Health benefits of nature experience: The challenge of linking practice and research

Abstract

While there is a growing base of knowledge concerning the health benefits of nature experience, this knowledge appears to be insufficiently translated into practice. The perceived gap between research and practice is often explained by a lack of hard evidence on the effects and mechanisms at work. In this chapter we argue that strengthening the evidence base is only one of the areas where more needs be done. Converting the evidence into practice is a process that requires concerted attempts with different kinds of effort, and should therefore be viewed from different perspectives. We examine the topic from three distinct perspectives: problem definition (who is responsible?); acceptability (what constitutes acceptable evidence?); applicability (can the evidence be used in practice?). Throughout, we use examples from various disciplinary fields to illustrate the significant challenges and complexities faced in joining practice and research. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.