Interview with Agnes van den Berg (CS9)

Who are you and for what partner organisation do you work?My name is Agnes van den Berg and I am an independent researcher with my own company Nature for People […]

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Who are you and for what partner organisation do you work?
My name is Agnes van den Berg and I am an independent researcher with my own company Nature for People in the Netherlands. I also have an academic affiliation at the university of Twente which is also a partner of RESONATE.

What is your expertise related to nature-based therapy?
As an environmental psychologist I am specialised in research on nature experience and health. In the past three decades I have conducted numerous fundamental and more applied studies in this field, including several evaluations of nature-based therapies such as walk-and-talk coaching and green interventions in hospitals and other care settings.

Can you describe the Case Study (CS) you lead in a couple of sentences?
Our case study (CS9) will be conducted at care farms for elderly people with dementia and young people with a mental handicap. We will identify best practices in the use of nature-based activities and therapies offered by the farms. We will also evaluate the impacts of a half-year training for staff to optimise the use of the natural outdoor area at their farm by the development of new interventions.

What excites you most about the RESONATE project?
The opportunity to share and exchange experiences with care farming and other nature-based therapies in the Netherlands with colleagues and practitioners across Europe.

What is your own favourite way to engage with nature for your health and wellbeing?
Gardening.