Breaking down barriers to nature at Doncaster reserve

Connecting to the outdoors can have a profoundly positive, lifelong effect on wellbeing, individually and communally.

A nature reserve in Doncaster has been breaking down barriers to nature for some of the UK’s most under-represented groups.

Research from Natural England’s latest People and Nature Survey shows that 91 per cent of people agreed that spending time outdoors was good for their mental health.

However, studies also show that minority ethnic communities and older generations can sometimes find themselves disconnected from green spaces.

In a bid to address this and show that local Nature Reserves are a resource for everybody, Humberhead Peatlands opened its gates to new visitors from Changing Lives and B:friend Doncaster Thorne Social Group, as part of celebrations marking National Nature Reserves (NNR) Week.

This visit to the peatlands was a very new experience for the women from Changing Lives. The reserve’s much-loved bird hide was a huge hit as was the chance to look through binoculars, for the first time, to see the expansive lake and encounter the wildlife who call it home.

The group also had the opportunity to see the reserve’s moth trap in action and create inspired, colourful artwork on the Easy Access Trail to decorate the perimeter fence. 

During their visit, the women shared stories from their home countries which included Syria, Kurdistan, Iraq, Iran, Kosovo, Singapore, and of course the local Doncaster area. The experience of connecting with nature gave an opportunity to bring them together to help support one another. 

Changing Lives have a new ‘Green Legacy’ from their involvement within the cross-government Green Social Prescribing Programme to tackle and prevent mental ill health, in South Yorkshire, over the last three years.

Through this work, nature connection has been brought into everyday activities in the Changing Lives centre in central Doncaster, using the local parks to improve health outcomes.  

This approach has also saved the group valuable costs as many nature connection activities are free to join. 

B:friend Doncaster Thorne Social Group were also welcomed to the peatland where Natural England have made valuable links with older and often isolated people.

The group spent a heart-warming day reminiscing about the Moors and their knowledge of wildlife. Many of them took advantage of a short nature walk exploring the Easy Access trail before a full day of bird watching, moth trap discovery and painting, with lunch being provided as part of the NNR Week funding.

B:Friend Doncaster run social clubs such as at Thorne. As part of the work in South Yorkshire to support the expansion of Green Social Prescribing, B:Friend Doncaster set up a Nature Buddies project to provide nature connection experiences for people living with loneliness and social isolation.

The concept of Nature Buddies was established during a pilot project led by Natural England in collaboration with the National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP) and local partners including B:Friend Doncaster.

Sara Moore, Natural England’s Green Social Prescribing Pilot Lead for Yorkshire, said: “Access to nature should be something everyone can enjoy, and we are continually looking to break down barriers and ensure our National Nature Reserves can be experienced and enjoyed by as many people as possible.

“National Nature Reserves are some of the most important sites for wildlife and geology in England. They conserve biodiversity and provide an outdoor space for education as well as opportunities to access, enjoy and engage with our natural heritage.

“Humberhead Peatlands is a shining example of this, serving so many diverse communities around Doncaster and beyond, enabling them to connect with and be inspired by nature and to reap all of the health and wellbeing benefits that it can bring.”

Sharon Wilson, Senior Support Worker with Changing Lives, said: “Positive mental health and wellbeing is at the forefront of all our delivery at Changing Lives. Feedback from the people we work with, and our own lived experience validate the importance of accessing green spaces for positive mental wellbeing. However, for people in our city, facing the biggest challenges, there needs to be an extra push from all services to overcome barriers to access.

“Barriers such as location, public transport links and cost, social isolation and supported community connection. Working in partnership with Natural England to overcome barriers, we have delivered valuable sessions for all. The impact from the sessions were felt throughout the centre with more women wanting the same experience. Our favourite quote of the day was: Today has been a very happy day, the most happy for a long time.”

Karen Booker, Befriending Officer from Let’s B:friend Doncaster, said: “As well as running the club in Thorne, we get volunteers to befriend people who are isolated, lonely and vulnerable, who will visit them in their homes. If anyone is interested in volunteering, please visit [email protected].”

The Humberhead Peatlands are made up of Thorne, Goole, and Crowle Moors, as well as Hatfield Moors. The Peatlands are a remnant of a large wetland that occupied the floodplain of the Humberhead Levels thousands of years ago. Following significant restoration, they now represent the largest area of raised bog wilderness in lowland Britain at 2,887 hectares in size.

The site is also internationally important, both as an example of a lowland raised bog covered in pools and plant life, as well as for its breeding pairs of the mysterious and mythical nightjar. 

Lowland raised bog is one of western Europe’s rarest and most threatened habitats and the Humberhead site is now protected as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Natural England take care of the peatlands by carefully managing the water levels to promote the growth of bog plants and sphagnum mosses, that take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and lock it away into newly forming peat.