New mental wellness guide helps people connect with wetland nature
A new guide created by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust is encouraging people to explore wetland nature this winter.
Submitted by Victoria Fellowes
A new guide to help people improve their mental health and wellbeing by connecting with winter wetland nature has been created by two partnering charities.
Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), the conservation charity that runs Martin Mere Wetland Centre in Burscough, Lancashire, has partnered with the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) to create the guide.
Launched on World Wetland Day (February 2) the booklet includes practical tips, ideas and inspiration to help people get the most out of their local wetlands during lockdown.
Wetlands can be dramatic and changeable, wild, watery and full of life and a great place to enjoy nature during.
The booklet also include creative ideas on expressing a love for nature through writing, music and art.
Jolie Goodman from the MHF said: "For millions of people, myself included, access to nature has been an essential way to manage the impact of life in lockdown on our mental health.
"This guide is an opportunity to ensure that more people can experience the benefits of the natural world for their wellbeing.
"This is echoed in the choice of Nature as the theme for Mental Health Awareness Week this May."
Hannah Clifford from WWT said: "We hope the guide will inspire people to connect with wetlands and ‘blue’ spaces in more meaningful ways.
"Making a deep emotional connection with nature is more beneficial than exposure alone.
"The guide helps boost this emotional connection by giving practical tips, such as photographing spectacular ice patterns on frozen waters, getting your waterproofs on and jumping in puddles or listening to the trickling of a meandering stream.
"Our WWT wetland centres are ideal places to take in the fresh air and appreciate what the great outdoors have to offer.
"With our centres currently closed we want to inspire people to experience their local streams, ponds, lakes and other watery places and if that isn’t possible, give them ideas to bring the outside in, through creativity."
The booklet is available to download here and is part of a dedicated online wetland wellbeing hub.
