Natural Academy

NatureWell Training in Blackburn

Last week we completed the first two days of our six-day NatureWell Facilitator Training with participants from the Pendle Rewild Yourself Hub.

Over the two days, we explored the foundations of the NatureWell approach, a One Health model that supports health and wellbeing through deeper connection with self, others, place, and nature. Together we considered the growing evidence for nature-based practice, experienced practical NatureWell activities, and reflected on how this work can support individuals, communities, and the wider living world.

There was a wonderful spirit of curiosity, openness, fun and learning throughout the training. Participants brought a wealth of experience, insight, and commitment to creating healthier and more connected communities across Pendle and the surrounding area.

What continues to inspire us is the growing movement of people recognising that supporting human health and wellbeing cannot be separated from caring for our relationships with nature, place, and community.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for these first two days. We are looking forward to continuing the journey together over the coming months and seeing how NatureWell develops across the Pendle Rewild Yourself Hub and joining the growing NatureWell network in lancashire.

Supporting health and wellbeing through nature.
Building connection and belonging.
Growing community capacity.
Strengthening relationships between people, communities and the natural world.

A day of connection, inspiration, and possibility…

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the inaugural One Health NatureWell Conference in the beautiful setting of Towneley Hall, Burnley.

It was inspiring to hear about the incredible work emerging across Lancashire as people, communities, organisations, and health partners come together to support the health and wellbeing of both people and the natural world.

What stayed with me most was the sense of collaboration, shared purpose, and hope. There is something powerful about witnessing a growing movement that recognises that human health, community wellbeing, and ecological health are deeply interconnected.

Left feeling humbled, inspired, and grateful to be part of this unfolding story.

Thank you to everyone who contributed their wisdom, passion, and commitment. Together, we are creating healthier relationships with ourselves, each other, and the living world around us.

HealthAndWellbeing NatureBasedHealth Lancashire CommunityWellbeing NaturalAcademy ConnectedCommunities Regeneration NatureForHealth

Great to be hear at the One Health conference in Burnley. What a setting in townley Park. Looking forward to hearing how the NatureWell network in Lancashire has been helping people connect with nature to help both recover restore and regenerate. Well done Caroline Schofield

Can Sitting Under a Tree Change Your Life?

A recent story in The Guardian describes how one woman spent a year sitting beneath the same oak tree each day as she recovered from burnout.

No special equipment.
No complicated programme.
Just a commitment to pause, notice, and return.

Over time she began to witness the changing seasons, the arrival of birds, the opening of flowers, shifts in weather, and changes within herself. What began as a simple act became a relationship with place, rhythm, and the living world.

At Natural Academy, we see this again and again.

Nature-based practice is not always about going further or doing more. Sometimes it is about slowing down enough to reconnect with what is already here.

Research increasingly shows that regular nature connection can support:

Reduced stress and anxiety
Improved mood and emotional wellbeing
Greater feelings of belonging and connection
Enhanced attention and restoration
Increased resilience and hope

The invitation is simple:

Find a tree, a patch of grass, a garden, a park, a riverbank, or a favourite place nearby.

Visit regularly.

Notice what changes.

Notice what stays the same.

And notice what happens within you.

Perhaps the most profound journeys begin not with travelling somewhere new, but by returning to the same place with fresh eyes.

Where is your “oak tree”? We’d love to hear about the place in nature that helps you slow down, restore, and reconnect.

Experience: I sat under an oak tree every day for a year After a period of burnout, I realised that nature knows what you need, and is always ready to offer it – you just have to be quiet enough to receive it

YOUR PATHWAY IN ECOPSYCHOLOGY & NATURE-BASED PRACTICE

What if your love of nature could become part of your vocation?

Whether you’re working in health, education, community development, environmental practice, coaching, counselling, psychotherapy or simply feeling called towards a more meaningful relationship with people and the living world, our Vocational Pathway offers a structured journey into applied ecopsychology and nature-based practice.

Starting with our Threshold Course and progressing through Foundation, Advanced Pathway, and Level 5 Practice in the Living Field, you’ll develop the knowledge, skills, confidence, and lived experience to bring nature into your work and life. Along the way, you’ll explore three interconnected realms of practice:

Nature, Health & Wellbeing (NatureWell)
Supporting health and wellbeing through evidence-informed nature connection.

Wholeness, Healing & Growth (NSET)
Facilitating deeper healing, personal development, and ecotherapy practice.

Eco Depth Practice Deeper Expansive Nature (DEN)
Exploring depth, meaning, purpose, and our relationship with the wider story of Self, Earth, and Universe.

Our pathway is grounded in over 18 years of teaching, practice, and partnership work across the NHS, environmental organisations, charities, and communities, supporting people to reconnect with themselves, each other, and the rest of nature.

Learn through experience
Deepen your connection to nature
Join a thriving community of practice
Develop skills you can apply immediately
Grow your vocation and make a meaningful difference for people and nature

Nature is not just where we learn. It is part of who we are becoming.

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There is a growing call in these times for practitioners, facilitators, health professionals, and change-makers who can hold both people and planet together.

Our Foundation Year in Applied Ecopsychology and Nature-Based Practice is an invitation into that journey.

This is not simply a training. It is a lived exploration of relationship, belonging, depth, meaning, and reconnection with the more-than-human world.

Through seasonal weekends, reflective practice, nature-based experiences, and evidence-informed learning, participants begin to explore how our becoming is deeply intertwined.

Whether you are working within NHS settings, community practice, education, social prescribing, therapy, coaching, or simply feeling called toward a more ecocentric way of living and working, the Foundation Year offers a grounded and transformative pathway.

A place to slow down.
A place to remember.
A place to deepen your practice and your relationship with the living world.

These are great courses designed for home study. Take a look. They also make a great a great gift for a friends or family.

Welcome to the Natural Academy YouTube Channel

Our YouTube channel is a window into the heart of Natural Academy and the wider world of applied ecopsychology, nature-based practice, and the living relationship between people and nature.

Alongside talks, teachings, and discussions on ecopsychology, you'll find poetry, reflections from the natural world, recordings from our courses and events, and stories from our work at Ham Green Centre. It is a place where learning, imagination, beauty, and practice meet.

Explore videos that offer ideas on:

Ecopsychology and nature-based practice
Health and wellbeing through nature connection
Natural Academy courses, programmes, and community
Ham Green Centre and our vision for the future
Poetry, reflections, and seasonal inspirations
Wholeness, healing, growth, and deeper belonging

Whether you are discovering ecopsychology for the first time, considering one of our courses, or simply looking for a moment of inspiration and connection, we invite you to subscribe and journey with us.

Every view, share, and conversation helps grow a wider movement of people working towards healthier relationships with ourselves, each other, and the rest of the natural world. Subscribe and explore our growing collection of videos.

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The Munificent Oak by Michéal Connors This is a poetic story of wholeness and healing, wisdom emerging.