Collective action for health and wellbeing benefits from human–nature relationships

As climate change and biodiversity loss continue to devastate the planet and human mental health impacts more than a billion people across the globe, the human–nature relationship has become even more vital for human and planetary health (Brymer et al., 2019, 2024; Fletcher et al., 2024). This special issue supports the need for an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach to deepen our understanding of how human–nature interactions benefit human health and wellbeing (Ghosh & Dutta, 2024; Seymour, 2016). We envisaged critical discussions of health and wellbeing beyond the traditional focus on formalised and structured sport and exercise, and the narrow biomedical model. We hoped submissions would illuminate alternative ways of engaging with adventure, outdoor learning and experiential education occurring in natural environments that would positively influence health and wellbeing. We anticipated that this focus would bring forth critical analyses and reflections on how capitalist societal systems, industrialisation, modernity, urbanisation, unsustainable consumption together with globalisation and commodification of nature for human exploitation are at odds with a sustainable relationship with nature ideal for healthy planet and people (Mago et al., 2024). We are delighted that in this special issue, researchers and practitioners from diverse disciplines and geographical locations have shared comparative and interdisciplinary critical discussions, lived experience, intervention-focused approaches, policy-oriented examinations, and empirical studies that would extend the intersectional lens into our understandings of the roles outdoors and adventure play in enhancing human and planetary wellbeing (Loureiro et al., 2021; Zwart & Ewert, 2022). We sincerely thank the authors of these 18 articles for sharing their valuable works and the reviewers of their manuscripts for providing further insights into respective research areas with their expertise and experience.