Sharpley, Olivia Alice (2026) Nature on Prescription in the Yorkshire Dales. Masters thesis, York St John University.

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Abstract

The benefits of nature for human health and wellbeing are widely recognised across disciplines; it is also recognised that nature and natural landscapes are not equally accessible to all. However, there is a lack of research into how protected landscapes, such as the Yorkshire Dales National Park (YDNP), may impact human health and wellbeing, and limited research into how diverse populations access protected landscapes. The aim of this study was to examine and evaluate the impact of the YDNP Nature Prescription Calendar – a green social prescribing resource focused on improving wellbeing through nature connection – on the wellbeing of those who have been using it in and around the Yorkshire Dales National Park, as well as its impact on access to nature and the national park. In addition to applying a systems-thinking perspective throughout, this study took a pragmatic approach, with a convergent mixed methods design employed to capture data from both prescribers and recipients of the calendar: this included a survey; semi-structured interviews; a focus group; a questionnaire. Reflexive thematic analysis was undertaken to identify common themes in participant responses, which were complemented by descriptive statistics. Key findings highlighted the importance of a pre-existing relationship with nature for calendar engagement and the calendar’s impact on the perceived legitimacy of nature-based interventions; pathways for connecting with nature and the national park through the calendar; a ‘virtuous circle’ effect on barriers to calendar use and landscape access, despite persistent systemic challenges; the importance of systemic integration of the resource. These findings begin to contribute to an emerging field of research into the potential impact of protected landscapes on health and wellbeing, and have implications for the future of the Nature Prescriptions calendar and the YDNP’s role within the healthcare landscape of North Yorkshire.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Status:	Published
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Institutes:	Institute for Health and Care Improvement
URI:	https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/15754

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