Outdoor health
Outdoor activities in nature are good for our health. Studies have shown that nature can lower stress hormones like cortisol, with two hours a week in nature significantly boosting health and well-being. This is particularly true for people who are unwell or socially isolated and may be prescribed activities such as walking or woodland crafts by their GP surgeries.
The Biosphere supports these activities as part of its wider remit to create a space where people can connect with the natural world and learn to care for it better. It has worked with local partner Coed Lleol to run a series of projects to develop an outdoor health service for the people of the Dyfi Valley, collaborating with representatives from Bro Ddyfi Community Hospital and other local healthcare centres, the local patients forum, the town council, Powys Teaching Health board, MIND, Camad and many others. Watch the video below to learn more.
The current project is Awyr Iach (Fresh Air), which is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund from July 2025 to March 2028. The Awyr Iach service will offer free year-long professionally led activities in nature for all ages, including woodland skills, cooking and foraging, walking, mindfulness and crafts at the hospital and across the Biosphere.
Previous outdoor health work included Mentro Allan (Venture Out) in 2015-2020 supporting rural isolation with activities to increase mobility; ‘Trywdd Iach’ (A Healthy Path), developing an outdoor health network across the Biosphere with activities to improve health and wellbeing 2020-23; and a Feasibility study in 2024 to look at the potential for an integrated outdoor health service specifically available from the new Bro Ddyfi Hospital.
Watch this Trywydd Iach case study to see how the recent outdoor health work has benefited people.
Awyr Iach starts in July 2025. Watch out for more details.