In a world where the share of people living in cities is growing, there is a growing awareness of the price humankind pays due to moving away from nature. There is a growing need for people to have experiences of staying and vacationing in the forests. In a very dense country like Israel, where most of the residents live in cities, this need is particularly high.
Extensive literature in the world of psychology and medicine points to the contribution that relaxed or active stay outdoor in nature contributes to a person’s mental and physical health. Given this background, in recent years, treatment programs have been developed around the world based on staying in the natural environment, but in Israel, the issue is in its infancy, and there is almost no research that examines the issue empirically.
The studies of the SNI in this field examine the contribution of nature to the mental and physical health of the residents of Israel. The studies examine the beneficial effect of exposure to nature, including staying in nature outside the city, visiting urban nature sites such as parks and urban gardens, and even viewing nature through windows or simply watching nature images. The studies examine the benefits that nature affects different populations, such as ethnic sectors, gender and different ages, and provide recommendations for measures that can be taken to increase the resilience of these populations, through exposure to nature and increasing awareness of its contribution to decision makers, executive bodies, health professionals, culture and sports, and among the general population.
