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........

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