Page - 147 - in Biodiversity and Health in the Face of Climate Change

147 Box 7.4: Health Benefits of Experiencing Wilderness  – Case Study in the Black Forest National Park Kerstin  Ensinger (*) Black Forest National Park, Seebach, Germany e-mail: kerstin.ensinger@nlp.bwl.de Eike  von Lindern Dialog N  – Research and Communication for People, Environment and Nature, Zurich, Switzerland e-mail: eike.von.lindern@dialog-n.ch The Black Forest National Park is surrounded by densely populated areas, like the city of Stuttgart. It serves as both a refuge for wildlife and endangered species, and as a recreational area for the local population and tourists. Thus, its management objectives comprise both nature conservation and increasing human health and well-being via recreation opportunities. In 2016, the Black Forest National Park conducted an experimental study to explore the associa- tion between experiencing different types of natural landscapes and human health. Participants (n  =  111) followed a pre-defined path that led through four landscape types: a cultivated spruce forest; a small trail with blueberry vegeta- tion; open heathland; and a pristine forest (referred to as ‘wilderness’). At designated stops within each of the different landscapes, participants reported their experience of the four restorative qualities of ART, and the SRT out- comes of positive and negative arousal (for details see Ensinger and von Lindern 2018). While perceiving the landscape associated with ‘wilderness’, the partici- pants experienced significantly more fascination compared to the other three landscapes. Ratings for being away and compatibility were stronger com- pared to the ‘cultivated forest of spruce’, but not significantly different from the ‘small trail with blueberry vegetation’ nor the ‘open heathland’. Most striking, coherence was rated significantly lower in the wilderness setting compared to the other three landscapes (see Fig.  7.3). Positive arousal was significantly higher in wilderness compared to the other three landscapes, but no differences emerged for negative arousal. Among other results reported elsewhere (Ensinger and von Lindern 2018), the overall findings suggest that experiencing wilderness in National Parks and designated protected areas makes a unique and positive contribution to stronger restorative outcomes. Thus, the results can inform management plans that aim at complementing nature conservation with human health promotion. 7 Theoretical Foundations of  Biodiversity and  Mental Well-being Relationships