A GIANT green heart was projected onto cliffs at Lulworth Cove to raise awareness of the links between nature and mental health - and the threat of climate change.

Bearing the message ‘The Fight That Unites,’ the heart projection was the work of campaign group The Climate Coalition on Monday evening in celebration of its ‘Great Big Green Week,’ a UK-wide climate action event.

It comes as new research commissioned by the group reveals that more than 86 per cent of people in the UK rely on nature as a key way to boost their mental health and wellbeing, and 74 per cent of British people think the Government should do more to protect nature from climate change – a figure that is also higher for 18–24 year-olds (86 per cent.)

Dorset Echo: The Fight That UnitesThe Fight That Unites

South west specific findings show:

  • Two thirds (66 per cent) of those in the south west worry about the future of local nature sports due to the impact of climate change
  • 72 per cent of people in the south west agree that the Government should do more to protect nature from the impact of climate change
  • 16 per cent of those in the south west visit local nature sports 2-4 times a week to help with their mental health, with 9 per cent visiting every day
  • Those in the south west find woodlands (58 per cent), beaches (53 per cent) and rivers (50 per cent) the most beneficial for their mental health and wellbeing

The Climate Coalition and the RSPB are now calling for a Government plan to rapidly escalate the protection and restoration of nature, and in the UK set strict targets in law to begin to reverse nature loss by 2030.

Nic Scothern, director of engagement for the RSPB said: “Our natural world provides us with so many benefits that we often take for granted, including fresh food and water, but the pandemic has seen people become more conscious of its restorative properties to lift our spirits and improve our health. They now want measures taken to revive our world by protecting wildlife and wild places.

“That’s why Great Big Green Week is so important. People from all walks of life are celebrating a love for nature and the environment. They’re also sending a clear message to the Prime Minister ahead of the United Nations COP26 climate talks in November: we care about nature and climate change, and we need you to deliver a clear plan and take urgent action to limit a rise in temperatures and to stop floods, heatwaves and droughts getting even worse."

Great Big Green Week runs from 18 – 26 September. This year’s theme is ‘The Fight That Unites’, a declaration that people from all walks of life are united in their desire to tackle the climate emergency and understand the urgency of the challenge.

For more information on Great Big Green Week visit www.greatbiggreenweek.com