A mountain of health benefits? Impacts of ecological restoration activities on human wellbeing

Just as ecological degradation contributes to many public health problems, restoration of these areas can be health-enabling not only for the environment but also for people. However, despite growing recognition of the positive relationships between ecological restoration and human health, knowledge gaps persist. Rural areas are most closely affected by ecological degradation from industries such as forestry, farming and mining and rural populations suffer the poorest health outcomes. Nevertheless, the wellbeing benefits of ecological restoration for participants and communities in these areas are under-researched. Rural wellbeing is impacted by factors of geographic isolation, poverty and limited health services which generate rural health inequities. Place-based ecological restoration activities have the potential to address individual and community-level wellbeing issues. In this paper we report on a qualitative study from the Break O'Day municipality in Tasmania, Australia, the site of over 20 years of ecological restoration by local people. The organisation leading the restoration work, the Northeast Bioregional Network, observed that well-organised holistic ecological restoration projects could cultivate ecological ethics and improve human health. Using interview data, we explored the lived impacts of ecological restoration on various aspects of participant health and wellbeing, as well as the observed community-wide benefits. Our analysis identified certain characteristics of place-based ecological restoration participation that are supportive of wellbeing, and the opportunities for improved synergies between ecological restoration and mainstream rural health service provision. We conclude that participation in well-designed, holistic ecological restoration programs can contribute to ameliorating complex health problems affecting rural communities.