Defining nature-based integration –perspectives and practices from the Nordic countries

Nature-based solutions are an efficient way to address simultaneously environmental, economic and social problems especially in urban areas. In the Nordic countries, there has been increasing interest in nature-based integration and a number of practical projects and initiatives have been launched to promote the benefits of nature in integration. This report presents the lessons learned and experiences gathered in these practices. The report analyses the similarities and differences of Nordic nature-based integration practices in terms of aims, environments, target groups and pros and cons. Based on the analysis a working definition of nature-based integration is presented. This definition summarises how nature can be used to support integration of immigrants through building of identity, providing positive experiences and strengthening institutional capabilities. The report concludes in a checklist of key components to be considered when planning, conducting or evaluating nature-based integration practices. In the second part of the report, 16 descriptions from practitioners in Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway are described in more detail to illustrate the various ways nature is used for integration across these countries

Evidence-based design strategies to produce health promoting landscapes

Outdoor Environments for Health and Well-being is an international master’s program offered at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) at Alnarp¸ leading to a Master of Science degree with a specialization in Environmental Psychology. The course Nature-Based Interventions LK0306 focuses on how different types of natural outdoor settings can be used for interventions as part of treatment, rehabilitation and programs for the prevention and promotion of healthy everyday habits in different user groups. This factsheet is the final product of the students’ work within the course during the autumn term of 2019. This year, Associate Professor John Rayner, contributed to this factsheet with his thoughts on the findings from the different groups’ work

Migrants’ experiences of a nature-based vocational rehabilitation programme in relation to place, occupation, health and everyday life

Forced migration has dramatically increased around the world during the last decade. Integration, including health and work among migrants, is an important topic in many European countries; thus, it is crucial to develop relevant approaches to address challenges that arise in tandem with migration and work. Nature-based intervention is one such approach that addresses different kinds of challenges related to human health and social welfare. The aim of this study was to build on knowledge about how a nature-based vocational rehabilitation programme influences perceived health and how it integrates into the everyday lives of migrants. Seven participants from the establishment programme run by the Swedish Public Employment Service were interviewed twice, at the start and at the end of the intervention. The semi-structured interviews focused on occupation, health in everyday life, and experiences of participating in the programme. Data were analysed and interpreted using narrative analysis. The findings are presented in three themes: meaning of place and belonging in the garden, the meaning of occupation and its transferability to everyday life, and navigating uncertainty in everyday life. The findings are discussed and interpreted using concepts such as capability, occupation, place, and work. The authors argue that successful integration in society rests on a combination of factors that need to be understood as part of a whole

Tracking five millennia of horse management with extensive ancient genome time series

Horse domestication revolutionized warfare and accelerated travel, trade, and the geographic expansion of languages. Here, we present the largest DNA time series for a non-human organism to date, including genome-scale data from 149 ancient animals and 129 ancient genomes (≥1-fold coverage), 87 of which are new. This extensive dataset allows us to assess the modern legacy of past equestrian civilizations. We find that two extinct horse lineages existed during early domestication, one at the far western (Iberia) and the other at the far eastern range (Siberia) of Eurasia. None of these contributed significantly to modern diversity. We show that the influence of Persian-related horse lineages increased following the Islamic conquests in Europe and Asia. Multiple alleles associated with elite-racing, including at the MSTN "speed gene," only rose in popularity within the last millennium. Finally, the development of modern breeding impacted genetic diversity more dramatically than the previous millennia of human management.T.M.-B. was supported by the BFU2017-86471-P (MINECO/FEDER, UE), the U01 MH106874 grant, Howard Hughes International Early Career, Obra Social “La Caixa,” and Secretaria d’Universitats i Recerca del Departament d’Economia i Coneixement de la Generalitat de Catalunya. V.P. was supported by Russian Science Foundation (16-18-10265). This research received support from the SYNTHESYS Project (http://www.synthesys.info/), which is financed by European Community Research Infrastructure Action under the Seventh Framework “Capacities” Programme. This work was supported by the Danish National Research Foundation (DNRF94), the Initiative d’Excellence Chaires d’attractivité, Université de Toulouse (OURASI), the International Highly Cited Research Group Program (HCRC#15-101), Deanship of Scientific Research, King Saud University, the Villum Fonden miGENEPI research project, the Swiss National Science Foundation (CR13I1_140638), the Research Council of Norway (project 230821/F20); the investigation grant HAR2016-77600-P, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spain, and the National Science Foundation (ANS-1417036). This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement 681605)