טעמים סביבתיים, פעילויות בטבע, והתרומה הנתפסת של השהות בטבע לבריאות

Spending time in nature can promote physical and mental health,however few studies have evaluated human perceptions of these benefits.Meanwhile, sociological research shows that perceptions of nature reflect different Bourdieuan environmental preferences. The aim of this study was to examine environmental preferences and perception of health benefits of nature in the mount Carmel Biosphere Reserve, based on a survey of 703 Jewish, Druze and Muslim respondents. The results demonstrate that all participants perceived that time spent in nature contributed to health, but the perception was stronger among Muslim and Druze respondents, and among visitors compared to residents. Environmental preferences and attitudes towards nature conservation were shown to be connected to the perceived physical and mental health benefits of nature. The preferences“landscape and coasts” and “flora and fauna” were found to be strongly connected to the perception that time spent in nature contributes to health. Factor analysis of health statements yielded three factors: nature contributes to mental health;nature contributes to physical health; spending time in nature contributes to mental health more so than spending time in the city. These findings can contribute to management of the biosphere reserve in a way that enables the whole population to benefit from time spent in nature, for example by including residents and visitors n decisions on access to nature, infrastructure and policy.