As my time at Bean Research comes to a close, I’ve naturally been thinking back on some of my favourite projects. There are a lot to choose from, but two will definitely stay with me long after I leave: our work with Thrive and Heal Rewilding.
Both organisations work with people in very different ways. Thrive uses social and therapeutic horticulture to support people’s health and wellbeing through gardening, growing and time outdoors. Heal Rewilding is restoring nature at scale, while also creating opportunities for people to connect with wild spaces, learn more about the natural environment and experience the benefits of spending time in nature.
At first glance, the social value of this work can feel obvious. Many of us instinctively know that being outside, moving more, noticing wildlife or spending time in green space can make us feel better. But access to nature is not evenly shared. For some people, regular access to green space is part of everyday life. For others, it is limited by where they live, their health, confidence, mobility, caring responsibilities, income or past experiences of exclusion.
This is why nature-based work matters. It does more than provide a pleasant activity outdoors. When designed well, it can create the conditions for people to feel calmer, more connected, more capable and more confident.
The evidence base for this is growing. Research increasingly links access to natural environments with improved mental health, wellbeing and physical activity. Green social prescribing has also brought greater policy attention to the role of nature-based activities in preventative, community-based support.
Through Bean Research’s work with Thrive, we have seen how social and therapeutic horticulture, as a structured activity, can support a wide range of outcomes. It combines purposeful activity, routine, skills development and a supportive environment with the therapeutic benefits of time in nature. This can contribute to improved mental health and wellbeing, increased physical activity, stronger confidence and resilience, and a greater sense of connection to other people. For some people, these changes can also support progression towards volunteering, training, education or employment.
There is a similar story in rewilding and nature recovery work. Programmes like Heal Rewilding’s create opportunities for people to spend time in restored landscapes, understand more about plants, wildlife and ecosystems, and build a stronger relationship with the natural world. This matters for people, but it can also matter for nature. Greater knowledge and connection can sometimes lead to more environmentally friendly behaviours at home, such as gardening, growing food, reducing waste, noticing wildlife or making different choices about how people use and care for the natural environment.
For evaluators, this means looking beyond attendance numbers. A session count can tell us how many times people came along. It cannot tell us whether someone felt less isolated, gained confidence, learned a new skill, felt more able to manage their mental health or began to see themselves as someone who belongs in nature. Good impact measurement helps make these changes visible. In Social Return on Investment studies, some outcomes can also be monetised using financial proxies, adding another layer of evidence to show the value created for people, health systems, communities and wider society.
For nature-based charities, this creates both an opportunity and a challenge. The opportunity is to show that their work contributes to live policy agendas around prevention, mental health, loneliness, physical activity, skills, community connection and environmental behaviour. The challenge is to evidence this in ways that are proportionate, credible and useful.
That is what has made these projects so memorable. Thrive and Heal Rewilding both show that the natural world can be more than a backdrop. It can be part of the mechanism of change.
