Moon Bathing - Tuning in to the Natural World at Night

Join us as we explore the sights and sounds of the woodland at night. Try out the ultra violet torches as we discover things that fluoresce in the darkness. Relax through gently guided connections with nature.

“It’s the quietest my brain has been in years, I was so immersed in my surroundings I honestly didn’t think about anything else during the walk!” Feedback from a participant.

We have been leading Forest Bathing for some time in Shining Cliff Woods and we are now excited to invite you into the woodland at night! Experience the sights and sounds of the woodland after dark. We will provide you with a red light headtorch to borrow for the duration of the walk. The red light prevents us from breaking the night vision. At some points we will turn of these lights to fully appreciate the night time experience.

We will also use ultra violet torches to explore the things which fluoresce in the darkness!

The distance travelled is minimal as we slow down and invite you to join in some simple mindfulness exercises that will encourage connection to the woodland around us and help us to step away from our routine day-to-day lives.

The walk itself will last 1 hour but we will spend some time before the start and at the end completing data collection for the optional research element. Therefore the finish time is approximate depending on how long the data collection takes.

With funding from Amber Valley Borough Council CVS, these 1hr, slow-paced walks in nature are being offered at a special rate of £5 as part of a research project at the University of Derby.

Important Information:

• Abiity level: You should also have sufficient physical mobility to be able to walk slowly for up to 1hr (covering no more than 500m).
• Over 18yrs only - Anyone (over 18yrs) can come on these walks.
• Taking part in the research - This is optional. Please read the information below before deciding. You can then select to take part or not on the booking form.
• Where are we? The session starts and ends at the woodland car park in Shining Cliff woods. This is a private car park in the woods, directions are provided to the meeting point in your booking confirmation email, however it is not easily accessed by public transport. Using the What3Words app is the easiest way to find us. Use stores.incoming.stability
• Toilets - Please be aware that there are no toilets available during this session.
• What to wear - It can feel very chilly in the woods at night, so layer up to keep warm as we do go at a purposefully slow pace and spend some time standing still or sitting for a while. Sturdy footwear for the uneven and sometimes muddy paths is essential.
• What to bring - We may spend some time sitting or lying on the ground. If you have a sit mat it is a good idea to bring it or just a bag to sit/lie on, to keep you dry. If you are unable to get down to ground level you might want to bring a lightweight camping chair if you are able to carry it for the duration of the session. If you have your own red light headtorch it would be helpful to bring your own.
• Refunds - Please be aware that we are unable to refund tickets with less than 7 days notice. For refunds issued with more than 7 days notice, we are unable to refund the Eventbrite booking fees.
• Cancellations - To ensure safety for all participants and leaders, a session can be cancelled or postponed by Woodland Connections at very short notice due to forecast high winds or thunderstorms. If a suitable alternative date is not available, we will refund the full cost of the session. We will advise you if this decision has to be made either the evening before or morning of the session. Please check for emails or texts.

Snails under uv torch light!

THE RESEARCH: Please read carefully.

PARTICIPANT INFORMATION

Research project title: Moon Bathing: Tuning into the natural world at night

Researchers: Chris Barnes c.barnes1@derby.ac.uk +441332592216 and Kirsten McEwan k.mcewan@derby.ac.uk

1. What is the purpose of the research project?

These slow mindful nature walks come from Japan and have been shown to improve health and wellbeing. The aim of this research project is to test out whether the walks are helpful for people in the UK, and to test any differences between walking at night ‘moon bathing’ and walking in the daytime ‘forest bathing’.

2. Why have I been invited?

We are looking for adults over 18 years old. You should also have sufficient physical mobility to be able to walk slowly for up to 1hr (covering no more than 500m). We have chosen walking routes which are close to parking and are largely flat dirt/forest tracks.

3. Do I have to take part?

Your participation in the research project is voluntary. You can still go on a walk and choose not take part in the research. Take your time in deciding, we are happy to answer questions.

4. What will happen if I take part? What will it involve?

If you decide to take part you will be asked to complete a short survey (5-10 mins) before and after taking part in a mindful moon bathing or daytime walk, so we can see if the walks change your wellbeing. Walks will be at Shining cliff wood (Ambergate), Markeaton park, Allestree park or Darley Abbey park (Derby).

The survey will ask you about your health and wellbeing, how connected you feel to other people, and to nature. If there are any questions that you don’t want to answer, please leave them blank. Your answers are anonymous, we will not collect any identifiable details from you.

We would love you to come along for both a moon bathing and a daytime walk depending on what is possible for you. This is so we can compare moon bathing with more traditional daytime forest bathing. If this isn’t possible then attending either one of the walks will still provide us with helpful information.

Finally, if you are happy to undertake an optional blood pressure measurement before and after each walk, this would help provide information about whether mindful walks can improve health and relaxation. This involves wearing a blood pressure cuff on your upper arm for about 1min.

5. What will happen if I don’t want to carry on with the project?

If you change your mind, you can stop at any time, and we can also delete the information you provide if you prefer. We can delete your information up to 1 month after the walks have ended, after which time we might have already calculated your survey totals along with everyone else’s.

6. Use of your survey responses/audio-recordings and your rights.

The University of Derby is the sponsor for this research project and will keep the anonymous information you provide for a minimum of 7 years after the research project has finished for auditing purposes should they arise. The audio-recordings will be deleted once they have been written-up to keep your voice anonymous. The Researcher will not share your information with anyone. No one will be able to identify you from the information you provide.

If you withdraw from the research project, we will delete your data. To safeguard your rights, we will not collect any identifiable data and all data will be held in password protected files on Microsoft OneDrive. You can find out more about how we use your information by contacting the Researchers Chris Barnes c.barnes1@derby.ac.uk +441332592216 or Kirsten McEwan k.mcewan@derby.ac.uk

7. What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?

The survey asks you about your wellbeing, this could be a little upsetting if you are currently not feeling well and supported by others. If you do experience any difficulties, please access support from listening services such as Anxiety UK 03444 775 774 or Samaritans 116 123. Walks are outdoors, if the weather is very bad, we will postpone the walk.

8. What are the possible benefits of taking part?

The walks aim to improve wellbeing, so we hope that you will benefit from the walks. Usually walks cost £10-15 per hr, but these walks are being offered at a subsidised cost of £5 as a thank you for your valuable feedback.

9. Will my taking part in this research project be kept confidential?

Yes - all information collected will be kept strictly confidential. You will be asked to create an ID code (made up from the last three letters of your surname and the last two digits of your year of birth: e.g., Smith 1985 would be ‘ith85’) to write on your survey to match up your responses from before and after the walk so we can see if your wellbeing changes. All information will be stored anonymously on a password secured computer at the University of Derby for a minimum of 7 years (the time we need to keep research information in case of audit) then it will be destroyed.

10. What if there is a problem?

If you have a concern about any aspect of this research project, please speak with the Researchers Chris Barnes c.barnes1@derby.ac.uk +441332592216 or Kirsten McEwan k.mcewan@derby.ac.uk. In the unlikely event that you feel you need to make a complaint regarding the use of your information, you can contact the Data protection officer at the University of Derby: James Fussell j.fussell@derby.ac.uk +44 (0)1332 591954.

11. What will happen to the results of the project?

The anonymised results of the project will be written up for publication in an academic journal and may be used in funding applications in the hope of offering affordable walks to more people. Please be reassured you will not be identified in any reports, typically your responses might be summarised like this: ‘people’s wellbeing changed 20% after the walks’.

12. Who has approved the research project?

The research project has been reviewed for ethical approval by the University of Derby College of Health, Psychology and Social Care Research Ethics Committee.

13.What do I do now if I want to take part in the research project?

On booking the event at Shining Cliff Woods you will be able to select whether or not you wish to take part in the research. If you select to take part we will provide you with the questionnaire and take your blood pressure when you arrive in the woods. This will be repeated at the end of the walk. This data will then be passed on to the researchers and not stored by Woodland Connections at Shining Cliff Woods.