Woodland as working space: Where is the restorative green idyll?

Amanda Bingley

Social Science & Medicine, 2013, vol. 91, issue C, 135-140

Abstract: Much has been written on the beneficial, restorative qualities of ‘natural’ (non-built) rural or urban ‘green’ space, including woodland, in promoting mental and physical health when accessed for leisure, sport and education. In contrast, with the exception of rural health studies, there is relatively little debate about the health benefits of ‘green space’ as work place, especially in woodland and forests. In the developed world, this apparent gap in the literature may be partly due to an assumption of the forest work place as inherently healthy, and also the invisibility of a tiny percentage of the workforce now employed in forestry. However, in the UK and parts of Europe over recent years there has been a small, though significant, increase in opportunities to train and work in woodlands using traditional, sustainable management such as coppicing, and an exploration of health issues of woodland work is timely.

Keywords: UK; Forest woodland work; Health; Well-being; Attention Restoration Theory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.02.050

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