Contact with nature is good for us. A new guide presents how we can use the power of nature for children’s health and well-being. This guest article was written in Spanish from Irene Cervera-Buisán, PhD from the organisation Les Trenades. Below we propose a translation but you can read the original Spanish version here 

If we think back to our own childhood, it is highly likely that our happiest memories are linked to natural environments: playing in a wood, running through a park or jumping over waves on the beach. However, in an increasingly urbanised and digitalised world, new generations are growing up further and further removed from the natural environment.

The current scientific evidence is compelling: we are part of nature and our physical, mental and emotional health is intimately linked to our contact with it. To address this disconnect and provide practical tools – Irene Cervera-Buisán, PhD – a psychologist and environmental educator, and Montse Masó-Aguado, an environmental scientist and nurse, produced the Health and Nature Guide (2024). The guide sets out a roadmap for integrating this duality into the lives of children and young people.

The origin: The Catalonia Health and Nature Platform

The creation of this guide is not an isolated event, but the result of a collaborative and strategic effort. The document has been produced within the framework of the Thematic Group on Health and Nature for Children, Adolescents and Young People (TSN IAJ), led in 2024 by the Catalan Society for Environmental Education (SCEA) and in collaboration with the Network for Nature Conservation (XCN), with the support of the Department of Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition of the Government of Catalonia.

The main objective of this framework is to highlight how a connection with nature acts as a factor in “salutogenesis”; that is, a positive resource that promotes health and well-being through prevention and resilience, rather than focusing solely on treating illness. The guide compiles recommendations as well as experiences, research and initiatives to connect children and young people with the environment, establishing a solid theoretical framework and offering practical levels of intervention.

The tangible benefits of “getting back to nature”.

In 1984, the biologist Edward O. Wilson popularised the term “biophilia”, the innate tendency of humans to focus their attention on other organisms and natural processes. When children lack this contact, they are exposed to what author Richard Louv termed “nature deficit disorder”, associated with attention difficulties, obesity and higher rates of physical and emotional illness.

Fortunately, reversing this has immediate and profound effects. Contact with nature brings holistic benefits to young children, notably its impact on cognitive and emotional development, the mitigation of neurodevelopmental disorders, and the improvement of physical and immune health.

What is the necessary “dose”? To reap these benefits, a key question arises: how much nature do we need?

The Global Alliance for Renaturalising Child and Youth Health recommends that children spend at least 12 hours a week in a natural environment. However, evidence suggests that significant effects on well-being can already be observed with just 2 hours a week.

At an urban level, the guide adopts the 3-30-300 nature recommendation proposed by Cecil Konijnendijk: everyone should be able to see at least three trees from their window, live in a neighbourhood with 30% vegetation cover, and have a high-quality green or blue space within 300 metres of their home.

But, most importantly, it is the type of activity we engage in within nature, and even our self-perceived biodiversity. Not everyone experiences and lives nature in the same way, and therefore the effects vary.

Levels of engagement with nature

In this guide, Cervera-Buisán and Masó present a model for engaging with nature across four levels of intervention, which can inspire, amongst others, national parks, health centres, and educational, social and/or environmental organisations:

• Level 1 – Nature in everyday life: Integrating green infrastructure into cities and school playgrounds.
• Level 2 – Exploration: Sports and environmental education activities that encourage spontaneous contact.
• Level 3 – Deep connection: Immersive experiences, environmental volunteering and mindfulness practices.
• Level 4 – Therapeutic interventions: Specific health programmes designed by professionals to treat specific disorders.

A healthy future requires a healthy planet

Economic and social inequality remains one of the greatest barriers to accessing nature. Ensuring that all children, regardless of the socio-economic status of their neighbourhood, have access to these spaces is a matter of equity and public health.

Fostering children’s connection with nature not only ensures healthier and more resilient adults, but also cultivates citizens committed to caring for the environment. Because, ultimately, there can be no human health without planetary health.

You can download the Health and Nature Guide both in Catalan and its non-official (automated Deepl) translation of the guide in English.

Download the guide in Catalan Download the guide in English (unofficial translation)

When Protected Area staff cross borders, they do more than attend meetings. They build trust, share skills, and create lasting friendships. Across EUROPARC Transboundary Areas (TBAs), staff exchange is one of the strongest drivers of successful cooperation.

From mountain patrols to youth camps, these personal connections turn shared landscapes into shared missions.

Weekly Meetings, One Shared Mountain

In the Krkonoše and Karkonosze National Parks, staff members cross the border almost every week. Rangers carry out joint field inspections, and teams work together on conservation, research, and visitor management. The verifier highlighted these regular face-to-face meetings as a key reason why cooperation remains strong and effective.

On average, staff cross the border once a week for face-to-face meetings.

This simple routine has helped the two parks deliver dozens of successful joint projects and maintain more than two decades of close cooperation.

Personal Commitment Creates Best Practice

In the Julian Alps Transboundary Ecoregion, the partnership between Triglav National Park and Parco Naturale Prealpi Giulie was described as “absolutely best practice” in Europe. Staff working in nature conservation, sustainable tourism, youth engagement, and environmental education are deeply involved in cross-border projects.

Without the strong personal engagement of the directors and members of staff, this success could not have been realised.

Their dedication led to a major achievement in 2024: international recognition of the UNESCO Transboundary Biosphere Reserve Julian Alps.

One-Day Exchanges, Long-Term Impact

Even short visits can make a big difference. In Podyjí National Park and Thayatal National Park, staff take part in exchange visits, joint ranger patrols, and language courses. In one example, three Czech staff members spent a day with their Austrian colleagues, learning directly from each other’s daily work.

These exchanges improve communication, strengthen mutual understanding, and inspire new ideas for conservation and visitor management.

Why Staff Exchange Matters

The EUROPARC Transboundary Programme shows that successful cooperation starts with people. When staff members meet in the field, solve problems together, and share experiences, they create the trust needed to protect nature across borders.

Staff exchange turns neighbours into partners and partnerships into long-term success.

Discover the EUROPARC Transboundary Programme

The EUROPARC Transboundary Parks Programme supports Protected Areas that work together across national borders. By promoting staff exchange, joint learning, and shared management, the programme helps nature thrive without boundaries.