London, May 2025
78% of volunteers report an increased sense of connection to nature after trail cleaning. But why does this matter?
Since 2019 over 7,000+ people have removed single-use pollution from places they love, leaving those trails better than they found them. The impact on the environment is obvious - but what impact did that experience have on those individuals?
We are continuing our world leading research into the benefits of our trail cleaning efforts - but where the State of Our Trails Report looks at the ecological impact of single-use pollution, the Roots to (Re)Connection Report is assessing the human impact of trail cleaning, and why exactly the simple act of removing rubbish is so meaningful.
We are living in a crisis of disconnection - when you strip back the ‘litter problem’ all the way to source, this is what we land on. We are disconnected from ourselves, from each other, and from the places we live and adventure in. Through trail cleaning, we believe we can rebuild those connections, in ways that are empowering, inspiring, and encourage behaviours that last a lifetime.
Through the Roots to (Re)Connection Report, we are for the first time going to figure out how this happens, and why it’s maybe the most important thing we as an organisation can do for our community.
Why are we doing this project?
55/61
UK's ranking on levels of nature connectedness (Ambio, 2025)
8 in 10
of our volunteers express an increased sense of connection to nature after taking part
1 in 5
adults in the UK are living with a common mental health problem (Centre for MH, 2025)
100%
of people say they want to take part in a trail clean again
The UK is one of the lowest ranking countries in the world for nature connectedness, mental wellbeing, biodiversity and forest cover. The 2024 IPBES Transformative Change Assessment highlighted that disconnection from nature is one of the primary underlying causes of nature degradation. The crisis of disconnection and of nature are interlinked.​
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But we know through our research that trail cleaning makes us feel connected - and when we feel connected, we care for nature.
​​Despite a wealth of public understanding of the benefits of trail cleaning, only 2 papers have been published on the wellbeing impacts.
Through Roots to (Re)Connection we hope to increase understanding of the positive impacts of trail cleaning, supporting more connected, healthier and happier trail communities and creating a new model for social prescription. This is how we take the next step towards protecting the places we love.
How can you get involved?
We’re starting a new 3-year research project with Edinburgh Napier University, so you can expect plenty of opportunities to get involved online and in person over the coming months.
Respond to the nature connection questions below!
All responses are anonymous. You can answer one or all questions.
By submitting responses you consent to your answers contributing to our research on (re)connection.
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