Nature as Medicine - Evaluating Forest Bathing for Student Wellbeing

In the quiet corners of Trinity College Botanic Gardens, Kamila Kwasniewska has been guiding forest bathing sessions as part of a nature-based wellbeing initiative for students.

Offered as a form of “green prescription”, the sessions were available through Student Counselling Services, allowing students to engage with nature as part of their overall wellbeing support. Rooted in the Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku, or forest bathing, the practice invites participants to slow down and connect with the natural environment through guided sensory awareness rather than physical exertion.

Over the past three years, the programme has developed from a small pilot group into a structured series of sessions embedded within student support services. Preliminary findings suggest that even a single session can have a measurable effect. Participants consistently report increased feelings of calm, reduced mental fatigue, and improved clarity following the experience.

A recurring theme in participant feedback is a shift in attention – from the demands of academic life to a more grounded awareness of the present moment, including the textures, colours, and subtle dynamics of plant life within the gardens. The setting itself appears to play a key role. As a curated yet biodiverse environment, the Botanic Gardens offer both accessibility and immersion, creating a sense of stepping away from the city’s pace.

The project is currently expanding its research component, focusing on measuring changes in wellbeing and nature connection before and after sessions. Early trends are promising and align with a growing body of research highlighting the benefits of nature-based interventions for mental health.

In a time when both student wellbeing and human–nature relationships are under increasing pressure, this initiative highlights the potential of botanical gardens as spaces not only for education and conservation, but also for restoration and connection.