Live Nature Wise: NatureWise at School

Introduction

NatureWise at School is a Live Nature Wise program designed to raise awareness and opportunity within schools, and the broader school community, about the benefits of ‘Nature Dosing’. A Nature Dose is the evidence-based health and wellbeing co-benefits arising from regular, intentional, multi-sensorial connection with nature, including caring for nature.

NatureWise at School facilitates students and staff to co-design projects, activities and communications to enable students and staff, and the broader school community, to build their personal Nature Dose as a daily, life-long form of self-care at work, rest, learning and play.

The NatureWise at School program activates our Live Nature Wise principles, which includes seeking both human and environmental health outcomes, being evidence-based, and acknowledging First People’s longstanding wisdom about connecting with and caring for Country. The Live Nature Wise program principles also include being locally relevant, partnership driven and sustainable.

NatureWise at School is designed to be flexible and modulated to meet specific schools’ needs in terms of resourcing, capacity, students and staff needs, and school community objectives and pathways.

Announcing Our Pilot Program!

We’re delighted to have received funding from the VicHealth Jumpstart Grant funding to deliver two pilot NatureWise at School programs with two schools in the City of Wyndham, Melbourne. We’re currently working with Werribee Secondary College and The Grange College P-12 to co-design, develop and deliver NatureWise at School. Together with our pilot school partners, we are working towards creating a replicable, flexible and sustainable program that can be delivered in a variety of educational environments.

How Does NatureWise Benefit School Communities?

NatureWise at School is a Live Nature Wise program we’ve created to raise awareness and opportunity within schools, and the broader school community, about the benefits of ‘Nature Dosing’. A Nature Dose is the evidence-based health and wellbeing co-benefits arising from regular, intentional, multi-sensorial connection with nature, including caring for nature.

NatureWise at School facilitates students and staff to co-design projects, activities and communications to enable students and staff, and the broader school community, to build their personal Nature Dose as a lifelong form of self-care at work, rest, learning and play.

NatureWise at school seeks to have a positive impact on curriculum, culture, community and campus.

Curriculum:
Please Contact Us to find out more about how NatureWise at School aligns across curriculum and school-specific Annual Implementation Plans (AIPs).

Culture:
NatureWise at School has a positive influence on school culture by promoting the benefits of Nature Dosing to the whole school community, including reciprocity. The program promotes increased time spent in nature being physically active, practicing mindfulness, learning, being creative, playing and caring for nature.

Community:
Students, teaching staff, admin staff, parents and carers, even neighbours, can participate in NatureWise at School activities.

Campus:
A key component of the program is a Noticing Nature audit whereby schools are facilitated to record the nature – indoors and outdoors – on campus and provide recommendations for where there could be more nature, or better quality nature on campus.

Exciting progress on a Nature Up project at Werribee Secondary College

How Does NatureWise at School Support Health and Wellbeing?

NatureWise at School delivers benefits for all participants, whether student, teaching staff, admin staff, or parent/carer. Whoever gets involved will enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of meaningful connecting with and caring for nature.

NatureWise at School offers a proactive response to mitigate climate change impacts and eco-anxiety (notably prevalent in young people) by highlighting opportunities and encouraging students, teachers, staff and families to undertake acts of conservation and/or sustainability.

NatureWise at School works across curriculum, culture, community and campus and brings together different parts of the school under one, shared goal of improving and increasing school community access to and connection with nature, because nature is our greatest source of health and wellbeing.

The Evidence

NatureWise at School centres on the concept of the Nature Dose and its multiple health and wellbeing benefits. Connection with nature, including caring for nature, can positively impact:

• Physical activity
• Improved immunity
• Mental wellbeing
• Stress reduction and recovery
• Attention restoration
• Pro-social behaviour
• Reduced loneliness
• Sense of place

You can find even more information, evidence and research about the benefits of Nature Dosing on our Live Nature Wise and Nature Dose pages.

NatureWise at School Outcomes

• • Improved Nature Dose literacy and practice for students and staff as a daily, life-long self-care tool
  • Improved understanding of the role the Nature Dose plays in the reciprocal care between ourselves and nature
  • Improved physical, mental and social health outcomes for students, staff and families
  • Improved access to nature within the school grounds including:
    • Nature spaces (outside)
    • Nature samples/references (could be inside or outside)
  • We also aim to reduce the sense of eco-anxiety felt by program participants

NatureWise at School Resources

Please contact us to find out more about Live Nature Wise resources and materials.