Medical Journal: Nature is Good for You. - As if we didn't know.

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owls, and raccoons) have been used successfully in therapies for children with

emotional and behavioural problems. People who take part in conservation

projects report subjective health benefits, ascribed to being outdoors and to

feeling part of a greater system connecting beyond the individual. Such

projects can help overcome social isolation, develop skills, and improve

employment prospects, as well as provide the known benefits associated with

exercise. Although initial research has been promising, the UK needs robust

health impact assessments of wildlife projects to determine their objective

therapeutic value, say the authors. English Nature has advocated a national

strategy to encourage people to reconnect with nature and benefit from

proximity to wildlife. Partnerships between healthcare providers and nature

organisations to share and exchange expertise could create new policies that

recognise the interdependence between

healthy people and healthy ecosystems, they conclude. ### Editorial: Human

health and nature conservation BMJ Volume 331, pp 1221-2 This story has been

adapted from a news release issued by BMJ-British Medical Journal.

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