Field Hospital for Eco-Anxiety

In the summer of 2025, The Orangery was filled with lush tropical plants. As you enter, beautiful banners with illustrations adapted from The Anatomy of Plants by Nehemiah Grew, held in Dunham Massey’s archive [1] that reveal the complex internal structures of plants, encouraging a deeper connection with the natural world. To ground your visit, you are invited to engage with an activity sheet that offers ways to connect with nature, chat about how the climate crisis makes you feel, and take action for nature.

Today 70% of young people are worried about the climate crisis, but we are all more disconnected from nature than ever. Growing evidence suggests that being in green spaces – whether actively gardening, or passively listening to bird song – benefits your mental health,and a report by the Wildlife Trusts found that provided at scale, nature connection projects for those suffering from mental health conditions could save the NHS £635 million pounds. In light of this, the Field Hospital for Eco Anxiety suggests a need for more places in our communities to connect with nature, and encourages visitors to take these simple ideas and activities home with them.

We created an activity sheet with information, advice and activities that audiences can do in their own life to reconnect with the natural world and decide on a level of climate action that works for them.