the times | Monday December 6 2021 23
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circumstances. Ts&Cs applyWhen Sir Peter Scott set up the Wild-
fowl and Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge
on the banks of the River Severn in 1946
the term “blue prescribing” had yet to
be coined.
Such was his prescience as an environ-
mentalist, Scott would have been well
aware of the myriad benefits of wetland
preservation — ornithology, flood de-
fence, pollutant filtration, even carbon
capture.
But as for the mental health benefits
of being outdoors and close to water?
Safe to say he took those for granted.
At some point, however, such an in-
stinctive appreciation of the psycholog-
ical advantages of the UK’s wetlands
was lost.
“Over time, we’ve forgotten about the
benefits of nature for mental wellbeing,”
says Dr Simon Opher, whose practice
covers the local area, as we tramp
between the ponds, reeds and spinneys
at Slimbridge. “That is particularly true
for some of the rural poor I see as a GP.
People know the facility is here but, for
cultural reasons, they don’t access it.”
Opher decided to do something about
this. Having been a pioneer in “creative
prescribing”, whereby patients present-
ing with mild depression were encour-
aged to paint or sing or act,Opher began
recommending trips to Slimbridge.
“It’s not a replacement for medica-
tion, it’s an adjunct to it. Besides, a lot of
patients don’t want drugs. They might
be bereaved, or socially isolated, in that
grey zone below full-blown depression.
I say, ‘Give this a try’. Often, out of
respect for the doctor, they do.”
The results can be very positive,
explains Jonathan Reeves, a molecular
biologist by training and now a senior
researcher at the WWT. He has joined
us on the balcony of an observation
tower overlooking the estuary, a flock
of wigeon eyeing us from the marshes,
a bevy of swans ignoring us from below,
the hills of the Forest of Dean rising on
the western bank. It’s clear why
Slimbridge has been called “the
Serengeti of ornithology”.“We ran a pilot scheme here in 2019,”
says Reeves. “Sixteen participants com-
ing for two hours once a week for six
weeks, bird-feeding, canoeing, watch-
ing kingfishers, walking, picnicking.
The hope is they share a lift, make
friends, stay in touch. We recorded a big
reduction in anxiety and stress.”
Wendy Turner, 48, can testify to that.
She used her expertise as a successful
project manager to help to design the
pilot study, having experienced first-
hand the healing power of a similar
environment in Somerset. “I had PTSD
from domestic abuse. I don’t know how
many men have hit me but none have
said sorry, except my father.
“Around the time Covid hit my brainwent bang and I badly needed a break.
I needed help. I was struggling to get up,
struggling to wash. The only thing that
made sense was going into the marshes
and watching the birds come in.”
She continues: “Mother nature helps
me make sense of human nature. I
wanted to feel the land again, like when
I was a girl in Sussex running free
outside all day. I’ve met lots of like-
minded, gentle, intelligent people. It’s
made me love the land and love our
country again. The water wakes up
your senses, the waves, the colour, the
light, the big skies.”
Turner’s evidence is powerful
enough, and most people know exactly
what she means, without perhaps beingchristmas
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‘I needed help. The wetlands woke up my senses’
able to describe it so cogently. But anec-
dote is increasingly backed up with
hard science.
Reeves cites numerous studies
detailing the importance of “soft
fascination” and “effortless attention”
(states of mind most easily achieved
outdoors, contemplating a cloud for-
mation for instance) to psychological
wellbeing. “There is a mental health
tsunami at the moment,” says Opher.
“Blue or green prescribing isn’t a
cure-all, but it can be a big help for
many people.”
There is, Opher admits, still some
scepticism among his more traditional-
ly minded colleagues. “The medical
profession isn’t totally bought in. But
attitudes have changed. Fifteen years
ago they thought I was a total lunatic.
But the public are way ahead of us.
People get it. They just need encour-
agement and help.”
“You look at life differently,” says
Turner. “I’m gradually relaunching my
life and nature is helping me. Basically,
it does you good.”
With help from Times readers, the
WWT aims to restore 100,000 hectares
of lost wetlands around the UK to
protect wildlife, prevent flooding, soak
up CO2 and boost wellbeing. In con-
junction with the Mental Health Foun-
dation, the WWT runs mental health
prescription schemes in Somerset and
London and hopes to be able to fund
several new programmes around the
country.
Donations to the WWT will be
doubled up to £115,000 via £25,000
from Moto in the Community and
£90,000 from an anonymous donor.ADRIAN SHERRATT FOR THE TIMESWendy Turner helped to design the Slimbridge pilot to get people out in nature