Nature's Way – activities for better health and well-being

Walking is a great way to keep active and to improve and help manage health conditions. It’s suitable for people of any age and all levels of fitness. It’s inexpensive, low-impact and accessible for almost everyone, and being active together in a group ensures there is always plenty of encouragement, reassurance and, of course, conversation. 

Nature’s Way walks are led by trained volunteer walk leaders who know the routes well and who can provide support and help members to achieve their goals. Walks usually last between 30 and 60 minutes. Different routes and different paces of walk cater for different abilities. Gentle walks use Eden’s accessible routes and flatter paths around the Biomes, others journey around the gardens, and the most challenging walks explore Eden’s outer estate with links to the Clay trails. Eden’s Golf buggies can support anyone who needs a lift. The paths in Eden’s gardens are wheelchair and scooter accessible, so you can join to wheel around the route with the group. You can find more information about access in our accessibility guide.

Eden has been a destination for health walks since 2005, when it was chosen as a venue for a group of people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), as it offers a challenging yet protected environment. Additional walks were added in 2016 for people with diabetes, pre-diabetes and cardio-vascular conditions, for which walking is known to be helpful. After feedback from our walk leaders, we’ve opened up our walks to anyone whose health condition would benefit from increased activity, accessing Eden’s gardens and being part of a friendly group. There are lots of points of interest along the way to keep the exercise fun, such as wildlife, different flowers in bloom, exhibits and Eden staff to chat to.

Get involved

• Who for: Individuals with health conditions who could benefit from increased activity in a friendly group.
• When: Fridays, ready to walk at 10.30am.
• Where: starting at the Visitor Centre Cafe.
• Cost: Free
• Need to know: Pre-booking is essential as numbers are limited. You may be refused entry without your booking reference. You will need a valid form of admission to the Eden Project, such as a Nature’s Way Pass, Locals’ Pass, Annual Pass or Eden Project Membership. 

Growing Connections is a programme of nature-connection activities for young people at the Eden Project, delivered by Eden's experienced facilitators. Each session provides young people with a positive and meaningful experience of being outdoors, whether it's playful, bushcraft activities at Little Carne Farm, growing and gardening, or novel and wonderful experiences in Eden's Biomes. Every activity supports young people in developing their connection to and understanding of the natural world.

Growing Connections enables young people to access Eden and realise the opportunities for learning and better health and wellbeing. Being outside has positive effects on our physiology and, the more biodiverse the setting, the greater the impact.  Furthermore, nature connection, which research suggests supports eudaimonic wellbeing and is related to how well we function, dips in teenage years.  With strong sensory elements and opportunities to rediscover the natural world, sessions reconnect young people with nature and each other and reignite their curiosity.  

Thanks to funding from Cornwall Community Foundation, the Eden Project is able to offer a course of sessions to groups or organisations where young people will benefit.

Activities are also open to individual, social prescribing and self-referrals.

For more information email naturesway@edenproject.com

Get involved

• Who for: Young people aged 11-18
• When: Courses are running until March 2023
• Where: Eden Project
• Cost: Free
• Need to know: Email naturesway@edenproject.com for more information 

A course for 18-25 year-olds, exploring basic photography techniques and discovering Eden’s plants and gardens.

A connection to nature or a relationship with the natural world supports better wellbeing. A first step in connecting with nature is noticing the nature around us.  This six-week photography course, provides opportunities to take a closer look at Eden’s plants and landscapes and learn basic techniques to take better images.  

Many of us carry a camera phone with us when we’re out and about.  Using our devices to connect with what we can see in the natural world when we turn our attention outwards is a powerful tool to helping us reconnect with nature. 

Suitable for complete beginners, the course will cover techniques like composition and lighting.  Short practices will give you the opportunity to explore and then incorporate new techniques in your images.  Choosing what to photograph and how is a key aspect if the session.  Group sessions enable you to spend time with others and share what catches your eye or inspires you in Eden’s iconic gardens. Bring along your phone, camera or tablet to take images. 

This six-week course is free thanks to funding for 18-25 year-olds from Cornwall Community Foundation.

Get involved

• Who for: Young people aged 18-25
• When: Wednesdays, 4.00pm-6.00pm, 4, 11, 18 and 25 October
• When: Wednesdays, 4.00pm-6.00pm, 27 January, 3, 10, 24 February, 2 and 9 March 
• Where: Eden Project
• Cost: Free thanks to funding from Cornwall Community Foundation
• Need to know: Email naturesway@edenproject.com for more information, to book your space or make a referral. 

Come and keep calm in technicolour by joining a series of six, three-hour sessions run from our Mediterranean Biome by Helen Perrott of From Acorns to Oaks.

Designed to relieve stress and anxiety, during each session Helen will show you how to create your own coloured patterns inspired by Eden’s vast collection of plants from across the world. 

You’ll learn more about these fascinating plants, as well as a variety of colouring techniques using pencil crayons. 

All equipment is provided, as well as a hot drink during each session.

If you have a health condition and would benefit from these sessions but the cost is prohibitive, please get in touch to see whether you qualify for the social prescribing enablement fund by emailing naturesway@edenproject.com.

This session is not currently available to book. If you would like to express an interest in this activity or find out more about the nature’s way programme, please email naturesway@edendproject.com.

Support the National Wildflower Centre at the Eden Project in their work to restore wildflower habitats and enable biodiversity to thrive. Join seed collection walks, seed cleaning and seed sowing activities to learn more about wildflowers, and their life cycles. Come and help us increase Cornish wildflowers for all. 

This session is not currently available to book. If you would like to express an interest in this activity or find out more about the nature’s way programme, please email naturesway@edendproject.com.