Benefits of natural based recreation

Natural based recreation provides two main needs in contemporary society, the natural and health benefits. Many studies in the field of therapeutic landscape, healing garden, public health support the concept of a benefit based approach in outdoor recreation.
Moreover, various studies from environmental psychology, landscape research, horticulture therapy, and public health, have been done with different kinds of measurement to address this issue and prove its value. Psychological and physiological tests involving preferences, relaxation, attention restoration, social interaction, satisfaction, brainwave, muscle tension, heart rate, blood pressure, etc. have shown that all people, from children to elders, from general people to patients, can benefit in various ways from contact with natural environment.
However, in the field of outdoor recreation studies, the research on the benefits from recreational settings, activities, and experiences is limited. The benefits of the natural based recreation could be tested more based on the theories from outdoor recreation. Therefore, this session would like to provide a communication opportunity for scholars from different cultures to learn what we know about the benefits of natural based outdoor recreation. Further, we would like to invite scholars to join and start a cooperation team for future research collaborations.