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Outdoor Education, Life Long Learning and Skills Development in Woodlands and Green Spaces: The Potential Links to Health and Well-Being

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Forests, Trees and Human Health

Abstract

Formal and informal education and learning in woodlands and green spaces can play an important role in contributing to people’s health and well-being. Two mechanisms are outlined which might explain this: (1) through general exposure to nature when undertaking educational activities outdoors; (2) through active ‘hands on’ intensive and/or extensive contact with nature gained through learning outdoors. Outdoor learning, what it is and what it involves is described as well as three learning theories particularly relevant to outdoor learning. The links between outdoor learning and health focusing on the two mechanisms outlined above are explored in detail. Conclusions highlight potential ways in which to encourage the use of woodlands and green spaces to deliver learning, and health and well-being outcomes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forest Research, Social and Economic Research Group, Alice Holt Lodge, Farnham, Surrey, England

    Liz O’Brien

  2. UK UNESCO Man and Biosphere (MAB) Urban Forum, London, United Kingdom

    Ambra Burls

  3. Danish Centre for Forest, Landscape and Planning, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark

    Peter Bentsen

  4. Oslo University College, Oslo, Norway

    Inger Hilmo & Kari Holter

  5. Nature School, City Council of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Dorothee Haberling

  6. Department of Forestry, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Janez Pirnat

  7. Estonian Society of School Forests, Vilusi, Estonia

    Mikk Sarv

  8. Institute of Educational Sciences, Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia

    Kristel Vilbaste

  9. Tree Council of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

    John McLoughlin

Authors
  1. Liz O’Brien
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  2. Ambra Burls
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  3. Peter Bentsen
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  4. Inger Hilmo
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  5. Kari Holter
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  6. Dorothee Haberling
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  7. Janez Pirnat
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  8. Mikk Sarv
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  9. Kristel Vilbaste
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  10. John McLoughlin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Liz O’Brien .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Parks and Urban Landscapes, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, Frederiksberg C, 1958, Denmark

    Kjell Nilsson

  2. , Land Use and Social Research, Forestry Commission, Corstorphine Road 231, Edinburgh, EH12 7AT, United Kingdom

    Marcus Sangster

  3. , National Agricultural Research Foundatio, Forest Research Institute, Thessaloniki, 57006, Greece

    Christos Gallis

  4. , Institute for Housing and Urban Research, Uppsala University, Radhustorget 1, Gävle, 80320, Sweden

    Terry Hartig

  5. , Alterra, Wageningen UR, Wageningen, 6700 AA, Netherlands

    Sjerp de Vries

  6. , Group Society, Environment & Culture, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (E, Sonneggstrasse 33, SOL E, Zurich, 9092, Switzerland

    Klaus Seeland

  7. , National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Øster Farimagsgade 5 A - 2, Copenhagen K, 1353, Denmark

    Jasper Schipperijn

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O’Brien, L. et al. (2011). Outdoor Education, Life Long Learning and Skills Development in Woodlands and Green Spaces: The Potential Links to Health and Well-Being. In: Nilsson, K., et al. Forests, Trees and Human Health. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9806-1_12

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