"Healthy Nature, Healthy People 2025" - A national promotion program

Outdoor activities are potentially one solution for public health problems, such as physical inactivity, sedentary lifestyles and increase in obesity rates, as well as the related health risks. Being out in the nature... [ view full abstract ]

Outdoor activities are potentially one solution for public health problems, such as physical inactivity, sedentary lifestyles and increase in obesity rates, as well as the related health risks. Being out in the nature increases physical activity, nature revives and recovers stress, and outdoor activities promote social wellbeing and sense of community. However, a coordinated effort to raise public awareness about nature’s positive impacts on health and wellbeing has been lacking in Finland.

Metsähallitus is an organization responsible for the management of state-owned areas in Finland, covering approximately 12,5 million hectares (approx. 1/3 of the whole country). State-owned areas, including e.g. national parks and commercial forests have open access, and they are equal and inexpensive environments for everyone. In 2016 Parks & Wildlife Finland (P&WF), the public administrative unit of Metsähallitus, registered 6,6 million visits and sold 140.000 hunting and fishing licenses to public lands and waters.

P&WF has been promoting nature as a source for health and wellbeing since 2010 through various projects. One of the major efforts was developing and administering a nationwide survey to assess and monitor the health and wellbeing impacts perceived by national park visitors, fishers and hunters. For example in national parks, the average perceived health and well-being benefits of visitors in years 2013–2016 (n=12.837) was 4,25 (Likert-scale: 1=strongly disagree,…, 5=fully agree). Another example is the average daily distance, 8,0 kilometers, covered by small game hunters in years 2013–2016 (n=56.362). Results indicate that national park visits, hunting and fishing have diverse positive impacts on physical, mental and social wellbeing, and by this reinforce earlier scientific findings on revitalizing and activating impacts of nature. 

In cooperation with its partners, P&WF launched a national promotion program “Healthy Nature, Healthy People 2025” with a main goal to further strengthen the role of nature and outdoor activities as a source of health and wellbeing. The presentation will focus on examples of key findings from recent projects and outline the objectives of the new national promotion program.