Nature connection: can technology help?

The team behind a new app hope to help Londoners enjoy nature in the city. Is using technology to encourage nature connection contradictory? Or can we ‘tap in’ to the natural world – and improve health and wellbeing at the same time?

A free community-based app has been launched by a group of Londoners who aim to put users “in closer contact with outdoor adventures on their doorstep”. Go Jauntly includes more than 7,000 minutes of walks in and around the capital, including routes through ancient cemeteries and some of London’s best-known public parks.

The NHS advises that regular walking can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, asthma, heart disease and stroke. Walking can also help improve work-life balance, particularly for time-pressured Londoners. Go Jauntly maps out well and less-known walks in the city, as well as routes in Kent and Suffolk. Through images and narrative, it guides people along both set and customisable routes.

“Our team is made up of nature-loving city dwellers who spend too much of our time deskbound and want to be a bit more active,” said Hana Sutch, CEO and co-founder of Go Jauntly. She had grown frustrated by the lack of easy-to-find walks in familiar places – from Richmond to Regent’s Park.

Many believe that time in nature is a chance to leave the digital world behind. However, mobile technology is a powerful tool: one study by the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that children average more than seven hours a day on electronic devices. So should we use this resource to get everyone – from children to adults – outside, moving and learning about the natural world?

“We’re hoping that with Go Jauntly, we’re creating technology for good that has a positive impact on society from health, wellness and environmental perspectives,” said Sutch. “We wanted to start something that would get people out of the house and being more active.”

Source: Positive News

Photograph: © Unsplash

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