When we took 37 strangers into the urban bush, their loneliness began to ease
- Written by: Nerkez Opacin, Senior Research Fellow in Nature and People, The University of Melbourne
One in three Australians says they are lonely. To be lonely is to feel a lack of adequate social connection. Loneliness is about feeling disconnected from others or unable to form the kinds of relationships people need to feel seen and supported.
It’s often shaped by displacement, uncertainty, exclusion and the quiet absence of meaningful connection. Being lonely isn’t good for us. It’s linked to poor health, wellbeing and lower workplace productivity.
Loneliness is on the rise. So too is another type of loss – loss of nature. People feel more remote from the natural world.
In our new research, we sought to understand if we could tackle both problems at once. Would people feel less lonely if they spent time in nature with strangers?
To answer this, we set up an eight-week course for 37 people. All began as strangers. All felt lonely. All had experienced real challenges in their lives. They met and walked through parks and wetlands and alongside rivers and coastlines. As the weeks passed, our participants felt less lonely and more connected to nature. Many told us about feeling a sense of belonging for the first time. Nature was vital, as one participant told us:
in nature, nobody judges you. It felt safe, gentle, calm… Nature didn’t ask questions. It allowed me just to be
The balm of nature
Our project is an example of nature-based social prescribing, an emerging approach that connects people to social activities such as group walks, gardening or time spent near water. Social prescribing is based on the idea that health is influenced by social and environmental factors, not just clinical ones.
To create our program, we asked 37 people from Many Coloured Sky, a support service for LGBTIQA+ refugees and people seeking asylum in Melbourne, to participate and help design an eight-week program.
Each of our participants had a diverse sexual and gender identity. For them, loneliness was often felt acutely. Even after they escaped persecution and arrived in a safer country, they faced a long and uncertain process to settle in and build the life they want.
Participants met in groups of six to 12 people, to build trust and familiarity. Each group was supported by two facilitators.
Every week for eight weeks, our participants met in a natural setting in Melbourne, from Yarra bushland to the wetlands of Port Phillip Bay to city parks. Here, they gardened, shared meals, walked slowly and mindfully, watched birds and flying foxes and sat together to share stories and reflect on these experiences.
Our participants talked about these parks and rivers as spaces where they could feel safe without being questioned or judged. They told us natural environments created space for their senses and for connection to other people to emerge without pressure.
Over time, the program began to work. Our participants reported feeling less lonely and more connected to nature. For some, it was profound. Their loneliness went from severe to moderate. Overall, the program lowered loneliness for the participants and they felt more connected to nature.
As one told us:
I have finally found my community, my chosen family and a place I hope to call home.
Many participants described feeling calmer, more peaceful and more confident in nature. They felt better able to speak in groups and more able to navigate the city and its vast spaces. These small but meaningful changes can often be overlooked. But they matter. They are part of how belonging takes shape.
For some, nature also carried resonances of the past. Trees, rivers and coastlines carried sights, scents and sounds which reminded participants of home – even though the plants and animals were different. Here, nature acted as a bridge between past and present.
Much more than just being outdoors
Bringing strangers into the outdoors seems almost too simple a solution to loneliness. But it works.
Broader research shows spending time in nature can support wellbeing and reduce loneliness.
Our program was designed to encourage interaction as much as possible. Our participants led conversations, helped shape the activities, shared food from their cultures and gradually built trust within the group.
Urban nature is powerful
Urban parks, forests and grasslands as well as lakes, rivers and seas are vital environmental assets for Australian cities.
Our research points to the importance of preserving these spaces as a key way to allow city residents to spend time in nature.
To get the most out of these spaces, it’s important to ensure the right infrastructure exists. This includes accessible walking and cycling paths, seating areas and comfortable gathering spaces able to support social connection and community life.
Nature can’t solve loneliness. It’s entirely possible to be lonely in nature. But when combined with community, care, and time, it can act as the space where connection becomes possible.
Sometimes, a meaningful change can begin with something as simple as laughing and talking while walking under the gum trees by a river.
Authors: Nerkez Opacin, Senior Research Fellow in Nature and People, The University of Melbourne
