Green Space and Health course

The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare runs a Green Space and Heath Course, which provides an overview of the field for health and social care staff at any level who are new to the concept of nature-based interventions and/or sustainable healthcare.

Green space contributes to physical and mental wellbeing and offers therapeutic benefits for recovery from illness. This foundation course explores the evidence and illustrates how you can integrate these into your own practice. The course is intended for health and social care professionals in primary, secondary or social care, including those working in mental health and rehabilitation and those who want to improve staff wellbeing in any setting.

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This course is endorsed by Yale Center on Climate Change and Health.

Green Space and Health course description

This foundation course is intended as an overview of the field for health and social care staff at any level who are new to the concept of nature-based interventions and/or sustainable healthcare.

Research from around the world demonstrates the benefits of green space for mental and physical health, recovery from illness and prevention of long-term medical conditions. Access to green space is increasingly recognised as a social determinant of health and a factor in health inequalities. ‘Green’ prescriptions are increasingly being used by healthcare professionals to deliver health benefits for patients. This course explores the evidence base and its implications for healthcare and the design of clinical settings. It showcases examples of green prevention and therapy and illustrates how you can integrate these into your own practice. 

Human health is inextricably linked to the health of the wider living systems that support us. They provide the air we breathe, the food we grow, the water we drink, moderate the proliferation of diseases that affect us and much more. This complex set of relationships is sometimes referred to as ‘planetary health’ and is increasingly recognised as a critical perspective in health creation. 

Our societies have viewed the destruction of living systems as necessary collateral damage for human prosperity. Only by recognising our own reliance on these biological foundations, can we begin to build a sounder, regenerative way of life. It is against the backdrop of steadily climbing greenhouse gas emissions and global temperatures and the dramatic loss in biodiversity that now threatens our own ability as a species to thrive or even survive, that this course focuses on the relationship between nature and health.

Though long overlooked, it is also increasingly understood that the defence of natural habitats is fundamental to combating climate change. Living systems such as forests, meadows, mangroves, and salt marshes remove and store large amounts of carbon from the air – they offer ‘natural climate solutions’ for the planetary ills we face.

Learning objectives

By the end of this course you will be able to:

• Recognise the complex relationship between human health and the health of the natural world
• Summarise the evidence on the health benefits of engaging with green space
• Describe how nature-based interventions can be applied to patient care and staff wellbeing in a sustainable health system
• Outline how clinical settings can be designed to promote health and healing
• Identify your own local ‘green space for health’ initiative

Course structure

Part I. Self-study online

Prepare for the workshop at your convenience using our interactive online self-study module, presented in bite-sized chunks. You will need about four to six hours to complete the self-study materials which cover all course content including background, theory and case studies, with links to further information depending on your level of interest. Discussion points throughout the module allow you to reflect on your learning and start to get to know fellow participants and their areas of interest and work. At the end of the module, you are invited to sketch out a plan for a Green Space project you might want to undertake, in preparation for the workshop discussions. The self-study module opens four weeks before, and remains available to you for four weeks after, the workshop.

Enjoyed working through it. Good balance of reading/videos to watch and discuss. Very well organised and structured. Lots of great links.

Part II. Live workshop online

The four-hour virtual workshop consolidates your understanding of the course materials. Small group discussions with CSH experts and colleagues from around the world allow further exploration of topics that interest you and tips on how to translate your ideas into action. The timetable includes pre-session technical assistance and networking, followed by a review of the self-study material with Q&A. In breakout groups you will then have the opportunity to explore with others:

• The implications of the green space evidence base for healthcare 
• How to develop new forms of practice, facilitate others to engage with green space locally, or create a new green space where you work
• How to overcome barriers and find opportunities to take your ideas forward – e.g. using levers for change, values and narratives. 

By the end of the workshop you will feel confident to launch your own ‘green space for health’ initiative

To know you’ll have a hub with centralised resources and support will make a huge difference.

Part III: Work-in-Progress

After completing the self-study materials and online workshop you are invited to attend our online ‘Sustainable Healthcare Cafés’. The two-hour cafés occur regularly throughout the year and offer ongoing support for you to put your learning in to practice. They are a friendly, informal setting in which to:

• Get support for sustainability projects from peers and CSH staff
• Make connections with others bringing sustainability projects into their workplace

You are welcome to continue attending cafés as many times as you wish. Upcoming dates are available here and will also be emailed out to you with your certificate of completion after the workshop.

Book a course with peace of mind

We realise that healthcare workers may have to change their plans at short notice. If you are unable to attend a workshop, we can offer you a workshop at a later date for no charge. We can also offer a refund as long as you cancel before the course opens for self-study, which is three weeks before the workshop. There is an admin fee of £30 for refunds.

See all courses run by the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare here.