, inactive and sedentary populations with obesity and overweight and the Coronavirus pandemic. Increasing tree and woodland cover across the UK will lead to substantial landscape scale change and understanding the different perspectives on this change (both positive and negative) and how society can be engaged with this agenda is critical.
Work Areas
WA1: Societal perspectives on and engagement with urban, peri-urban and rural treescapes
Synthesising and updating existing evidence on how publics engage with trees, woods and forests, and preferences for and understandings of choices made in managing and creating trees and landscapes.
WA2: Methodological development and engagement through new technologies
Examining the effectiveness and applicability of different digital/novel/media/app/large scale data that can be used to understand who is connecting with and benefiting from trees, woods and forests and how they are doing so.
Key Topics
Cultural ecosystem services, values and benefits, Public preferences, Public perceptions, Engagement with nature children and young people, Engagement with nature during Covid-19, Health and wellbeing, Evaluations
Contributing Science Groups
- Urban Forest Research Group
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Social & Economic Research Group
- Inventory, Forecasting and Operational Support (IFOS)
Outputs
Publications
Public perspectives of treescape creation, expansion, management and maintenance (a review)
A literature review focused on public perspectives of treescape creation, expansion, management and maintenance
Preferences for natural features and artificial infrastructure in woodlands and forests
A literature review on public preferences for natural features and artificial infrastructure, including an easy to view infographic of the key results.
Active engagement with trees, woods and forests: A review of the literature
A literature review investigating the motivations and barriers that are relevant to different groups of people when seeking to engage with trees, woods and forests.
Public Opinion of Forestry
Public opinion of forestry surveys undertaken biannually to understand more about visits to forests, perceptions of benefits, awareness of forestry and community engagement.
Understanding and mapping the socio-cultural benefits of forest recreation
Project scoping study which sought to identify and test methods for spatially mapping and surveying the recreation attitudes and behaviours of people living in an area around Cannock Chase National Landscape.
Public Perceptions of Urban Trees
Research exploring public perceptions, attitudes and values for urban treescapes.
Valuing the mental health benefits of woodlands research report
The first attempt to make national economic estimates of the mental health benefits provided by woodland visits.
Active Forests evaluation: social prescribing pilot
A report on the 3-year pilot of the Active Forests Social Prescribing project.
Active Forests evaluation: Phase 2
A report on the evaluation of the 5-year main phase (Phase 2) of Active Forests Programme which aims to create a physical activity habit for life.
Active Forests evaluation: Phase 3 'Removing Barriers'
Current evaluation of phase 3 of the Active Forests Programme, which aims to reach more diverse audiences and encourage them to be physically active.
i-Tree Eco Wirral
The i-Tree Eco project identified the structure and composition of the tree population in the Wirral and the ecosystem services they provide, including their social and cultural value.
Exploring the social and cultural values of trees and woodlands in England: A new composite measure
A project exploring the social and cultural value of treescapes at risk from pests and diseases.
Academic papers
- Moffat, A.J., Ambrose-Oji, B., Clarke, T.K., O’Brien, L., Doick, K. 2024. Public attitudes to urban trees in Great Britain in the early 2020s. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening. Vol 91, Public attitudes to urban trees in Great Britain in the early 2020s – ScienceDirect
- Beute, F., Marselle, M.R., Olszewska-Guizzo, A., Andreucci, M.B., Lammel, A., Davies, Z.G., Glanville, J., Keune, H., O’Brien, L., Remmen, R., Russo, A., de Vries, S. 2023. How do different types and characteristics of green space impact mental health? A scoping review. People and Nature
- O’Brien, L. Cook, M. Hall, C. Ambrose-Oji. 2023. Trees and forests contribution to wellbeing during the Covid-19 Pandemic in England: How did people adapt to change? Forestry.
- O’Brien, L. Forster, J. 2021. Physical activity supporting connection to nature and helping to maintain wellbeing during the Covid-19 restrictions in England. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
- Dunn, M. Ambrose-Oji, B. O’Brien, L. 2021. Delivery of ecosystem services by community woodland groups and their networks. Forests, 12, 1640
- Palsdottir, A. M. O’Brien, L., Varning Poulsen, D., Dolling, A. 2021. Exploring a migrant’s sense of belonging through participation in an urban agricultural vocational training programme in Sweden. Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture. 31. 1.
Programme Manager
Work Area Co-Leads – Clare Hall, Emma Hinton