Why MANA’s Natural Mindfulness Program Is Needed Now:
Strengthening Environmental Understanding, Care, and Connection in a Time of Ecological Change**
Australia’s natural environments — including forests, rivers, bushlands, and coastlines — are undergoing rapid ecological change. Fire seasons are intensifying, drought intervals are lengthening, and the health of many forest systems is declining under increasing climate pressure (Bowman et al., 2020; Canadell et al., 2021; Nolan et al., 2020). Globally, major forest regions are weakening as carbon sinks, with tropical forests in some areas now close to carbon neutrality or becoming net sources (Baccini et al., 2017; Gatti et al., 2021).
These environmental shifts affect not only ecosystems, but the way communities understand, relate to, and care for the natural world. Rapid changes can distance people from nature, reduce connection to local landscapes, and create feelings of uncertainty that make environmental engagement more difficult. In this context, there is a growing need for programs that restore people’s connection with nature, deepen ecological understanding, and strengthen community capacity to value and care for natural environments.
MANA’s Natural Mindfulness program was created for this purpose.
The program provides structured, nature-based educational experiences that help people pay deeper attention to environmental change, understand ecological processes, and develop meaningful relationships with forests and natural places. These practices support a more informed, engaged, and connected community — one that is better equipped to protect and conserve local ecosystems.
Environmental change affects how people relate to nature
When forests or landscapes undergo rapid shifts, people often feel a sense of disconnection, uncertainty, or loss. These responses can reduce engagement with environmental conservation, even when individuals care deeply about nature (Ojala, 2018). Research shows that strong “nature connectedness” is one of the most consistent predictors of pro-environmental behaviour, environmental stewardship, and long-term care for natural places (Barrera-Hernández et al., 2020; Mayer et al., 2009).
However, rapid ecological change — such as landscape transformation through fire, dieback, or prolonged drought — can make it harder for communities to maintain this connection.
MANA’s Natural Mindfulness program helps bridge this gap.
It offers guided, sensory-based experiences in natural settings that restore a sense of relationship and attentiveness to the local environment. These experiences encourage participants to observe environmental patterns, understand ecological stressors, and appreciate the significance of intact natural places.
How Natural Mindfulness supports environmental awareness and stewardship
The program uses nature-immersion practices to help participants:
observe and understand changes in local ecosystems
build sensory and emotional connection to forests and natural places
learn about ecological processes through direct experience
develop appreciation for biodiversity, landforms, and seasonal cycles
notice early signs of environmental stress or recovery
recognise the importance of protecting intact ecosystems
Mindfulness is used as an educational tool to cultivate deeper ecological attention — not as a therapeutic intervention.
This aligns directly with recognised charitable purposes relating to:
advancing environmental protection
promoting conservation values
increasing public understanding of nature
deepening human relationships with the environment
fostering stewardship through experiential education
Research in environmental psychology shows that people who feel emotionally connected to nature are more likely to adopt environmentally responsible behaviours, support conservation actions, engage in local restoration efforts, and develop long-term care for natural places (Mayer et al., 2009; Otto et al., 2020).
By strengthening nature connectedness, MANA’s program directly supports environmental outcomes.
Human wellbeing benefits are incidental but supportive
Although participants often report reduced stress, improved calm, and enhanced social connection, these are secondary effects that support — but do not define — the charitable purpose. They enable people to:
feel safe and grounded enough to engage with nature
maintain attention and presence in natural settings
form meaningful connections with natural places
participate more fully in environmental education
act as more effective carers for the natural environment
This framing is fully consistent with ATO requirements for environmental charities.
The wellbeing outcomes help achieve the environmental purpose by creating conditions in which people can develop stronger ecological understanding and stewardship.
Why this work matters now
As forests and ecological systems change, communities need structured ways to:
remain connected to nature
understand environmental change firsthand
develop care and appreciation for vulnerable ecosystems
strengthen local stewardship
build community engagement with conservation efforts
Natural Mindfulness provides these pathways in a grounded, evidence-based way.
It supports environmental protection by deepening the public’s relationship with nature, increasing ecological understanding, and fostering long-term care for the natural world.
Conclusion
MANA’s Natural Mindfulness program is fundamentally an environmental education and engagement initiative. It helps people develop a deeper awareness of Australia’s forests and ecosystems, fosters meaningful connection to natural places, and builds community capacity for environmental stewardship.
Any benefits to mental calm, emotional regulation, or community wellbeing are incidental and supportive, helping people engage more deeply with nature and strengthening their capacity to protect and value the environments in which they live.
In a time of accelerating ecological change, programs that rebuild connection, understanding, and care for the natural world are essential. MANA’s Natural Mindfulness program fulfils this role, consistent with the charitable purpose of advancing environmental protection and education.
References
Bowman DMJS, Williamson GJ, Prior LD, Murphy BP. The severity and extent of the Australia 2019–20 megafires are not unprecedented. Nat Clim Change. 2020;10(6):339–40.
Canadell JG, Meyer CP, Cook GD, Dowdy A, Briggs PR, McCaw L. Multidecadal increase of forest fire weather and fire extent in Australia. Environ Res Lett. 2021;16(8):084047.
Nolan RH, Boer MM, Collins L, Resco de Dios V, Clarke H, Jenkins M, Kenny B, Bradstock RA. Causes and consequences of eastern Australia’s 2019–20 season of mega-fires. Glob Change Biol. 2020;26(3):1039–41.
Baccini A, Walker W, Carvalho L, Farina M, Houghton RA, Draper FC. Tropical forests are a net carbon source based on aboveground measurements of gain and loss. Science. 2017;358(6360):230–4.
Gatti LV, Basso LS, Miller JB, et al. Amazonia as a carbon source linked to deforestation and climate change. Nature. 2021;595(7867):388–93.
Ojala M. Eco-anxiety. WIREs Clim Change. 2018;9(6):e560.
Barrera-Hernández LF, Sotelo-Castillo MA, Echeverría-Castro SB, Tapia-Fonllem CO. Connectedness to nature and sustainable behaviours. Front Psychol. 2020;11:276.
Mayer FS, Frantz CM. The connectedness to nature scale: A measure of individuals’ feeling in community with nature. J Environ Psychol. 2009;30(4):504–15.
Otto IM, Donges JF, Cremades R, et al. Social tipping dynamics for stabilising Earth’s climate. PNAS. 2020;117(5):2354–60.
