Liz O’brien
Datos Biográficos
| ID | 3588596 |
|---|---|
| NOMBRE | Liz O’brien |
| NOMBRES | Liz |
| APELLIDO | O’brien |
| FIRMA | O’BRIEN L |
| AFILIACIONES | Forest Research |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-7976-9987 |
| VERIFICADO | Sí |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 25 |
| TOTAL DE CITAS | 146 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 25 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMER AÑO DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2006 |
| AÑO MÁS RECIENTE DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2025 |
| ÍNDICE H | 4 |
Ash trees in Great Britain
Ash trees across Great Britain are under increasing threat from pests and diseases as ash dieback (ADB) continues to spread and intensify in impact. Meanwhile, concerns grow throughout Europe about the westward spread of emerald ash borer (EAB). Should EAB be discovered in Great Britain, decisions taken by managers of ash trees will be crucial to their survival, given the threat they already face from ADB. This study has investigated the likely r…
Natural soundscapes as a disciplinary bridge in pursuit of sustainability
Natural soundscapes, a blend of natural and human-made sounds, enhance human health by reducing stress, improving cognitive function, and increasing happiness. They foster a connection to nature and raise awareness of biodiversity loss. Soundscapes also bridge science and art; scientists study them to understand ecological dynamics, while artists use them for creative expression. The ‘Ecotones: Soundscapes of Trees’ research network explored the …
Decolonising knowledge practices in biosecurity
Context : Aotearoa New Zealand's biosecurity system, shaped by colonial and bureaucratic structures, tends to prioritise competition and financial management over environmental outcomes and community involvement. Successful biodiversity protection requires more cooperative, inclusive practices that engage local and Indigenous communities. Despite policies promoting knowledge sharing and collaboration, practical implementation remains a challenge.…
A Nature-Based Vocational Training Programme for Migrants and Swedes
Nature-based interventions are increasingly used to support human wellbeing, and more recently to integrate migrants into host countries. In this research, we focused on a nature-based vocational training programme led by a partnership of three Swedish public organisations. In the programme, long-term unemployed Swedes worked with migrants in various nature conservation and nature management tasks as part of an employment programme. We undertook …
Exploring the social and cultural values of trees and woodlands in England
Existing research on the social and cultural (S&C) values of treescapes tends to be limited in scope, for example to recreation, aesthetic or health values, and much is primarily qualitative, which provides rich detail but does not lend itself easily to incorporation into decision‐making. Having a way to quantify the range of S&C values associated with treescapes is important if decision‐makers are to effectively take these into account. This iss…
Environment driven changes in type 2 diabetes, overweight and obesity in an isolated Mixe community in the Valley of Oaxaca, southern Mexico
BACKGROUND: This study focused on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a group of adult Mixe, an Indigenous population from Oaxaca, Mexico. Mixe comprised an estimated 9.4% (n ≅ 90 000) of the Indigenous population in Oaxaca. Mexico. OBJECTIVE: This study focused on a group of adult Mixe, an Indigenous population from Oaxaca, Mexico. To compare the prevalence of T2DM, overweight (OW), obesity (OB), and hypertension (HTN) between 2007 and 2017 for a…
Moving from features to functions
Contact with nature can contribute to health and wellbeing, but knowledge gaps persist regarding the environmental characteristics that promote these benefits. Understanding and maximising these benefits is particularly important in urban areas, where opportunities for such contact is limited. At the same time, we are facing climate and ecological crises which require policy and practice to support ecosystem functioning. Policies are increasingly…
The opportunities and challenges to co-designing policy options for tree health with policy makers, researchers and land managers
Positioning Research to Improve Tree-Biosecurity Relations
Management of biosecurity threats to forests and indigenous trees needs to address the legacy of colonising practices that have prohibited diverse knowledges from being included. This work is urgent and challenging in the context of mobile tree pathogens, investment in climate mitigation through tree planting and greater legal recognition of Indigenous rights and those of trees. While a transition towards shared, collective responsibility for tre…
Healing Fragmentation of Forest Biosecurity Networks
Scientific biosecurity has become an important approach for managing the threats to Kauri trees and plant management in Aotearoa|New Zealand and Cymru|Wales, more generally.However, the conceptual apparatus of biosecurity does not make the relations and overlaps between people, knowledges or values visible in practice.This is 206 particularly so for Indigenous Mori knowledge and ontologies, which are not yet fully integrated into this field.This …
How do different types and characteristics of green space impact mental health? A scoping review
Green space matters for mental health but is under constant pressure in an increasingly urbanising world. Often there is little space available in cities for green areas, so it is vital to optimise the design and usage of these available green spaces. To achieve this, experts in planning, design and nature conservation need to know which types and characteristics of green spaces are most beneficial for residents' mental health. A scoping review o…
Physical Activity Supporting Connection to Nature, and Helping to Maintain Wellbeing during the Covid-19 Restrictions in England
The Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions put in place to prevent or reduce the spread of the disease led to anxiety, concern and stress for many people. In England restrictions varied at different times of the year, and throughout this time there was a lot of attention focused on the importance of exercise and on engaging with nature to maintain wellbeing. We undertook an online survey that ran for six weeks in June/July 2020 and gained a respo…
Carrying out Physical Activity as Part of the Active Forests Programme in England
The Active Forests programme was developed through a partnership between Forestry England and Sport England. A three-year pilot programme focused on five forest sites ran from 2014. It was mainstreamed in April 2017 and is now running on eighteen forest sites in England in 2019. The aim of the programme is to encourage a physical activity habit, and participants can get involved in a wide range of activities from Nordic walking to mountain biking…
Engaging with and Shaping Nature
Mental health problems have become one of the leading causes of disease burden worldwide. This study used qualitative mixed methods including in-situ 'being and doing' activities with participants, interviews, and participant observations to explore participant's experiences of a multi-visit nature-based intervention at Westonbirt Arboretum in England. The research found that three engagement types: (1) social, (2) woodland craft, and (3) creativ…
Caring for nature matters
Ecosystem services and the idea of shared values
Ecosystem services conceptualise the diverse values that ecosystems provide to humanity. This was recognised in the United Kingdom's National Ecosystem Assessment, which noted that appreciation of the full value of ecosystem services requires recognition of values that are shared. By operationalising the shared values concept, it is argued that the contribution of ecosystem services to human well-being can be represented more holistically. This p…
Shared values and deliberative valuation
Valuation that focuses only on individual values evades the substantial collective and intersubjective meanings, significance and value from ecosystems. Shared, plural and cultural values of ecosystems constitute a diffuse and interdisciplinary field of research, covering an area that links questions around value ontology, elicitation and aggregation with questions of participation, ethics, and social justice. Synthesising understanding from vari…
How to engage children with nature
Children's nature experiences are to an increasing degree organized by adults and involve adult's presence. A qualitative study of the Norwegian nationwide Children's Trekking Club explores how children interact with nature through organized events with varying degrees of adult management and planning. The study shows that free and spontaneous play functions as a key to more bodily, emotional and sensuous interaction with nature in contrast to wh…
What are shared and social values of ecosystems
Engaging with Peri-Urban Woodlands in England
In this paper we engage with debates concerning people and their contact with the natural environment as part of everyday life drawing on Irwin's ideas of co-construction and Gibson's theory of affordances. We focus on peri-urban woodlands in England as important places where people can interact with nature for health and well-being. Qualitative data were collected in situ via walks in the woods, focus group discussions and photo elicitation, wit…
Towards access for all? Policy and research on access of ethnic minority groups to natural areas in four European countries
The natural outdoors and health
Doing Something Positive’
There is a strong tradition in Britain of volunteering involving a wide range of activities and organisations. Increasingly volunteering is seen as a way of benefiting health and building sustainable communities. In a study in 2007 we aimed to address the research questions: what are the motivations for, barriers to, and benefits of formal practical environmental volunteering for those individuals involved? Qualitative and quantitative data colle…
Trees
A question of value
What underlies conflict over natural resource management? This is a question that land managers are increasingly concerned with in their dealings with multiple publics who have diverse needs. The answer relates to the ways in which people value their surrounding environment and how they react to changes in the management of valued places that hold specific meanings for them. The questions considered for this research included: what are the values…
What are shared and social values of ecosystems
Caring for nature matters
Towards access for all? Policy and research on access of ethnic minority groups to natural areas in four European countries
Doing Something Positive’
There is a strong tradition in Britain of volunteering involving a wide range of activities and organisations. Increasingly volunteering is seen as a way of benefiting health and building sustainable communities. In a study in 2007 we aimed to address the research questions: what are the motivations for, barriers to, and benefits of formal practical environmental volunteering for those individuals involved? Qualitative and quantitative data colle…
The opportunities and challenges to co-designing policy options for tree health with policy makers, researchers and land managers
How to engage children with nature
Children's nature experiences are to an increasing degree organized by adults and involve adult's presence. A qualitative study of the Norwegian nationwide Children's Trekking Club explores how children interact with nature through organized events with varying degrees of adult management and planning. The study shows that free and spontaneous play functions as a key to more bodily, emotional and sensuous interaction with nature in contrast to wh…
A question of value
What underlies conflict over natural resource management? This is a question that land managers are increasingly concerned with in their dealings with multiple publics who have diverse needs. The answer relates to the ways in which people value their surrounding environment and how they react to changes in the management of valued places that hold specific meanings for them. The questions considered for this research included: what are the values…
The natural outdoors and health
A question of value
What underlies conflict over natural resource management? This is a question that land managers are increasingly concerned with in their dealings with multiple publics who have diverse needs. The answer relates to the ways in which people value their surrounding environment and how they react to changes in the management of valued places that hold specific meanings for them. The questions considered for this research included: what are the values…
Trees
The natural outdoors and health
Doing Something Positive’
There is a strong tradition in Britain of volunteering involving a wide range of activities and organisations. Increasingly volunteering is seen as a way of benefiting health and building sustainable communities. In a study in 2007 we aimed to address the research questions: what are the motivations for, barriers to, and benefits of formal practical environmental volunteering for those individuals involved? Qualitative and quantitative data colle…
Towards access for all? Policy and research on access of ethnic minority groups to natural areas in four European countries
Engaging with Peri-Urban Woodlands in England
In this paper we engage with debates concerning people and their contact with the natural environment as part of everyday life drawing on Irwin's ideas of co-construction and Gibson's theory of affordances. We focus on peri-urban woodlands in England as important places where people can interact with nature for health and well-being. Qualitative data were collected in situ via walks in the woods, focus group discussions and photo elicitation, wit…
What are shared and social values of ecosystems
Ecosystem services and the idea of shared values
Ecosystem services conceptualise the diverse values that ecosystems provide to humanity. This was recognised in the United Kingdom's National Ecosystem Assessment, which noted that appreciation of the full value of ecosystem services requires recognition of values that are shared. By operationalising the shared values concept, it is argued that the contribution of ecosystem services to human well-being can be represented more holistically. This p…
Shared values and deliberative valuation
Valuation that focuses only on individual values evades the substantial collective and intersubjective meanings, significance and value from ecosystems. Shared, plural and cultural values of ecosystems constitute a diffuse and interdisciplinary field of research, covering an area that links questions around value ontology, elicitation and aggregation with questions of participation, ethics, and social justice. Synthesising understanding from vari…
How to engage children with nature
Children's nature experiences are to an increasing degree organized by adults and involve adult's presence. A qualitative study of the Norwegian nationwide Children's Trekking Club explores how children interact with nature through organized events with varying degrees of adult management and planning. The study shows that free and spontaneous play functions as a key to more bodily, emotional and sensuous interaction with nature in contrast to wh…
Engaging with and Shaping Nature
Mental health problems have become one of the leading causes of disease burden worldwide. This study used qualitative mixed methods including in-situ 'being and doing' activities with participants, interviews, and participant observations to explore participant's experiences of a multi-visit nature-based intervention at Westonbirt Arboretum in England. The research found that three engagement types: (1) social, (2) woodland craft, and (3) creativ…
Caring for nature matters
Carrying out Physical Activity as Part of the Active Forests Programme in England
The Active Forests programme was developed through a partnership between Forestry England and Sport England. A three-year pilot programme focused on five forest sites ran from 2014. It was mainstreamed in April 2017 and is now running on eighteen forest sites in England in 2019. The aim of the programme is to encourage a physical activity habit, and participants can get involved in a wide range of activities from Nordic walking to mountain biking…
Physical Activity Supporting Connection to Nature, and Helping to Maintain Wellbeing during the Covid-19 Restrictions in England
The Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions put in place to prevent or reduce the spread of the disease led to anxiety, concern and stress for many people. In England restrictions varied at different times of the year, and throughout this time there was a lot of attention focused on the importance of exercise and on engaging with nature to maintain wellbeing. We undertook an online survey that ran for six weeks in June/July 2020 and gained a respo…
Positioning Research to Improve Tree-Biosecurity Relations
Management of biosecurity threats to forests and indigenous trees needs to address the legacy of colonising practices that have prohibited diverse knowledges from being included. This work is urgent and challenging in the context of mobile tree pathogens, investment in climate mitigation through tree planting and greater legal recognition of Indigenous rights and those of trees. While a transition towards shared, collective responsibility for tre…
Healing Fragmentation of Forest Biosecurity Networks
Scientific biosecurity has become an important approach for managing the threats to Kauri trees and plant management in Aotearoa|New Zealand and Cymru|Wales, more generally.However, the conceptual apparatus of biosecurity does not make the relations and overlaps between people, knowledges or values visible in practice.This is 206 particularly so for Indigenous Mori knowledge and ontologies, which are not yet fully integrated into this field.This …
How do different types and characteristics of green space impact mental health? A scoping review
Green space matters for mental health but is under constant pressure in an increasingly urbanising world. Often there is little space available in cities for green areas, so it is vital to optimise the design and usage of these available green spaces. To achieve this, experts in planning, design and nature conservation need to know which types and characteristics of green spaces are most beneficial for residents' mental health. A scoping review o…
Exploring the social and cultural values of trees and woodlands in England
Existing research on the social and cultural (S&C) values of treescapes tends to be limited in scope, for example to recreation, aesthetic or health values, and much is primarily qualitative, which provides rich detail but does not lend itself easily to incorporation into decision‐making. Having a way to quantify the range of S&C values associated with treescapes is important if decision‐makers are to effectively take these into account. This iss…
Environment driven changes in type 2 diabetes, overweight and obesity in an isolated Mixe community in the Valley of Oaxaca, southern Mexico
BACKGROUND: This study focused on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a group of adult Mixe, an Indigenous population from Oaxaca, Mexico. Mixe comprised an estimated 9.4% (n ≅ 90 000) of the Indigenous population in Oaxaca. Mexico. OBJECTIVE: This study focused on a group of adult Mixe, an Indigenous population from Oaxaca, Mexico. To compare the prevalence of T2DM, overweight (OW), obesity (OB), and hypertension (HTN) between 2007 and 2017 for a…
Moving from features to functions
Contact with nature can contribute to health and wellbeing, but knowledge gaps persist regarding the environmental characteristics that promote these benefits. Understanding and maximising these benefits is particularly important in urban areas, where opportunities for such contact is limited. At the same time, we are facing climate and ecological crises which require policy and practice to support ecosystem functioning. Policies are increasingly…
The opportunities and challenges to co-designing policy options for tree health with policy makers, researchers and land managers
Ash trees in Great Britain
Ash trees across Great Britain are under increasing threat from pests and diseases as ash dieback (ADB) continues to spread and intensify in impact. Meanwhile, concerns grow throughout Europe about the westward spread of emerald ash borer (EAB). Should EAB be discovered in Great Britain, decisions taken by managers of ash trees will be crucial to their survival, given the threat they already face from ADB. This study has investigated the likely r…
Natural soundscapes as a disciplinary bridge in pursuit of sustainability
Natural soundscapes, a blend of natural and human-made sounds, enhance human health by reducing stress, improving cognitive function, and increasing happiness. They foster a connection to nature and raise awareness of biodiversity loss. Soundscapes also bridge science and art; scientists study them to understand ecological dynamics, while artists use them for creative expression. The ‘Ecotones: Soundscapes of Trees’ research network explored the …
Decolonising knowledge practices in biosecurity
Context : Aotearoa New Zealand's biosecurity system, shaped by colonial and bureaucratic structures, tends to prioritise competition and financial management over environmental outcomes and community involvement. Successful biodiversity protection requires more cooperative, inclusive practices that engage local and Indigenous communities. Despite policies promoting knowledge sharing and collaboration, practical implementation remains a challenge.…
A Nature-Based Vocational Training Programme for Migrants and Swedes
Nature-based interventions are increasingly used to support human wellbeing, and more recently to integrate migrants into host countries. In this research, we focused on a nature-based vocational training programme led by a partnership of three Swedish public organisations. In the programme, long-term unemployed Swedes worked with migrants in various nature conservation and nature management tasks as part of an employment programme. We undertook …
Sociology (13 obras) · Urban Green Space and Health (12 obras) · Political science (11 obras) · Psychology (11 obras) · Computer Science (10 obras) · Geography (10 obras) · Medicine (10 obras) · Ecology (8 obras) · Environmental resource management (7 obras) · Land Use and Ecosystem Services (7 obras)