EOE - Liz O' Brien's Presentation
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Transcript of EOE - Liz O' Brien's Presentation
Why Woods?
Growing adventure and the importance of contact with trees, woods and forests
Liz O’BrienSocial and Economic Research Group
7th-10th October, 2011Youth Centre Metsakartano, Finland
October 20112
Outline
1: Concerns about a lack of contact with woods and forests
2: Current concerns about well-being of children and young people
3: Benefits of contact with trees, woods and forests from research evidence
4: Concepts and theories
October 20113
‘In Glasgow there was no woods at all you couldn’t do anything. All you could do was go outside and play
with abandoned cars, stuff like that. There was a wee park, one swing for about 4,000 folk’ (young Man
Galshiels)
October 20114
Lack of contact with nature not a new issue!
Urban children have become increasingly divorced from the natural environment of forests and fields. Today’s children often learn about nature secondhand. 1977
De-natured childhood and criminalisation of natural play. Nature deficit disorder. 2006
October 20115
Factors impeding use of woodlands
• Parental/carers fears of risk – safety concerns• Car ownership/road safety issues • Home entertainment technology• Increase in organised activities as opposed to
free play• Over scheduling of children and young
people’s time• Quality and accessibility of woodland/nature
spaces
October 20116
Illustration of restricted movement in Sheffield
Restricted movement
•Four generations of one family in Sheffield, England
•Great grandfather – allowed 6 miles from home
•Grandfather – 1 mile
•Mother – half a mile
•Son – 300 yards
Bird, W. 2007. Natural thinking. RSPB and Natural England report
October 20117
Societal views
Polarised societal views of children and young people
Angels (approx 10 and under)• Innocent children who need to be protected• Media coverage of high profile cases of abuse• Those who mind, volunteer and work with children need criminal record checks
Devils (approx 11 and over)• Knife crime• Youth gangs/recent rioting• Young people terrorising residents of housing estates• The ‘mosquito’ high pitch noise aimed at preventing young people gathering
together in certain spaces
October 20118
Overweight and obesity• Childhood obesity linked to cardiovascular disease,
diabetes, eating disorders, impaired psychological well-being
• Overweight rates higher in industrialised societies in those of lower socio-economic status
10-20% children under 15 overweight in Europe
(WHO, 2009. A snapshot of the health of young people in Europe. Report to EC)
October 20119
Health and wellbeing
Physical inactivity• Two thirds of young Europeans do not take part in sufficient physical
activity• Physical activity levels decrease during adolescence – more marked
in girls 13-15• Considerable variation across countries• Those of lower socio-economic status often undertake less p.a.
Mental well-being• 10-20% of young people under 18 in Europe have a mental or
behavioural problem• Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent 10.4% (e.g. panic disorder,
phobias, OCD) (more prevalent for girls)• Conduct disorders 7.5% (more prevalent for boys)• Depressive disorders 4-8%• ADHD 4.4% (more prevalent for boys)
(WHO, 2009. A snapshot of the health of young people in Europe. Report to EC)
October 201110
Well-being
Child wellbeing
•UK 24th out of 29 countries well below position expected for a country of its affluence
•More equal societies do better on child WB – Netherlands and Scandinavian countries
Child Poverty Action Group. 2009. Child well-being and child poverty.
October 201111
Use of Spare time
Spare time
•Increase in use of computers for playing games, social networking etc.
•Two hours or more on weekdays
- 49% of boys age 13
- 21% of girls age 13
•Use of television as popular indoor activity
•24% adolescents spend 4 hours per weekday watching TV rising to 43% at w/ends
October 201112
Benefits of contact with woodlands
• Personal and social development• Physical activity and movement • Self esteem and self confidence • Exploration, discovery, fun, enjoyment• Restoration and stress reduction • Cognitive impacts – gaining knowledge and
understanding about space, themselves, seasons
• Affective impacts – changes/development of attitudes, values, beliefs
• Sensory experience – ability to be able to engage all the senses
Kahn and Kellert, 2002; Taylor et al. 2001; Dillon et al. 2005; O’Brien and Murray, 2007; Strife and Downey, 2009 etc.
October 201113
Favourite places research in England
•Children spend less time in natural spaces (10%) than adults did when they were young (40%)
•Over 70% of children say they are supervised wherever they play, rising to over 80% in natural places
Childhood and nature, 2009 Natural England survey. Natural England
Favourite places have changed:
•In past – streets near home (29%), indoors 16% and natural places (15%)•Nowadays – playing indoors (41%) and in garden (17%)
October 201114
Preferences for nature in North America
Studies in north America
• Attitudes to wooded places differs between children, teen, adults
• Youth appreciate the wild, dense and hidden forest more than cultivated and open forest
• Children and adults preferred open forest landscape
• Structurally diverse natural places are more inspiring and imaginative for children than organised playgrounds.
Kaplan and Kaplan, 1989. The experience of nature - a psychological perspective. Cambridge University Press.
October 201115
Adolescents and nature
Time out for teenagers• 14-16 yr olds appear to have a reduced affinity with
nature preferring time with peers and more developed parks with facilities
• Favourite places – developed parks, places at home, commercial areas
• Preference for more exciting activities – e.g. paint balling
• Kaplan and Kaplan, 2002. Adolescents and the natural environment: a time out? Children and Nature, MIT Press.
October 201116
Place based research in Finland
Place based understanding of children/youth and environment
• 2,800 young people 11-14 years in studies in Helsinki and Turku
• Use of online questionnaires in schools and GIS• Findings suggest densely built settings and
places with a high proportion of green structure have clear qualities for a child friendly environment and are crucial for health promoting urban spaces
Kytta, M. 2011. The inhabitant friendly, health promoting urban strucutre. Openspace Peoplespace conference proceedings.
October 201117
Using soft GIS and on line questionnaires to identify positive and negative places
Where young people go and what they think of these places
Now being used with planners in Finland to shape designs
October 201118
Forests, place and identity in Finland
Forests culturally important part of Finnish life
• Wilderness concept has deep cultural roots -symbolise power, stability
• Preference for rural over urban landscapes• Summer cottages – to be alone in middle of nature• Children visits forests to ski, hike, pick berries or
mushrooms, play• 46% want to visit a forest more often
October 201119
Natural play in Scotland primary school
New nature play area • Created in the playground (£65K versus £63K for traditional
tarmac)• Methods – focus groups, pedometers, observations, weekly
reporting by teachers• Reduction in playground of bullying, physical injuries• Increased opportunities for free play, interacting with nature,
physical activity
October 201120
Wild adventure space literature review
Outdoor adventure space • Offering freedom and risk 11-18 year olds• Review of literature and focus groups with
youth• Wild adventure space = unregulated space,
opportunities for adventure. Free of charge free to all ages, freedom to undertake activities
Benefits identified by young people• Being away from adult supervision• A place that inspires and offers risk and challenge• A place to have a good time with friends
October 201121
Wild adventure space review
Openspace, 2006. Free range teenagers. The role of adventure space in young people’s lives. Report to Natural England
Benefits identified by evidence
•Physical development, emotional and mental health and well-being.
•Social and educational development, which may have long-lasting effects into•adulthood
October 201122
Motor fitness in Norway
Fitness• 5-7 year olds in nine month Norwegian study. • Significant differences between experimental
group playing in a wood and comparison in traditional playground for balance and coordination abilities
• Favourite places to play ‘cone war’, ‘space ship’, ‘the cliff’
• Significant difference in motor fitness - better at mastering rugged and unstructured landscape
• Woodland allowed more diverse play
Fjortoft, I. 2004. Landscape as playscape: the effects of natural environments on children’s play and motor development
October 201123
Urban landscape and physical activity Norway
Aim to examine how urban landscape affords physical activity
• In 14 year old adolescents – looking at differences between girls and boys
• Two schools in south eastern Norway• Methods: GPS, heart rate, paper mapping,
photo elicitation, essays• Preliminary conclusions
• Generally low activity levels• Mean activity time at MVPA levels was 26 minutes• No gender differences in MVPA found• Physical activity primarily linked to organised sports• Boys and girls had surprisingly similar patterns of
activity
Thoren, K, Fjortoft, I, Aradi, R. 2011. How urban landscapes afford physical activity in adolescents? On going transdisicplinary study
October 201124
ADHD and walking in park USA
Study of children 7-12 with ADHD• Completion of puzzles that require focused
attention followed by walk in an urban park, walk in residential area, downtown area, followed by concentration tests
• Children concentrated better after walking in park• Walking in park closed concentration gap between
those with ADHD and those without• Children rated experience in park more highly than
other two walks• Potential of using nature in the treatment of ADHD.
Faber Taylor, A., & Kuo, F. E. (2008). Children with attention deficits concentrate better after walk in the park. Journal of Attention Disorders OnlineFirst.
October 201125
PhD Forest School research in Scotland
Activity and FSAverage levels of activityon normal, PE and FS daysAccelerometers used to measure physical activityLovell, R. 2009. Physical activity at Forest School
Restoration and FS
Intensity of restorative experience was greatest for those with the worst mental health Roe, J et al. 2009. Forest School. Evidence for the restorative health benefits in young people
October 201126
Forest School in England
•24 children studied over 8 months from 7 schools. 360 observations. Children attend on average 15 sessions at Forest School – 45-60 hours contact time.
O’Brien and Murray, 2007. Forest School and its impacts on young children: case studies in Britain. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 6: 249-265.
The benefits of Forest School
October 201127
Escaping stress and anxiety in Scotland
Stress and anxiety
•Survey of 1,500 representative sample of Scottish population•What people do to escape stress and anxiety•Where do people go to escape•Overall where do you go? - top of list was go for a walk (47%)•Overall what do you do? – second on list was visit wood, beach, countryside (35%) after visit friend/family (38%)
What do you do to escape stress?
Where do you go?
Go for a walk
41% Visit friends family
51%
Spend time with friends/family
40% Gym, swimming, sports club
38%
Watch TV/movies
36% Pub, bar, social club
35%
Do exercise, sport
34% Wood, beach countryside
25%
18-24 year olds
NHS Scotland. 2010. Attitudes to violence and escape facilities. Final report, NHS Scotland.
October 201128
Children and urban woods- London
Perspectives on a local woodland in London: Youth club session with 20 children at Peabody Hill Wood (6-12 years old)
What they enjoyed about the wood‘fun to play games’‘hanging out in summer’‘you make a base and play with friends’‘good places to hide because you can run about and play’‘I like playing around there, we play hide and seek’
What they disliked‘nothing to do’‘there’s muggers, rapists, murders’‘it’s cold, dangerous, rapists and paedophiles’‘too many teenagers smoking’‘I like the trees but it doesn’t feel very safe’‘Nothing to do, overgrown, messy, mum won’t let me go near it
O’Brien, L. 2006. Social housing and green space: a case study in inner London
October 201129
Quality of green spaces is important
Lack of care, social control and management can lead to a spiral of decline. Fear of crime when vegetation blocks views
October 201130
Aesthetic views and academic performance in USA
PhD research
• Focus on 101 schools in Michigan• Explored nature surrounding schools and access to it• Identified academic performance and behaviour
• Schools with larger windows and more views of nature had students with higher standardized test scores, higher graduation rates, fewer reports of criminal behaviour.
• Schools that allowed students to eat outside or off campus had higher test scores and a greater percentage of students planning to attend college.
• In examining specific landscape features, Matsuoka found that trees and shrubs needed to be relatively close to the students to provide academic achievement and behaviour benefits.
Matsuoka, R. H. 2008. High school landscapes and student performance. University of Michigan. http://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/61
October 201131
Interest in nature as adults - Norway and USA
What turns/enables/encourages children to be conservationists as adults?
1. Experience of natural areas as a child – frequent and free play in a wild place
2. Influence of a mentor sharing love of nature3. Involvement with outdoor or conservation
organisations4. Negative environmental experiences – seeing valued
spaces e.g. woods disappear 5. Education6. Friends
Chawla, L. 2006. Learning to love the natural world enough to protect it. Norsk senter for barneforskning
October 201132
Forest Education Initiative in Britain
FEI review 18 years from 1992-2010
• 80 cluster groups in Britain in 2010
• 245 partners have been involved in FEI funded activities
• 1,405 cluster group members (35% are teachers)
• 14,776 participants in 2009 – school children, community groups
• 68% of activity is Forest School – delivery, training, networking
October 201133
Concepts and theories
Natural England. 2011. Children and the natural environment: experiences, influences, interventions
October 201134
Levels of engagement
Levels of engagement
Existence Virtual access
A view Use and being in
Active ‘hands on’ engagement
Participation in decision making
Ownership or management
Types of activity
Knowing they exist as part of the landscape for yourself or others
Virtual or mental image, TV, memory etc.
View from a window, car or walking by a wood
Cycling, walking, sitting etc. on site
Practical hands on work e.g. volunteeringForest school, gathering non timber forest products
Involved in decision making about the creation or design or management of woods
Involved in decision making and responsibility about management of site
Specific interventions might aid engagement e.g. wilderness therapy, Forest School etc
October 201135
Towards a conceptual model
October 201136
Structured activities focused on care
Sempik J, Hine, R and Wilcox, D. 2010. Green care: a conceptual framework. Loughborough University
October 201137
Provision of guidance
How confident are organisations/managers in providing opportunities for children and young people?
October 201138
Final issues
• There is a range of evidence of the benefits of contact with woodlands and forests
• One off experiences not as influential as daily exposure to woods and green spaces
• Lack of regular positive experiences in nature is associated with fear, discomfort and dislike of nature
• Childhood visits to woods strongly associated with adult visits
• Experiences vary according to ethnicity, socio-economic status
• Access and accessibility are importantand not the same thing
• How to facilitate engagement
October 201139
Please visit our website to find out more
about our work
www.forestresearch.gov.uk/peopleandtrees