Science is not the only beneficiary of nature-based ‘citizen science’ projects – taking part also boosts the wellbeing of participants and their connection to nature, according to new research.
The study, ‘Nature Up Close and Personal: A Wellbeing Experiment’, is the first large-scale study to measure the wellbeing benefits to the volunteers taking part in citizen science projects – such as the wildlife recording activities providing data that are vital to assess environmental change. It was conducted during the pandemic restrictions of 2020 by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), the University of Derby and the British Science Association.
Nature Up Close and Personal: A Wellbeing Experiment, was published in People and Nature journal on 09 February 2023 (DOI:10.1002/pan3.10432)
Read the full article about this study on the UKCEH website here.
