Nature prescribed to support wellbeing and health in Wales

Across Wales, health professionals and community practitioners are using RSPB Nature Prescriptions — a growing approach that enables people to spend time connecting with nature to support their own wellbeing.

From listening to birdsong to noticing the changing colours of the seasons, simple moments in nature are an increasingly well-evidenced and recognised way to support health and wellbeing.

RSPB Nature Prescriptions are not about dramatic lifestyle changes, but about helping people build manageable, meaningful connections with the natural world. Activities might include noticing different bird sounds, looking at trees or wildflowers on a short walk in a green space, or simply pausing to observe seasonal changes.

Developed and delivered in partnership with health boards and other partners, the initiative in Wales is helping to make nature more accessible as a supportive tool for wellbeing — particularly at a time when many people are experiencing stress, anxiety, or feeling disconnected from the world around them.

David Llewellyn, Nature and Wellbeing Manager at RSPB Cymru said: “There is growing recognition that nature connection can play an important role alongside other approaches in supporting mental, and indeed, physical health. What matters is that these moments can support wellbeing in a way that feels achievable and personal. It’s about helping people reconnect with the natural world in ways that are simple, accessible and meaningful to them. Nature is part of the solution – and increasingly, part of the system.”

To mark Mental Health Awareness Week, RSPB Cymru is inviting the public to try a simple ‘Nature Prescription’ activity for themselves, highlighting that even small moments spent noticing the natural world can play a role in supporting wellbeing.

These could be as simple as taking time to look in the sky for Swallows, House Martins, and Swifts as they return after spending the winter in Africa or opening a window and taking time to listen to the birds, especially their dawn chorus in the early morning.

By sharing these experiences, the campaign aims to help more people understand that nature is not just something to visit occasionally, but something that can be part of everyday life — and, increasingly, part of how we think about supporting mental health.