There is evidence that natural environments are healthy environments. Additionally, there is evidence that there are gendered differences in the understanding and usage of public space. While interrogating this evidence, this research intends to bridge the gap between these two bodies of research.

The research project is heavily driven by the Well-being of Future Generations act (2015) as a framework for exploring how the key stakeholders of (including those who manage and those who use) the National Parks in Wales are delivering a ‘Healthier Wales’ along with how the National Parks are used as a resource for health.

This research project aims to explore

1. the relationships between gender and use of the natural environment for health;
2. how policy (including the Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015) and practice, is influencing gendered understandings, ownership and health-related activities.

In order to explore these aims a mixed methods approach will be adopted; including both visitor surveys and ethnographic interviews with stakeholders in the national parks (those that use, and those that manage the national parks). This will provide in-depth data in order to build a case study of both Brecon Beacons National Park and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.