Nature Health from Parks and Local Green Spaces

Built green spaces—such as parks and gardens—are part of the public services provided to citizens. These areas are classified into maintenance categories that reflect their overall appearance, usage, and level of care in Finland. The higher the maintenance category, the more the space is designed for aesthetic experiences or specific activities, such as exercise. This tends to place the park visitor in a predefined role.

At lower maintenance levels, the use of green spaces is primarily guided by environmental objectives, such as preserving biodiversity and managing stormwater. These areas also support environmental communication by highlighting the importance of healthy natural spaces for planetary health—a concept that recognizes the inextricable link between the health of human civilization and the state of natural systems. It emphasizes that human well-being depends on a healthy planet.

The physical activity needs of people of all ages have become increasingly important in amenity green spaces. These areas are equipped with playgrounds, outdoor gyms, disc golf courses, and other recreational facilities. Parks also host a variety of events, such as concerts, guided exercise sessions, and art exhibitions.

National parks and other nearby natural areas likewise support a wide range of physical activities and nature-based hobbies.

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Outdoor gyms are part of the current well-being offerings in Finnish parks. Photo: City of Turku

The Interactive Gardens project aims to enhance the use of parks and identify solutions to current well-being challenges faced by local communities. In this project, we examine the use of green spaces from three perspectives:

1. Nature-based physical activity and recreation
2. Nature-assisted rehabilitation
3. Outdoor education in schools

The project pilots were carried out at Elonkierto Park in Jokioinen (southern Finland) and in the vocational institute’s garden in the village of Loue, Tervola (Lapland). Visitors were asked to provide feedback on both the park and the guided visit.

Why. Finns have traditionally had a close relationship with nature and strong skills in outdoor activities and the use of natural resources. However, society and lifestyles are changing—often in ways that encourage more sedentary behavior. As a result, nature-related skills are no longer passed down to younger generations as they once were. A clear risk is that we may lose a vital, yet often invisible and taken-for-granted, source of health and well-being.

Research has shown that natural environments can extend and diversify physical activity while enhancing its positive effects. In response, many organizations—including the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), the Allergy, Skin and Asthma Federation, and Sitra—are exploring nature-based health solutions. Together, they are preparing a national NatureHealth Program that encourages everyday visits to nature and supports access to nearby green spaces in residential areas.

Parks and other local green areas are the most used recreational environments in daily life. They are especially important for people with limited opportunities for travel, such as children, youth, elderly people, people with physical disabilities, or those with low income.

Impact. Mental health issues, stress, and physical inactivity have become widespread health challenges in Finnish society—even among children and young people. According to Sitra, these issues cost society approximately 14 billion euros annually, while the Finnish government’s total annual health and social care budget is around 26 billion euros (Tyrväinen et al., 2024). Notably, half of all disability pensions are now granted due to mental health reasons.

The health benefits of nature-based activities emerge most effectively through regular routines, as individuals discover ways to manage their own health challenges. A connection to nature offers a valuable path toward a more active and balanced life, supporting both physical and mental well-being. For children, early experiences in nature are especially crucial, helping to build a lasting relationship with the natural world that can continue into adulthood.

Today, many daily activities take place indoors. To counterbalance this, we need more year-round outdoor opportunities.

In Finland, nature is often close—even in urban areas. However, spending time in nature can still feel challenging due to fear of nature or social anxiety. Motivation to engage with nature is most effectively sparked by personal interest, enthusiasm, or support from others and peer groups. Nature visits can begin small and close to home, with challenges gradually increasing as confidence and skills grow.

Good examples from elsewhere

• Norway has a particularly strong outdoor and nature culture, making nature-based hobbies a natural part of many people’s daily lives and lifestyles.
• ‘Forest Mind’ is a Finnish well-being method including various types of relaxation, mindfulness, and mental skills exercises designed to harness and enhance the healing effects of nature.
• Green exercise is beneficial. The small municipality of Humppila, for instance, offers a variety of indoor and outdoor well-being activities for older adults. These activities are versatile, joyful, and affordable.
• In Nuuksio National Park, nature excursions are organized for people with severe disabilities and their families. Assistive devices promote equal access to nature when a standard wheelchair cannot meet the demands of the terrain.

Project pilots. At Elonkierto Park, guided visits offered small experiences and moments of physical and mental activity for various target groups. Each group could choose themes that interested them—such as wild herbs, environmental art, volunteer work in the forest garden, interacting with animals, or nature-based recovery. Every visit also included a shared snack or tasting moment.

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The picture shows volunteer work at Elonkierto. Photo: Pentti Raiskio

Participation levels varied significantly. Women participated more actively than men, who tended to prefer nature excursions and small competitions. The park visits provided meaningful experiences for participants. Feedback highlighted positive well-being effects, including relaxation, shared joy, and a sense of inclusion. Compared to indoor events, participants were better able to express their abilities in relaxation, presence, and social interaction. This highlights the powerful influence of environmental factors on human behavior—what people express about themselves in different settings becomes even more pronounced.

From a health perspective, the impact of a single visit is primarily refreshing and mentally stimulating. It lowers the threshold for independent nature visits and serves as a reminder of the well-being benefits that nature provides.

Considerations in green space planning. Existing parks and nearby natural areas offer diverse environments for both individual and group recreation. A good starting point for designing recreational areas is the maintenance categories of green spaces, which includes a wide range of features that support different activities—from wilder areas to accessible routes and assistive equipment.

At the same time, local parks are evolving into community meeting places, where everyone can feel equal, regardless of their background or abilities.

In addition to building local facilities, society should also provide guided activities and events to support recreation. People should be offered more personal opportunities to engage with their local green spaces. For many, this means a nearby park or forest, as only half of Finns have access to a private yard, according to Statistics Finland.

New types of solutions are especially needed in today’s land use planning, which emphasizes eco-efficiency and the densification of urban structures in response to climate change. As a result, urban nature is being pushed farther away. Park design and maintenance have also become increasingly safety-oriented, which can easily lead to “overreactions”—such as replacing sand with rubber granules under children’s play equipment.

When a park enables diverse activities, it fosters empowered and self-directed urban culture. For example, cosplay or music enthusiasts could create temporary performance spaces and make the area their own for a while. However, this mindset challenges current practices, where even minor modifications—like moving a park bench—are often seen as vandalism, and organizing events always requires advance permits.

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Natural areas offer opportunities for active engagement. Here, seminar guests enjoy a refreshing break from sitting indoors. Photo: Marja Uusitalo

Why. Today, social and health services are almost exclusively provided indoors. However, some clients in the social and healthcare sector need strength-based, resource-oriented approaches to complement common treatment methods such as medication, therapeutic conversations, and sick leave. Nature and animals offer a rich and supportive rehabilitation environment, where recovery occurs through multiple simultaneous processes that strengthen both health and functional capacity.

Despite their potential, the professional adoption of nature-assisted methods is progressing slowly. Advancing this approach requires a commitment to developing client-centered and strength-based practices.

Nature-assisted rehabilitation activities are always tailored to each participant’s personal interests, needs, and capabilities. For someone experiencing stress, it is often important to first find calm and mindfulness. From this state, intrinsic motivation to engage in more active participation can gradually emerge.

Nature-based activities can take many forms: short, shared walks in a nearby park, client meetings held at a campfire, or more demanding overnight hikes where participants gradually take on increasing responsibility for planning and carrying out the trip.

Good examples from elsewhere

• Many countries such as Norway, Denmark, and the United Kingdom have actively developed nature-based and animal-assisted methods as part of their social and health-care services.
• In Finland, current practices include socio-pedagogical riding therapy, school dogs, animal-assisted therapists, and therapeutic gardens in care homes. Young people are supported through adventure education. ‘Health forests’ have been established near hospitals, and guided group activities have been launched to support people with chronic illnesses.

Effectiveness. The effectiveness of nature- and animal-assisted interventions is based on multiple interconnected processes. These methods help individuals calm down and recover from stressful situations. As a person’s sense of internal safety strengthens, they can also manage trauma-related nervous system regulation issues (such as hyperarousal or hypoarousal) better.

Embodiment plays a key role, especially in recognizing and expressing emotions. Through physical activity, individuals not only improve their fitness but also practice various skills. They become empowered as active agents, and a sense of hope and intrinsic motivation begins to emerge. People feel seen and acknowledged, and their social bonds are strengthened.

This provides valuable tools to work for addressing various barriers to rehabilitation and can help accelerate the recovery process. Ultimately, they support the restoration of health-promoting connections—to oneself, to others (including animals), and to the physical environment.

Pilots. In the pilot projects at the Elonkierto and Loue parks, local social and health care professionals had the opportunity to explore natural environments and the potential for collaboration. Selected client groups were invited to experience the benefits of nature-based activities.

In Loue, immigrants, people with developmental disabilities, and mental health rehabilitees participated in a garden club, engaging in tasks from sowing to a shared harvest celebration.

For individuals at risk of burnout, a nature-based wellness day was organized to support both physical and mental recovery through a restorative detachment and resource-building exercises.

At Elonkierto, clients participating in rehabilitative work activities have actively contributed to the maintenance and construction of the park.

The pilots demonstrated a genuine need for strength-based rehabilitation and integration. Many participants reported that the activities had a positive impact on their mental well-being. Most said they felt more relaxed during the events—their thoughts shifted, and worries faded, at least temporarily. Particularly meaningful were the connections formed with nature and with other people. Participants expressed a clear desire for similar activities to be organized in the future.

Exercises in natural environments provided holistic well-being experiences—including calmness and recovery, but also active participation and a sense of agency. A key element of the activities was the psychologically safe and encouraging atmosphere, created collectively by the environment, the facilitators, and the group.

Looking ahead, it is essential to promote strength-based (psychosocial) rehabilitation — potentially through national recommendations. At the organizational level, the development of nature-based activities is increasingly driven by professionals’ own expertise, provided they are given sufficient opportunities and support.

Considerations in green space planning. Parks, gardens, and nearby nature can serve as rehabilitative environments for clients of social and health care services. Their use is mostly concentrated in the summer season, but during other times of the year, nature-based activities can be implemented through, for example, adventure therapies or animal-assisted interventions.

Rehabilitative activities most often take place in the immediate surroundings of social and health care organizations, making the locations easily accessible within time constraints. Local park environments can be intentionally developed in collaboration with social and health care professionals.

Why. Outdoor education is a teaching model that provides schools and early childhood education centers with an opportunity to complement indoor learning.

Good examples from elsewhere:

• In early childhood education, outdoor learning is already widely practiced. “Forest kindergartens” are used both in Finland and internationally.
• In Norway, outdoor education in schools is a well-established model. In Finland, the association Ulko-opet ry promotes the development of this field.
• In Denmark, school gardens are widely used, giving students hands-on experience in food production.

Effectiveness. Outdoor education supports children’s psychological and social development, for instance among hyperactive or restless children. It naturally increases physical activity during the school day. When outdoor environments are used flexibly and purposefully, both students and teachers can experience well-being benefits.

Outdoor education also enables experiential learning, which complements academic learning with books and virtual screens. Embodiment activates the body–mind connection, offering children sensory-based, personal insights that can later be drawn upon in classroom learning (activating the brain). In subjects like environmental education, it is essentially important for sparking personal interest and fostering individual agency.

Pilots. As part of the project pilots, schools made day visits to the Elonkierto and Loue parks. The events featured a variety of environmental and food education themes, presented at designated learning and activity points along a hiking route. Students had the opportunity to explore topics such as the lives of pollinators and soil organisms, the preservation of genetic resources, and the journey of local food from field to table.

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A cow and pupils are showing curiousity toward each other. Photo: Elonkierto

The field days also included plenty of social interaction, supporting group cohesion and the development of social skills at the beginning of the new term.

As part of the project, we are also conducting a virtual nature pilot, where students can explore biodiversity in agricultural environments through a virtual platform. The Landscape Laboratory uses 360° panoramic images to create an immersive nature experience, allowing students to feel as if they are truly present in the rural environment. This pilot deepens the project’s expertise in using both authentic and virtual learning environments.

Considerations in green space planning. Parks and nearby nature can offer easily accessible spaces for daycares and schools. A nearby forest, meadow, or shoreline often provides a more thematically diverse environment for teaching than built parks.

Teaching content is tailored to the curriculum, with a focus on creating opportunities for hands-on and experiential learning. Adopting a farm animal from a local farm or petting zoo can offer children a long-term meaningful connection.

Teaching also includes discussion sessions, which require quiet rest areas with appropriate seating. While information boards can be used to share details about the site, the presence of an inspiring guide is often equally important.

When planning visits for groups of children, it is essential to consider safety and the functionality of infrastructure—including traffic arrangements, weather shelters, rest areas, waste management, and toilet facilities.

Conclusion

We conclude that alongside illness-centered health thinking —pathogenesis — there is a growing need for a more holistic and preventive approach: salutogenesis. Modern lifestyles, shaped by economics and technology, often place one-sided strain on the brain and are too narrow to support genuine human well-being. Our modern way of living—indoors, sedentary, performance-driven, overstimulated, and often lonely—stands in sharp contrast to what is natural for the human species.

Reducing modern stress begins with living in alignment with human biology and the nervous system. We need a comprehensive understanding of humanity — one that acknowledges the wide diversity of people’s abilities and needs. Communities should be designed to foster harmony and health, supporting meaningful connections—with our own minds, with others (including animals), and with the physical environment. 

Green spaces are essential in this. Nature invites us to be present, to sense, and to explore different aspects and inner resources within ourselves. Ensuring access to nature must be a priority in land use planning and green space design. Moreover, nature-based knowledge should be integrated into everyday practices across all sectors of society. 

More information. Nature Health. https://www.sitra.fi/en/topics/green-health/#latest

Tyrväinen, L. ym. 2024. Luontoympäristön terveysvaikutukset ja niiden taloudellinen merkitys. Sitra. Abstract in English. https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-380-963-5.

The authors, Marja Uusitalo and Anja Yli-Viikari, are researchers at the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke).