Using Nature-Based Activities for Wellbeing
This subtopic explores the practical application of nature-based activities to enhance mental and emotional wellbeing, emphasizing sensory engagement and creative expression. Learners will investigate how intentional connection with natural environments can reduce stress and foster resilience, while developing skills to facilitate such activities in support contexts. The focus is on both personal experience and the ability to contribute meaningfully to group nature art and writing projects.
Assessment criteria
Topic Overview
The Agored Cymru Level 2 Extended Award in Supporting Wellbeing in Nature explores how natural environments can enhance mental, emotional, and physical health. This qualification is designed for learners in health and social care or community roles who want to integrate nature-based activities into their practice. It covers the scientific principles behind nature's therapeutic benefits, practical skills for leading outdoor sessions, and risk management strategies to ensure safe, inclusive experiences.
Understanding this topic is crucial because it addresses the growing evidence linking time in nature to reduced stress, improved mood, and better overall wellbeing. In the UK, initiatives like social prescribing increasingly refer patients to nature-based interventions. By mastering this award, you'll be equipped to support individuals with conditions such as anxiety, depression, or social isolation, using cost-effective and sustainable approaches that complement traditional care.
This award fits within the broader Health & Social Care curriculum by emphasising holistic, person-centred support. It aligns with principles of promoting independence, dignity, and choice, while also meeting requirements for outdoor learning and environmental stewardship. You'll develop transferable skills in communication, observation, and reflective practice, which are essential for careers in social care, youth work, or therapeutic horticulture.
Key Concepts
Core ideas you must understand for this topic
- →Biophilia hypothesis: The innate human tendency to seek connections with nature, which underpins the therapeutic benefits of outdoor activities.
- →Nature-based interventions: Structured programmes like forest bathing, gardening, or conservation work that aim to improve wellbeing through direct contact with nature.
- →Risk-benefit assessment: A process that balances potential hazards (e.g., uneven terrain, weather) against the wellbeing gains, ensuring safe yet meaningful experiences.
- →Person-centred planning: Tailoring nature activities to an individual's preferences, abilities, and goals, such as choosing gentle walks for someone with mobility issues.
- →Reflective practice: Using tools like journals or group discussions to evaluate how nature sessions affect mood, confidence, and social connections.
Learning Objectives
What you need to know and understand
- 1: Understand the benefits of nature connection, and its relevance for present day.2: Understand and experience nature using own senses.3: Be able to contribute to nature art and nature writing activities for wellbeing.
Assessment Criteria
Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio
- Award credit for explaining at least two specific benefits of nature connection, clearly linking each to contemporary wellbeing concerns (e.g., digital overwhelm, urban isolation).
- Look for evidence that the learner has used multiple senses (sight, sound, touch, smell) during a nature experience, providing concrete examples of observations.
- Credit demonstration of active contribution to a nature art or nature writing activity, with a reflective output that explicitly connects the creative process to personal wellbeing.
Assessment Guidance
Guidance for achieving higher grades
- 💡When documenting sensory experiences, use a structured framework (e.g., note what you saw, heard, smelled, felt) to ensure depth and meet marking criteria.
- 💡For the nature art/writing task, include a brief planning note that explicitly states the intended wellbeing benefit (e.g., relaxation, self-expression) before describing the activity.
- 💡If working in a group, clearly outline your own contribution and its significance, as assessors are looking for individual evidence within collaborative activities.
- 💡When describing a nature-based intervention, always link it to specific wellbeing outcomes (e.g., 'gardening reduces cortisol levels by up to 20%') to demonstrate depth of understanding.
- 💡Use the acronym SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan) when evaluating a session's impact: note what the participant said, what you observed, how it affected their wellbeing, and next steps.
- 💡In risk assessments, explicitly state how benefits outweigh risks for each activity. For example, 'the risk of minor cuts from pruning is outweighed by the sense of accomplishment and fine motor skill development.'
Common Mistakes
Common errors to avoid in your coursework
- Confusing simply being outdoors with deliberate nature connection; learners often omit the intentional, mindful engagement required.
- Describing sensory experiences in vague terms (e.g., 'it was nice') rather than detailed, multi-sensory observation.
- Focusing on the aesthetic quality of the art or writing rather than the process and its wellbeing impact.
- Neglecting to link the activity to specific wellbeing benefits, instead just describing what was done.
- Misconception: Nature-based support is only for people who already enjoy the outdoors. Correction: Activities can be adapted for all comfort levels, from indoor plants to short, seated sessions in a garden.
- Misconception: You need specialist qualifications to lead nature activities. Correction: While some training helps, this award equips you with core skills; many activities require only basic first aid and risk awareness.
- Misconception: The benefits are purely psychological. Correction: Nature exposure also lowers blood pressure, boosts immune function, and increases physical activity, providing holistic health gains.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions students ask about this topic
Pass / Merit / Distinction Evidence Checklist
How your portfolio evidence is graded for AGORED CYMRU Using Nature-Based Activities for Wellbeing
Every vocational unit is marked against named criteria rather than an exam percentage. Your tutor's brief lists the exact codes for this unit — here is what each band is asking you to do.
Demonstrate baseline knowledge, accurate terminology, and core practical application.
Provide detailed analysis, structured explanations, and clear workplace reasoning.
Deliver thorough evaluation, original problem solving, and fully justified recommendations.
Before You Start
Prior knowledge that will help with this topic
- •Basic understanding of mental health conditions (e.g., anxiety, depression) and their symptoms.
- •Familiarity with person-centred care principles, such as active listening and respecting individual choices.
- •Experience in group facilitation or leading activities, even in informal settings like youth clubs.
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Key Terminology
Essential terms to know
- 1: Understand the benefits of nature connection, and its relevance for present day.2: Understand and experience nature using own senses.3: Be able to contribute to nature art and nature writing activities for wellbeing.
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