Healing Through Nature: Exploring the Impact of Nature-Based Activities in Carriacou
From October 21 to November 30, 2024, I had the opportunity to carry out research in Carriacou, a small island in the Caribbean, thanks to a mobility grant funded by the University of Cagliari and the Autonomous Region of Sardinia. The project was hosted by the KIDO Foundation, COEVOLVERS’ overseas partner. However, just a few months before my departure—on July 1, 2024—Hurricane Beryl hit the island with devastating force. The impact of the storm profoundly altered the context in which my research would unfold. What was initially planned as a project focused on environmental and psychological well-being suddenly became a response to an urgent post-disaster reality.
In this new scenario, the need to support the community’s psychological recovery and enhance environmental resilience became even more pressing, especially for the most vulnerable, such as children. This shift in focus not only reflected the immediate needs on the ground but also aligned deeply with COEVOLVERS’ mission: to foster sustainable and inclusive responses to environmental and social challenges.
My research focused on the impact of nature-based activities (NBAs) on the psychological well-being and environmental awareness of children. In collaboration with the KIDO Foundation and its directors, Dr. Marina Fastigi and Dr. Dario Sandrini, we organized a series of guided excursions into local ecosystems such as mangroves and forests.
We engaged 25 students aged 9 to 14 from five local schools—Mt. Pleasant Primary School, Hillsborough Primary and Secondary School, L’Esterre Primary School, and Harvey Vale Primary School. The students were divided into small groups, and each group took part in two nature excursions spaced a week apart. During these outings, they participated in hands-on activities such as identifying plant and animal species, birdwatching, and reflecting on the role of nature in their everyday lives.
The first excursion took place at Anse La Roche Natural Reserve, where students observed hundreds of newly planted trees—a restoration effort initiated by KIDO even before the hurricane—and visited a recently revived wetland: a small pond that had vanished decades ago and now provides habitat once again for wetland species like dragonflies and the great white heron. The second excursion brought the children to Petite Carenage Beach, where they explored two key ecosystems for Carriacou: beaches and mangroves.
To assess the impact of these experiences, I administered pre- and post-excursion questionnaires exploring attitudes toward nature and sustainability, stress and eco-anxiety levels, resilience, place attachment, risk perception, and environmental awareness (e.g., their knowledge of climate change and nature’s role in mitigating its effects).
Through these immersive activities, the young participants were able to explore Carriacou’s rich biodiversity up close, observing how different species interact and understanding the vital role of ecosystems in reducing the impact of natural disasters. Preliminary findings indicate that the children developed a stronger identification with their natural surroundings. The direct contact with nature also had a positive effect on their emotional state, helping to reduce their eco-anxiety and feelings of distress.
Beyond the emotional benefits, participants deepened their understanding of critical issues such as climate change and risk management. They gained insights into how natural phenomena shape their daily lives and acquired tools to approach future challenges with greater awareness and resilience.
My time in Carriacou was not only a formative step in my journey as a researcher but also a profound lesson on the value of time. On the island, time moves with a different rhythm. People seem to live attuned to nature’s cycles, respecting its pace and observing how everything grows and regenerates in its own time, without rush or force.
didn’t meet anyone in Carriacou—apart from a few of the children—who expressed fear or concern about the hurricane that, only a few months earlier, had devastated the island. As a psychologist, I could interpret this attitude as a defense mechanism: a way to shield themselves from trauma and keep moving forward. Yet there was something different, almost disarming, in their calmness. It seemed more like a deep awareness of nature’s cyclical essence—capable of unleashing violent destruction, yes, but also of renewing and restoring itself. In their words and daily gestures, I sensed a quiet certainty that after every storm, life returns—sometimes with a strength and beauty even greater than before.
For more information about this research, feel free to contact me at silvana.mula@unica.it
Silvana Mula
Cover image: Hugh Whyte on Unsplash