Muddy boots welcome: Wellbeing of outdoor walking groups

Tea-time Talk by Melissa Marselle at the TDC

"Group walks in green spaces are a cultural tradition in the UK. But is there any psychological benefit to putting on those hiking boots? This talk will explore an answer. Wellbeing is increasingly considered fundamental to quality of life. An expanding catalogue of research suggests that interaction with the natural environment contributes to mental, emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing. This presentation will discuss the mental and emotional well-being of individuals who do and do not take part in a national outdoor walking programme – Walking for Health. Melissa Marselle is a second year PhD student at the Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development. She is an Environmental Psychologist."

Enjoyable, interesting talk by Melissa about here research project and the findings on two of her questions, from analysis of the large datasets from her participant survey. Lots of useful references to government and WHO predictions on health and where walking for health might fit within the actions to counteract degeneration of health. Also it was fascinating to hear Melissa's description of the British attitude to walking, as an American newly resident in the UK.

It's inspiring hearing how different areas of research 'do their thing', and especially with this as I've heard her and/or Kate Irvine, Melissa's supervisor, speak about this research a couple of times before at Prescribing Nature and Wellbeing. 

Interestingly, and reflective of where I'm at in my PhD, my previous responses have been to want to go away and learn much more about environmental psychology and try and analyse the results of my work with people in landscape - of course other things are already in progress and I only get so far down that mental tack before i'm blown back again. This time my response was more grounded, with 'that's really interesting and I'd love to be doing that but as my research is as arts practice I'm not actually answering those questions in that way, or producing that kind of data. :( But... in the future I'd love to work on a project alongside environmental psychologists where my projects could provide another model of engagement with outdoor environments, and see how different factors impact mental wellbeing, positive affect, etc. Such as: listening to sound and whether the sound is collaboratively created as in Soundlines, something other than usual and created for a framed experience as in e-merge, in situ in a box as a prompt to imagination and noticing responses to specific environment as in Hunter Gatherer. And the other factors of images, re-presentation, device, freedom of movement, temporality, modes of experience etc..... that I've been looking at through the practice of my thesis. So, yes, more for later, should there be an opportunity to do so.