Venue to be a ‘living laboratory’

Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Ardingly, is calling for 300 visitors to wear heart monitors for a major new study that looks at the way biodiversity impacts wellbeing. The venue is set to become a ‘living laboratory’ for RBG Kew’s research to mark the International Day for Biological Diversity on May 22.

On arrival, participants will fill in brief questionnaires to establish their mood before they get a heart rate variability monitor to wear on their wrist. They will also get a mobile phone to track their movements. After a 45-minute walk, visitors will complete another questionnaire along with other questions that measure the feelings they experienced when spending time in nature and how they feel after the walk. See page 6 for the full story. Picture by Jim Holden