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Two women, one wearing an Eden fleece, smile while looking at some plants outside. The weather is wintery, but there is a winter glow on the plants from the sun

Nature Connections

We believe that people should be connected to nature.

Over the last 25 years, we have developed extensive expertise in nature recovery and social prescribing. Our Nature Connections programme uses nature-based activities to boost health, wellbeing and learning. 

This project started at the Eden Project in Cornwall in 2009, and thanks to the National Lottery Climate Action Fund, the Nature: Connection and Recovery programme is expanding to other parts of the UK. It will equip communities with the skills and confidence to take climate-positive action locally, supporting communities across the UK worst affected by climate change and health inequalities. 

Nature Connections activities at Eden

Find activities in nature near you

A younger man and older woman planting seeds together and smiling

Eden Project, Cornwall

From therapeutic horticulture and early years activities, to walking groups for people with a range of health conditions, the Eden Project offers a wide range of sessions led by experts.  

Find out more
Etheline smiles at the camera, in front of a homemade scarecrow and a sign. She's sitting in Belgrave Community Garden

Let nature in where you live

Explore our ideas and expert advice from Eden Project horticulturalists, together with practical tips from community gardeners on how to make your own community greener.  

Make your community greener

Quote

Sam Alford, Programme Lead

“ There is something intrinsically hopeful about the act of sowing seeds, growing food or flowers. ”

Why connect with nature?

A young woman and two men kneel beside a vegetable bed, taking a short break from planting. There are bamboo canes forming a triangle trellis in front of them.

Being in green spaces positively impacts on our physiology. When we spend time in nature, our stress levels decrease, we feel calmer and our creativity and productivity are boosted.

A group of people picking leaves at an allotment and laughing

People who regularly access green spaces have better health and wellbeing. These wellbeing benefits are enhanced when people feel related to or a part of nature.

A small child wearing a blue puddlesuit uses a magnifying glass to look at the grass

People who have a relationship with nature are more likely to care for it.

About Nature: Connection and Recovery

National Lottery Community Fund logo

Thanks to National Lottery players, the Nature: Connection and Recovery programme has received more than £2 million in funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK. 

The Nature: Connection and Recovery project aims to reach people and communities, supporting them with the skills needed to help mitigate the climate crisis. The areas which will benefit from this programme include Dundee, Morecambe, Liverpool, Belfast, Newport in Wales and Cornwall. 

Working in partnership with Gwent, Ulster, Lancashire and Scottish Wildlife Trusts, and Intelligent Health and the Ashken Family Foundation, the programme will target communities across the UK which are worst affected by climate change and health inequalities. 

Discover more from Eden

Rainforest Walkway in the Rainforest Biome

Why do plants make us happy?

 Listen to our podcast episode where our host Tod chats with Dr Georgina Gould – a Senior Psychologist and Clinical Lead for Children and Young People – about why it is that plants and nature make us happy. 

Listen now
A close up of the wildflowers at the the Eden Project

Spreading colour and biodiversity across the UK

We are the home of the National Wildflower Centre, and use wildflowers to bring biodiversity, delight and colour into the lives of communities across the UK, supporting wildlife and helping people connect with nature. 

Learn more about this work
Two women stand smiling amongst grasses and shrubs, with one of the Eden Project biomes visible in the background

Help us achieve more 

By supporting Eden today – by joining as a Member, or making a donation – you’ll help us to continue to deliver projects which can transform lives.

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