Nature's benefits for mental and physical health go unrealised for most people

Across the world, people are becoming increasingly disconnected from the natural environment that sustains us. This separation isn't just about living in cities — it's about losing the deep, everyday relationship with nature that shaped human culture for millennia.

This disconnection has profound consequences. When we don't experience nature regularly, we struggle to understand our dependence on healthy ecosystems. We miss out on the mental and physical health benefits that contact with the natural world provides. Children grow up without developing the curiosity and care for nature that comes from direct experience.

The challenge is urgent because this disconnection makes it harder for people to support the environmental action we desperately need. It's difficult to protect what feels abstract or irrelevant to daily life.

Research consistently shows that contact with nature reduces stress, improves mood, boosts immune function, and supports mental health recovery. Yet most healthcare systems don't systematically connect people to these benefits, and many individuals don't understand how to access nature in ways that support their wellbeing.

This represents a massive missed opportunity for both individual health and healthcare systems. Green prescribing — where healthcare providers recommend specific nature-based activities — is growing in some places, but remains rare. Meanwhile, workplaces and communities often overlook simple ways to provide nature access that could significantly improve wellbeing for large numbers of people.