An increase in people visiting the outdoors and engaging with nature has continued after lockdown, a new survey shows.
NatureScot has published the second wave of research into how our relationship with the outdoors and nature has changed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, carried out in partnership with Scottish Forestry, the Cairngorms National Park Authority and Paths for All.
The research was revealed as the nature agency launched its autumn Make Space for Nature campaign, encouraging people to take part in simple, fun activities to help nature thrive.
The latest survey of more than 1,100 people found that during the August to September period, levels of participation have increased, with four fifths of adults (80%) visiting the outdoors at least once a week.
The figure is up from 74% during the initial period of lockdown from March to May, as well as the 64% recorded by Scotland’s People and Nature survey (SPANS) in August 2019.
An increased proportion reported that after spending time outdoors they felt that they had gained health and wellbeing benefits - 70% felt it helped them to de-stress, relax and unwind (up from 63% for March-May) and 56% agreed that it improved their physical health (vs 47%).
Overall 49% expect to increase their time outdoors in future, including 20% who would like to spend ‘a lot more’ time outdoors.
Encouragingly, engagement with nature, which many people reported doing more often during the initial lockdown period, has also been sustained into late summer.
Around 2 in 5 Scots said they had spent more time than last year relaxing in their garden (45%), enjoying nature in their garden (41%) and/or enjoying nature or wildlife from indoors (40%).
An increased percentage also agreed that nature had become more important to their health and wellbeing (55% v 49% in March-May).
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Posted On: 14/10/2020