Nature-based integration: connecting communities with/in nature

The Nature-Based Integration project explored the innovative use of nature—such as parks, rivers, beaches and woodlands—to facilitate social integration between different communities, including migrants.

National integration policies have neglected the role of natural settings. This project sought to fill this gap by synthesizing existing research with new empirical findings to understand how different natural settings influence integration processes and community cohesion.

Methodology

Adopting a whole-community approach, the project engaged with local communities and authorities across three diverse UK regions: Blackburn with Darwen, the London Borough of Haringey, and the Isle of Lewis. Interdisciplinary, participatory methods were used, including surveys, participatory mapping, and a combination of aesthetic, reflexive, and conceptual methods.

Key Findings

1. Health and Wellbeing: Nature was reported as a source of joy, motivation, and a means of escape from daily stresses, highlighting its importance in fostering health, wellbeing, leisure pursuits, and integration.
2. Enhanced Social Connections: The natural environment proved significant in fostering social interactions among community members, helping to build new social bonds, strengthening existing ones, and fostering community cohesion.
3. Barriers and Facilitators to accessing nature: Barriers to accessing natural spaces included financial constraints and safety concerns. Conversely, facilitators included the aesthetic appeal and the availability of communal spaces that encouraged gatherings and social interaction.
4. Nature as a barrier to integration: Specific aspects of nature, such as bad weather and unfamiliarity with plant species, can sometimes act as a barrier to integration for migrants and migrant-background individuals.
5. Cultural and Emotional Resonance: Participants reported that engagement with nature helped them maintain cultural identities and emotional well-being, essential elements for their integration into new communities.

Policy Implications and Recommendations

The findings suggest that incorporating nature-based strategies into integration policies can significantly improve social cohesion and the overall success of migrant integration efforts.

Recommendations for policymakers include developing accessible and safe natural spaces that are culturally congruent and involve the whole of the local community in their planning and management. Furthermore, national and local programs should be designed to promote intercultural exchange and exploration of different cultures within these natural settings.

This project contributed to a growing body of research recognising the significant, yet often overlooked, role of the natural environment in the integration process. By embracing nature-based integration, this initiative provided practical recommendations that could be implemented to foster inclusivity and enhance the well-being of both migrant and host communities.