Thematic sectors
The Green4C project focuses on the following four thematic sectors:
Forest-based care
Forest-based care includes Green Care activities that take place in forests or woodlands. Despite differences in composition and species diversity, forests and woodlands are favourable environments to experience nature connectedness and its physical and mental health and well-being benefits. Forest-based care activities range from health promotion and social inclusion activities to therapies, using contact or observation of forests and woodlands such as mindfulness activities in forests, forest bathing, green exercise initiatives, forest therapy among others. Forest-based care activities bring positive effects on physical, mental and social health and well-being.
Urban green care
Urban green care includes Green Care activities that take place in urban and peri-urban areas. Urban areas contain green spaces such as private or community gardens, urban parks, urban forests, green walking/cycling trails and others. The examples of Green Care activities that are carried out in urban areas include community farming and gardening, horticulture therapy, green exercise and other physical activities. Urban green care activities help address many environmental and societal challenges brought by urbanization and urban lifestyles. These range from improved air quality and moderation of urban heat islands to stress alleviation, relaxation, improved cognitive function, increased physical activeness to social cohesion.
Social agriculture
Social agriculture includes Green Care activities that take place on agricultural land mostly in community, family, and small farm settings. It is understood as an innovative, inclusive, participatory and generative model of agricultural practices that deliver health, social care, recreational, educational and assistance services. Some social agriculture activities in the context of Green Care include rehabilitation, therapy, sheltered employment, educational and care activities that contribute to social inclusion in agricultural settings. Social agriculture brings targeted inclusion of disadvantaged people, or those with physical, intellectual, mental health or social challenges, into agriculture production with the aim of addressing their health, well-being and social inclusion needs.
Green care tourism
Green care tourism includes Green Care activities that are offered as tourism products and services. Natural and semi-natural areas can be well suited to the creation of tourism products that aim at enhancing the health and well-being of residents as well as visitors through self-organised and organised services and activities. Some examples of activities that exist in this area include tourism in green and natural settings that rely on medical interventions (forest-based therapy, rehabilitation), regenerative activities (Kneipp, forest bathing and healing), or holistic wellness programmes linking outdoor activities with sustainable lifestyles and nutrition. The impacts can range from improved physical health to relaxation or stress relief.
Working packages
Green4C is a three – years long project (2020-2022), co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, structured into the following Working Packages: