Rewilding Medical Education

AIMS: Access to a healthy environment offers broad health benefits and has been declared a human right (UNHCR, 2021). However, despite the release of position statements by royal colleges on the climate and ecological emergency, there appears to have been limited opportunities for dissemination and sharing of knowledge, understanding and opportunities for action for many doctors and medical students in the North of Scotland. Hence, this project was aimed to create awareness on the importance of nature connectedness and explore its association with good physical and mental health and well-being. It was also so the medical students can understand the relationship between nature connectedness and the experiences in nature through active observation and hands-on engagement activities alongside acknowledging already active allies providing practical environmental volunteering activities. METHODS: 9 Medical students, 3 Core Psychiatry Trainees, 1 Psychologist and 1 Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist met at Trees for Life, Dundreggan. We were introduced to 2.5 hours of mindful grounding techniques, mindful eating, connecting with nature through art along with sensory exercises such as tree hugging and trust building activities by Nature for Health. We interacted in group work to design nature-based activities that can be used in clinical practice to improve mental well-being in people living with OCD, depression, ADHD, trauma and eco-anxiety. RESULTS: Learning experience amidst nature was well received by participants who also gained positive effects on their own personal well-being. The project successfully brought the participants together to access, care for and enjoy green spaces whilst learning about allied programs available in the community. The participants also learnt how nature can aid mental health recovery and well-being, whilst giving people a chance to do their bit towards the fight against climate change. CONCLUSION: We suggest to incorporate teachings on climate change in medical education with consideration on using green spaces as delivery sites to enhance nature connectedness (local green social prescribing opportunities such as Green Walking, Green Gym, conservation volunteering, city farms, forest schools by The Conservation Volunteers, The Wildlife Trusts and the ‘Rewild and Recover’ programme from Trees of Life). We also suggest to promote our future healthcare professionals to collaborate with other groups linking nature restoration to human health and well-being. Awareness on benefits of nature connectedness should become one of the most important aspects of medical education in this century to foster a generation of healthcare professionals with pro-nature attitudes and active engagements with the natural world.