Wild Skills Wild Spaces – natural ways to wellbeing

Wild Skills Wild Spaces is an innovative partnership project using ecotherapy sessions in the wilds of North Powys to help people struggling with their mental health. Delivered by Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust, in partnership with Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB), it is funded by the Welsh Government until 2023.

In 2021 the project attracted national acclaim with a prestigious NHS Forest 2021 Award for Engaging People with Nature.

Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust's Head of Health and Wellbeing, Carla Kenyon, tells us more about this award-winning project where people are learning new skills, meeting new people and improving both physical and mental wellbeing while making a positive change for wildlife within their communities.

What inspired the Wild Skills Wild Spaces project?

I have an overwhelming passion to connect more people to nature and wildlife so that it is protected and cared for in the future. I also wanted to reach out to people who may not normally connect with nature by offering a health and wellbeing project as I know how nature is so important in helping people. I looked to see what other Wildlife Trusts are doing and visited the amazing My Place project being run by Lancashire Wildlife Trust. It is fantastic and that is what inspired me to bring that concept to Montgomeryshire.

Carla joins a Wild Skills Wild Spaces activity

The benefits of Nature and green spaces on mental health are well documented. What is WSWS’s take?

We often get participants saying we changed their life. Those four words are powerful and that is what drives us. Not only that though, they learn about their environment and wildlife. When they turn around, and point out things in nature to us, then that makes you smile.

The whole connection to and appreciation of life - whether it is human, animal, insect or plant life - is so important. We have had participants go from being hospitalised two or three times a year to no hospitalisation since joining the scheme and actually volunteering in their own time to bird survey or help in other areas. It is so powerful, that non judgemental setting mixed with a great team, and being outdoors really clearly works.

Tell us a bit about the team – characters and strengths

The team is made up of two males and two females who have been trained in delivering to people, who may have complex needs, outdoors. As such they can call themselves Outdoor Psychologically Aware Practitioners. They come from a range of backgrounds including forest school, wildlife trust conservation, National Trust and Mencap the learning disability charity.

I have been very lucky with the team as they just gel and connect with people so well. Mark, who is supported by Jo, runs the youth sessions and just naturally connects with kids. He is very funny and has the ability to be seen as an equal with the children. It is definitely a gift and not something everyone has. He just gives out an energy that is magnetic for the youth we work with.

Jo is warm and gentle and the mothering type figure some kids need. Fran, the project manager, has an amazing skill set from being forest school trained and a passion for nature and wildlife that is her life. Eurig joined us from North Wales Wildlife Trust and has lots of experience of delivering engagement sessions outdoors; his knowledge is second to none. There is nothing Eurig doesn’t know about wildlife and plants.

Who is the project aimed at and how are people referred?

The project is aimed at anyone who needs hope basically. People are referred through primary care - GP / community connectors / secondary care / schools / statutory and we are now open to self-referral.

What does MWT’s version of ecotherapy look like?

Ecotherapy is a word thrown about and applied to any wellbeing activity taking place outdoors but that is not what it is. That is a wellbeing session. Ecotherapy requires trained staff and a programme in place based on the Five Ways to Wellbeing. It requires structure and a thought through plan of activity delivered by trained staff.

Which Wild Skills have proved the most popular and why?

The green wood work proves popular - working with tools that people may have never used before and making things they can take home for wildlife in their gardens or to place on our reserves such as bird boxes or feeders. Also cooking is always popular - foraging within the surroundings for ingredients to make nettle crisps for example. But it is always done with care and people are educated where to cut the nettle so that it grows back for the wildlife.

What is it about these particular Wild Spaces in Montgomeryshire that can impact positively on wellbeing?

As a wildlife trust we are lucky that we have urban reserves that can be accessed on foot. That is a major positive as access is a problem where we live. We can see the fields but can’t access them. However, our urban community reserves can be accessed and are in walking distance of Welshpool and Newtown. This has a huge impact as it means people who may not have known they exist now know and can access them on a weekend or outside the session. They might take family or friends and educate them with what they may have learnt. That gives empowerment and a sense of ownership to people.

What happens once participants have completed the 12 week programme?

They can continue with us by joining a Friends of Group for one of the nature reserves or mentor on another programme.

Wildlife conservation is the MWT’s first priority. How does a project like WSWS fit into the trust’s aims and objectives?

It allows us to diversify and spread the conservation message to a new target market of people. People and youth, who may have nothing to do with wildlife or access nature, are through this scheme educated about the local surroundings and nature.  And they then go home and educate others, so that passion builds.  As David Attenborough says “No one will protect what they don’t care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced!"  This is so true! We could do an event with neon flashing signs and the same ole people would attend it and most of those people are already converted to care about their environment. How do we educate others, or find a new target market of people? Through a project like WSWS!

Hopefully then we are spreading the message wider and getting people to care thus leaving the legacy in safe hands.

Also with the participant support we are able to carry out activities under the programme that will increase biodiversity and enhance the reserves.

Why is the project being evaluated by a research team at Cardiff Metropolitan University?

They are evaluating it to produce standards and a framework to help influence social policy in Welsh Government. So it can hopefully be used and adopted by other outdoor third sector organisations across Wales.

What else do you do at MWT to encourage the therapeutic use of green spaces?

We use social media and other forms of communication to help encourage people out in nature. Currently the 30 Days Wild campaign run by the Wildlife Trusts is being promoted. It encourages people to do something connected with nature every day for the month of June.

Other than national campaigns like this we will have other people engagement activities on offer throughout the year depending on project funding and the projects that are currently being implemented, for example wildlife walks.

What have been the main challenges of the project?

The NHS actually referring in if I am honest. Getting referrers to take the time to refer people to the project. Also the time it takes to offer a pick up facility, in hindsight we need an 8 seater driver as part of this project. So in the future we would definitely factor this in to any future funding although that will be challenging as the funding is very scarce. SO, as always, funding is a challenge. We have a proven fantastic offering and to continue this after June 2023 is challenging as we need funding to do so.

Tell us about some of the most rewarding work WSWS has done so far

Working with children from local secondary schools. The demand is huge and the number of children needing help with anxiety and other issues is increasing. Helping and delivering to these children, and seeing the difference it is making to them, pulls on your heart strings. For it to end would be devasting for all. Seeing the children have a safe environment and thrive in a group they feel comfortable enough to make friends in, talk and take part and get enthusiastic about nature is so rewarding.

We have also made improvements to the reserves themselves and put up over a hundred bird boxes which were made by some of the participants. There are too many things to list. But just seeing people connect to nature and care like David A said is what ticks the box as they say! That legacy for us is so important.

Everyone needs a boost to their mental wellbeing from time to time. With your wildlife trust hat on what can you recommend?

Keep it simple, it doesn’t have to be strenuous or complicated. It could be just going outside your front door and being mindful, for example, noticing the clouds, the insects, watching ants, birds…. anything.

It doesn’t need money or financial investment it can just be very simple. Put an apple outside and watch it being eaten, hang it on a tree and watch the birds peck at it. Or just simply visit one of our reserves, if only for 5 minutes, just go for a quick walk around it. That may be enough for some people and will instantly boost mood.

You can even just look out of the window for 5 minutes a day and notice if you see any wildlife in that space of time. Do it again the next day at the same time and see if you spot anything different or the same.

Key words – keep it simple!

Many thanks to Carla for telling us more about this award-winning project. If you want to find out more about Wild Skills Wild Spaces, you can contact her by emailing: Carla@montwt.co.uk