Preparation of landscape gardening soil using undersized fraction from aged MSW by EDTA or citric acid coupled with humic acid: Effect assessment, properties, and optimization.

Undersized fraction from aged municipal solid waste (UFAMSW), as a kind of soil-like material, has been proved effective in providing a large amount of organic matter and nutrients for soil and plants. The characteristics and effectiveness of heavy metal pollution removal in UFAMSW attracted tremendous research interest from scientists recently. In this study, the heavy metal removal efficiencies and bioavailability of washing on contaminated UFAMSW were evaluated with three washing reagents including ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA), citric acid (CA), and humic acid (HA). The effects of chelating agent concentration, pH, and washing time on metal removal were investigated and response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the washing conditions. The results indicated that the removal efficiencies of Cu, Zn, and Mn could be 53.68%, 52.12%, and 30.63% by EDTA/HA washing and 42.36%, 39.67% and 28.49% by CA/HA washing, respectively. The European Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) sequential extraction was applied to analyze the fraction change of heavy metals in UFAMSW before and after washing, and it was found that chelating agent combined with HA could contribute to the removal of the exchangeable fraction. Physical and chemical properties of UFAMSW were improved to some extent after washing with mixed HA and chelating agent and could achieve the quality standard of landscape gardening soil. Accordingly, the mixture of HA and other chelating agents could be a promising washing process for preparation of landscape gardening soil using UFAMSW.Implications: Our manuscript studies the removal of heavy metals from the contaminated undersized fraction from aged municipal solid waste (UFAMSW). UFAMSW, as a kind of soil-like material, has been proved effective in providing a large amount of organic matter and nutrients for soil and plants however often limited by heavy metal pollution. The UFAMSW used in this experiment was collected after the excavation and screening-sorting of aged refuse from Changshankou Domestic Waste Sanitary Landfill in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, Southern China. This study investigated the effects of EDTA, CA, HA, mixed EDTA/HA, and mixed CA/HA washing on heavy metal removal (Cu, Zn, and Mn), bioavailability of residual heavy metal and properties. The effects of chelating agent concentration, pH, and washing time on metal removal were investigated and then response surface methodology was employed to optimize the washing conditions. The results showed that washing by CA/HA and EDTA/HA, had a higher removal efficiency of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, and Mn) in UFAMSW compared to single HA. Meanwhile, HA has a higher removal for exchangeable fraction of heavy metals, the exchangeable concentration of Cu, Zn, and Mn in CA/HA and EDTA/HA washed UFAMSW were lower compared with UFAMSW washed by single CA and EDTA. Thus, mixing HA with EDTA or CA makes a less risk to environmental and the removal efficiency is acceptable. Additionally, CA/HA and EDTA/HA washing tend to improve soil physicochemical properties and soil fertility. Thus, mixing HA with different washing agent are potential methods for preparation of landscape gardening soil using UFAMSW.

Process evaluation of the Yéego! Program to increase healthy eating and gardening among American Indian elementary school children.

BACKGROUND: American Indian children are at increased risk for obesity and diabetes. School-based health promotion interventions are one approach to promoting healthy behaviors to reduce this risk, yet few studies have described their implementation and fidelity. We conducted a qualitative process evaluation of the Yéego! Healthy Eating and Gardening Program, a school-based intervention to promote healthy eating among Navajo elementary school children. The intervention included a yearlong integrated curriculum, as well as the construction and maintenance of a school-based garden. METHODS: Our process evaluation included fidelity checklists completed by program staff and qualitative interviews with program staff and classroom teachers after the intervention was implemented. We used content analysis to identify themes. RESULTS: We identified several themes related to evidence of delivery adherence, program satisfaction, and lessons learned about delivery. Intervention staff followed similar procedures to prepare for and deliver lessons, but timing, teaching styles, and school-level factors also impacted overall implementation fidelity. Teachers and students had positive perceptions of the program, especially lessons that were highly visual, experiential, and connected to Navajo culture and the surrounding community. Teachers and program staff identified ways to enhance the usability of the curriculum by narrowing the scope, relating content to student experiences, and aligning content with school curriculum standards. CONCLUSIONS: The program was implemented with moderately high fidelity across contexts. We identified areas where modifications could improve engagement, acceptability, efficacy, and sustainability of the program. Our results have implications for the evaluation and dissemination of school-based health interventions to promote healthy eating among children, especially in American Indian communities.

The Choctaw Nation's Growing Hope Program.

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma's Historic Preservation Department (HPD) and the Center for Indigenous Health Equity (CIIHE) are partnering to implement and evaluate food sovereignty interventions to better understand the potential impact of such programs on individual and community health. The HPD's Growing Hope Program is a food sovereignty initiative that aims to restore traditional Choctaw gardens, which were once a physical, social, and cultural center of Choctaw life. The program combines heirloom seeds and the stories of their origins, gardening education and technical assistance, cooking classes, and a Choctaw youth internship program to support intergenerational knowledge and the restoration of culture and food security. Since its inception the program has provided Choctaw families with ancestral Choctaw cultivar seeds and provided the technical assistance to support the growing of sustainable, healthy, traditional Choctaw foods.

Green Social Prescribing in Practice: A Case Study of Walsall, UK.

This paper presents a case study of Green Social Prescribing (GSP) in Walsall, a medium-sized urban area located in the West Midlands, UK. GSP is a means of enabling health professionals to refer people to a range of local non-clinical nature-based activities, e.g., community gardening and conservation volunteering. As a new practice to address multiple challenges in health and sustainability, GSP has been promoted by the UK government and the NHS in the past few years. There is as yet limited evidence and knowledge about how this approach is implemented at a local level. This paper addresses this gap of knowledge, by exploring how GSP is implemented in Walsall as a case study. Based on extensive engagement and research activities with the local partners to collect data, this paper reveals the local contexts of GSP, the referral pathways, and people's lived experience, discussing the challenges, barriers, and opportunities in delivering GSP at the local level. This study suggests that a more collaborative and genuine place-based approach is essential, and alongside GSP, investment into infrastructure is needed to move the health paradigm further from 'prevention' to 'promotion' so that more people can benefit from what nature can offer.

Home Gardening of Yellow Cassava and Orange Maize for the Prevention of Nutritional Blindness in Children: An Economic Evaluation and Value of Information Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of childhood blindness worldwide, affecting mostly Sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to predict the cost-effectiveness of home gardening (HG) of yellow cassava and orange maize to prevent nutritional blindness in children below 5 years and to assess the likely value of obtaining additional information in reducing uncertainty surrounding its cost-effectiveness. METHODS: We developed a Markov model and carried out probabilistic sensitivity analysis with a value of information analysis. We costed resources from a societal perspective and outcomes were measured in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). RESULTS: HG was estimated to cost an additional Intl$395.00 per DALY averted, with a 72.27% likelihood of being cost-effective at a threshold of Intl$2800 per DALY. The expected value of information was estimated to be Intl$29 843.50 for 1 child or Intl$925 billion for 31 million Nigerian children affected by the decision. Further research is only worthwhile for 1 parameter (relative risk of low serum retinol; expected value of perfect parameter information Intl$29 854.53 per child and Intl$925 billion for 31 million children). CONCLUSION: HG of yellow cassava and orange maize is expected to be highly cost-effective in preventing nutritional blindness in Nigerian children. Worthwhile further research includes a cost analysis of the intervention and a high-quality randomized trial to assess the effectiveness of HG on serum retinol levels in young children.

Life cycle assessment to address the environmental impacts of tourism in a Spanish tourist destination: The case of Rias Baixas (Galicia) holidays.

Tourism has grown steadily in recent decades, becoming a strategic sector for the economy in many countries. However, the environmental impacts associated with tourism have also experienced an upward trend. In this sense, innovation is needed in the tourism sector, to move towards new models and strategies that integrate environmental sustainability with the social aspects of the sector. In this study, a holistic assessment of the environmental impact of tourism has been carried out using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method, considering all stages of tourism activity: transportation from the place of origin to destination and back, accommodation, catering, and activities conducted. For this purpose, a case study has been carried out based on a typical trip made from Madrid to Rías Baixas (Galicia), considering a four-night stay and the performance of two activities (music festival and cultural museum) at the destination. Two alternative transportation scenarios (train or plane) have been defined to analyze the influence of the type of transportation on the overall impact. Other touristic activities such as visiting gardens or thermal baths instead of visiting a cultural museum or attending a music festival have been analyzed and it has been found that the thermal baths and the museum have the greatest environmental impacts. Transportation was the biggest contributor to most of the environmental impacts in the selected categories. On the other hand, the stay at the destination has stood out due to the impact of the consumption of food and energy used at the accommodation facility. The impact of the activities conducted at the destination is also worth highlighting. Finally, alternative scenarios for transportation have shown that the mode of transportation selected is key for lowering the overall environmental impact of the stay at the destination, highlighting the public transportation alternative, such as the train, as the most environmentally friendly option.

Effectiveness of Home Gardening in Improving Food Security and Health in Chacraseca, Nicaragua: A Pilot Study.

We studied the usefulness of home gardening in improving food security and health. One hundred participants were randomized into the control and intervention group of which the intervention group received training in home gardening. Results showed that the percentage of participants with normal body mass index decreased from 24.4% to 20% in the control group whereas it remained unchanged in the intervention group. The number of participants in the very low food security category decreased from 66% (n=33) to 54% (n=27) in the intervention group whereas it increased from 68.8% (n=33) to 70.8% (n=34) in the control group. Results from the present study may be used to guide policymakers in designing or modifying home gardening interventions.

Enablers and Barriers of Community Garden Use in New Orleans, Louisiana: An Environmental Assessment and Qualitative Analysis.

PURPOSE: To explore factors associated with community garden use. APPROACH: Environmental assessment of community gardens and semi-structured interviews. SETTING: New Orleans, Louisiana. PARTICIPANTS: 10 community gardens (environmental assessment), 20 community members (including garden users and non-users) and garden administrators (qualitative interviews). METHOD: Gardens were assessed based on (1) accessibility, (2) information, (3) design, (4) cleanliness, (5) walkability, (6) parking, and (7) noise. Semi-structured interviews took place over Zoom; transcribed interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Gardens assessed in the environmental assessment ranked high in design and cleanliness but low on accessibility and information availability. Salient themes from the qualitative interviews include skill-building, access to fresh foods, and increased social engagement as enablers of community garden participation, with availability of information and time as both potential enablers of, or barriers to, participation. Community members perceived that gardens could increase fresh food access, while administrators believed that it is not possible for community gardens to produce enough food to create community-wide impact, highlighting instead the importance of the social aspects of the garden as beneficial for health. CONCLUSION: Community gardens should improve garden physical accessibility and information availability to incentivize use. Community gardens are valued as means for skill-building and social engagement. Future research should prioritize investigating the association between the social aspects of participating in community gardens and health outcomes.

Effects of a School-Based Garden Program on Academic Performance: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: School gardening programs have consistently been found to improve dietary behaviors in children. Although several quasi-experimental studies have also reported that school gardens can enhance academic performance, to date, no randomized controlled trial has been conducted to substantiate this. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to examine the effects of Texas Sprouts (TX Sprouts), a gardening, nutrition, and cooking program vs control on academic performance in primarily low-income, Hispanic children. DESIGN: This is a secondary analysis of the grade-level academic scores from schools that participated in the TX Sprouts program, a school-based cluster randomized controlled trial, consisting of 16 elementary schools that were randomly assigned to either the TX Sprouts intervention (n = 8 schools) or control (delayed intervention; n = 8 schools). PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: Analysis included 16 schools with students in fourth and fifth grade in Austin, TX from 2016 to 2019 that had a majority Hispanic population and a majority of children participating in the free and reduced lunch program. INTERVENTION: The intervention consisted of 18 one-hour gardening, nutrition, and cooking lessons taught in an outdoor teaching garden by trained educators throughout the academic year. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Texas Education Agency grade-level data for the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness were obtained via the Texas Education Agency website for the corresponding year of the intervention or control condition. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS PERFORMED: Repeated measures general linear models with pre- and post-intervention State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness scores as the dependent variable were run, adjusting for the percent of free and reduced lunch and school district as covariates. RESULTS: Schools that received the TX Sprouts intervention had a 6.5-percentage-point increase in fourth-grade reading State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness scores compared with control schools (P = .047). There were no significant differences in reading scores for fifth grade students or math scores for either fourth- or fifth-grade students between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings provide evidence that school gardening programs may have some modest effects on academic achievement.

Harvest for Health, a Randomized Controlled Trial Testing a Home-Based, Vegetable Gardening Intervention Among Older Cancer Survivors Across Alabama: An Analysis of Accrual and Modifications Made in Intervention Delivery and Assessment During COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Accelerated functional decline is a concern among older cancer survivors that threatens independence and quality of life. Pilot studies suggest that vegetable gardening interventions ameliorate functional decline through improved diet and physical activity. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article was to describe the rationale, recruitment challenges, and enrollment for the Harvest for Health randomized controlled trial (RCT), which will test the impact of a home-based, vegetable gardening intervention on vegetable and fruit consumption, physical activity, and physical functioning among older cancer survivors. Modifications made to the intervention and assessments to assure safety and continuity of the RCT throughout the COVID-19 pandemic also are reported. DESIGN: Harvest for Health is a 2-year, 2-arm, single-blinded, wait-list controlled RCT with cross-over. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: Medicare-eligible survivors of cancers with ≥60% 5-year survival were recruited across Alabama from October 1, 2016 to February 8, 2021. INTERVENTION: Participants were randomly assigned to a wait-list control or a 1-year home-based gardening intervention and individually mentored by extension-certified master gardeners to cultivate spring, summer, and fall vegetable gardens. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Although the RCT's primary end point was a composite measure of vegetable and fruit consumption, physical activity, and physical functioning, this article focuses on recruitment and modifications made to the intervention and assessments during COVID-19. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: χ2 and t tests (α < .05) were used to compare enrolled vs unenrolled populations. RESULTS: Older cancer survivors (n = 9,708) were contacted via mail and telephone; 1,460 indicated interest (15% response rate), 473 were screened eligible and consented, and 381 completed baseline assessments and were randomized. Enrollees did not differ from nonrespondents/refusals by race and ethnicity, or rural-urban status, but comprised significantly higher numbers of comparatively younger survivors, those who were female, and survivors of breast cancer (P < .001). Although COVID-19 delayed trial completion, protocol modifications overcame this barrier and study completion is anticipated by June 2022. CONCLUSIONS: This RCT will provide evidence on the effects of a mentored vegetable gardening program among older cancer survivors. If efficacious, Harvest for Health represents a novel, multifaceted approach to improve lifestyle behaviors and health outcomes among cancer survivors-one with capacity for sustainability and widespread dissemination.

Effectiveness of Home Gardening in Improving Food Security and Health in Chacraseca, Nicaragua: A Pilot Study.

We studied the usefulness of home gardening in improving food security and health. One hundred participants were randomized into the control and intervention group of which the intervention group received training in home gardening. Results showed that the percentage of participants with normal body mass index decreased from 24.4% to 20% in the control group whereas it remained unchanged in the intervention group. The number of participants in the very low food security category decreased from 66% (n=33) to 54% (n=27) in the intervention group whereas it increased from 68.8% (n=33) to 70.8% (n=34) in the control group. Results from the present study may be used to guide policymakers in designing or modifying home gardening interventions.

Beyond the garden: The complexity of "global and individual living" at the heart of the international commitment towards a healthy, more resilient and fairer society.

BACKGROUND: The right to fully enjoy the highest possible state of health is certainly nothing new in the agenda of the world's governments, and yet today it becomes a top priority not just in the restructuring of the health care system, but also in the promotion of multi-sector policies aimed at fostering and safeguarding the potential of every individual to achieve what could be defined, in general terms, as "common good". OBJECTIVE: The current paper aimed at singling out the most useful strategies to promoting and achieving a healthy, more resilient and fairer society. METHODS: Starting from principles 1 and 14 of the Declaration of Rome, the aim was to analyse and develop the concepts of resilience and health, questioning their possible future variations against the background of the current health emergency and the increasingly radical widespread use of new technologies as universally-applied and cross-sectional tools for human progress. RESULTS: The "health for all" objective can only be achieved if we act on three key aspects: 1. Adding life to years; 2. Adding life to life; 3. Adding years to life. CONCLUSIONS: Each individual should raise their health awareness as a key resource to leading a fulfilling existence and to developing the required qualities to fully tap into health possibilities - whether integral or residual - to tackle life.

IoT-Based Systems for Soil Nutrients Assessment in Horticulture.

Soil nutrients assessment has great importance in horticulture. Implementation of an information system for horticulture faces many challenges: (i) great spatial variability within farms (e.g., hilly topography); (ii) different soil properties (e.g., different water holding capacity, different content in sand, sit, clay, and soil organic matter, different pH, and different permeability) for different cultivated plants; (iii) different soil nutrient uptake by different cultivated plants; (iv) small size of monoculture; and (v) great variety of farm components, agroecological zone, and socio-economic factors. Advances in information and communication technologies enable creation of low cost, efficient information systems that would improve resources management and increase productivity and sustainability of horticultural farms. We present an information system based on different sensing capability, Internet of Things, and mobile application for horticultural farms. An overview on different techniques and technologies for soil fertility evaluation is also presented. The results obtained in a botanical garden that simulates the diversity of environment and plant diversity of a horticultural farm are discussed considering the challenges identified in the literature and field research. The study provides a theoretical basis and technical support for the development of technologies that enable horticultural farmers to improve resources management.

Evaluating the Benefits of a SNAP-Ed-Funded Community Garden Intervention Using Ripple Effect Mapping.

In North Carolina, rural communities experience high rates of chronic illness due to health inequities exacerbated by the decline of major industries. Community gardens increase access to fresh produce and opportunities for physical activity and may offer additional benefits. These benefits can be difficult to measure as they are often unplanned or unintended. This article describes how we utilized Ripple Effect Mapping (REM), a participatory approach for evaluating complex interventions, to understand the impact of a SNAP-Ed-funded program. We purposively selected six community gardens to participate in 2-hour, facilitated REM sessions. On average, 15 people participated in each session. Participants developed a map of benefits using Appreciative Inquiry, mind mapping, and consensus-building methods. The map organized benefits across three levels: first ripple (individual), second ripple (interpersonal), and third ripple (community). In addition, participants coded benefits using the Community Capitals Framework. After the sessions, the research team extracted identified impacts into a matrix, aligned them with the SNAP-Ed Evaluation Framework, and developed digitized maps. These data corroborated findings from previous evaluations and offered insight into community-identified benefits not previously documented, including other types of capital generated by community gardens in rural communities. In addition, REM was an effective approach to measure and report several SNAP-Ed evaluation indicators, including LT11: Unexpected Benefits. Ultimately, the research team found REM to be an effective community-engaged method for understanding a complex intervention's benefits while centering participant community voices and transferring ownership of the data to community partners, a key principle in equitable evaluation.

Projetos pessoais de idosos a partir de uma política pública de moradia / Personal projects for the elderly from a public housing policy / Proyectos personales de personas mayores desde una política de vivienda pública

A compreensão sobre suporte e qualidade ambiental torna-se de fundamental importância para intervenções e melhoria das condições e qualidade de vida da população idosa. Este estudo objetivou identificar a percepção do suporte ambiental e suas implicações na elaboração de projetos pessoais na velhice. A pesquisa se caracterizou como exploratória, descritiva e de abordagem quantiqualitativa. Participaram 76 idosos residentes em três condomínios do Programa Cidade Madura do estado da Paraíba. Para a coleta de dados foram utilizados os questionários sociodemográfico e o de projetos pessoais. As análises foram realizadas por meio da análise de conteúdo pela perspectiva de Bardin. A média de idade encontrada no estudo foi de 71,01 anos, com predomínio: de mulheres (56,6%); de estado civil casado (31,6%); de baixa escolaridade; de renda de até um salário mínimo mensal (76,3%); e de aposentados (73,7%). A análise dos Projetos Pessoais resultou em 8 categorias de atividades: Vínculos afetivos, Atividades domésticas, Lazer, Atividades de compromisso, Religião, Saúde, Jardinagem, Informação/distração. O ambiente (físico e contextual) é um importante aliado na concretização dessas atividades, que refletem em um bem-estar global. O estudo concluiu que potencialidades do ambiente como segurança, tranquilidade, socialização e acessibilidade, dão suporte favorável à realização de atividades cotidianas, o que, consequentemente, reflete em um bem-estar geral e melhor qualidade de vida. Algumas fragilidades do ambiente, como falta de acessibilidade urbana, ineficiência e insuficiência de serviços de saúde e transporte público, também foram citadas pelos idosos como limitações na realização de seus projetos pessoais.(AU)

The understanding about support and environmental quality becomes of fundamental importance for interventions and improvement of conditions and quality of life of the older population. This study aimed to identify the perception of environmental support and its implications in the development of personal projects in old age. This is an exploratory, descriptive, and quantitative qualitative study. A total of 76 older adults residents in three condominiums of the Cidade Madura Program of the state of Paraíba participated in the study. Sociodemographic and personal projects questionnaires were used for data collection. The analyzes were performed by content analysis from Bardin's perspective. The average age found in the study was 71.01 years, with a predominance of women (56.6%), of marital status married (31.6%), low educational level, up to a minimum monthly wage of earnings (76.3%), and retirees (73.7%). The analysis of Personal Projects resulted in 08 activity categories: Affective bonding, Domestic activities, Leisure, Commitment Activities, Religion, Health, Gardening, Information/distraction. The environment (physical and contextual) is an important ally in the accomplishment of these activities, which reflect on a global well-being. The study concluded that potentialities of the environment such as safety, tranquility, socialization, and accessibility provide favorable support in the performance of daily activities, which, consequently, reflects in a general well-being and better quality of life. Some environmental weaknesses, such as lack of urban accessibility, inefficiency and insufficiency of health services and public transportation were also cited by the older adults as limitations in carrying out their personal projects.(AU)

La comprensión sobre el soporte y calidad ambiental es clave para las intervenciones y mejoría de las condiciones y calidad de vida de la población anciana. Este estudio tiene como objetivo identificar la percepción del soporte ambiental y sus implicaciones en la elaboración de proyectos personales en la vejez. Se trata de una investigación exploratoria, descriptiva y de abordaje cualicuantitativo. Participaron 76 ancianos que viven en tres habitaciones del Programa Ciudad Madura del Estado de Paraíba (Brasil). Para la recolección de datos se utilizaron los cuestionarios sociodemográficos y de proyectos personales. Se aplicó el análisis de contenido de Bardin. La edad media en el estudio fue de 71,01 años, con predominancia de mujeres (56,6%); estado civil casado (31,6%); bajo nivel educativo; renta de hasta un salario mínimo mensual (76,3%) y de jubilados (73,7%). El análisis de los proyectos personales dio como resultado 8 categorías de actividades: Vinculación afectiva, Actividades del hogar, Ocio, Actividades de compromiso, Religión, Salud, Jardinería, Información/distracción. El ambiente (físico y contextual) fue un importante aliado en la concretización de esas actividades, que conducen a un estado de bienestar general. Se concluyó que potencialidades del ambiente como seguridad, tranquilidad, socialización y accesibilidad dan soporte favorable en la realización de actividades diarias que, consecuentemente, reflejan en un bienestar general y mejor calidad de vida. Algunas fragilidades del ambiente como falta de accesibilidad urbana, ineficiencia e ineficacia de servicios de salud y transporte público también fueron citados por los ancianos como limitaciones en la realización de sus proyectos personales.(AU)

An assessment of a conservation strategy to increase garden connectivity for hedgehogs that requires cooperation between immediate neighbours: A barrier too far?

Urban areas are associated with high levels of habitat fragmentation. For some terrestrial species with limited climbing abilities, property boundaries can pose a significant problem by limiting access to residential gardens. The West European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) has declined markedly in the UK but is commonly found in areas of human habitation, including residential gardens. 'Hedgehog Street' is a public engagement campaign aimed at recruiting volunteers ('Hedgehog Champions') to create access points ('hedgehog highways') across garden boundaries to improve habitat connectivity. In this study, we used a series of questionnaire surveys to explore motivations for and obstacles to the creation of highways. Householders were more likely to have created a highway if they were already aware of the Hedgehog Street campaign, if their garden contained a high number of wildlife-friendly features and if they considered watching wildlife to be important. Hedgehog Champions created, on average, 1.69 highways each with 52.0% creating none; this would equate to an estimated >120,000 across all registered Champions. In comparison, 6.1-29.8% of non-Champions stated that they had made a highway. However, most highways had been created in boundaries that could already be traversed via naturally occurring holes: only 11.4% of garden boundaries could be traversed, and 3.2% of gardens accessed, just via a hedgehog highway. In addition, only 5.0% of gardens were considered totally inaccessible to hedgehogs. The most common reasons cited for not having made a highway were that householders' gardens were already accessible to hedgehogs followed by concerns relating to boundary ownership and / or communicating with neighbours. Future studies need to identify strategies for overcoming these obstacles to maximize citizen engagement, particularly with those householders who are not innately "wildlife-friendly", and to quantify the degree to which networks of highways affect patterns of individual movement and, ultimately, populations.

Garden Access, Race and Vegetable Acquisition among U.S. Adults: Findings from a National Survey.

With the majority of U.S. adults not meeting recommended vegetable intakes and well-documented racial and ethnic disparities in fruit and vegetable consumption, various approaches to increase vegetable consumption have been implemented. Gardening is one approach that has been associated with increased vegetable consumption in various subpopulations; however, limited national data exist examining this relationship. Since vegetable acquisition is a necessary antecedent to increased vegetable consumption, this study examines if garden access is associated with vegetable acquisition among adults in a nationally representative sample of U.S. households. Data come from the National Food Acquisition and Purchasing Survey (FAPS), a survey of 4826 US households. Descriptive analysis and modified Poisson regressions were performed to examine associations between household garden access and vegetable acquisition amongst the total population and by race. Results indicate that for foods for at-home consumption, respondents with their own garden had a 30% greater prevalence (PR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.64) of acquiring enough vegetables to meet USDA recommendations compared to respondents in households without access to any gardens. Among Black respondents, those with access to their own garden had over two times increased prevalence (PR: 2.35, 95% CI: 1.10, 5.01) of acquiring enough vegetables to meet recommended consumption amounts, compared to Black respondents without any access to a garden. No relationships between garden access and vegetable acquisition were observed for White or Asian respondents. This information may contribute to the body of evidence on strategies for increasing vegetable consumption among U.S. adults.

The role of soils in learning and inspiration, physical and psychological experiences, and in supporting identities.

This paper reviews the literature on soil and nature's contributions to people (NCP) around learning and inspiration, physical and psychological experiences, and supporting identities, revealing a range of relationships to imagining, understanding and experiencing soil. Often labelled elsewhere as 'cultural ecosystem services', these NCP provide a range of benefits that are mostly non-material, non-consumptive and intangible. The review finds that NCP framings help to highlight how soils have contributed to inspiring learning and creative works, like art; to mental and physical health benefits, such as through recreation and gardening; and to cultural identities and practices, including religious practices and efforts for social justice. Overall, soils have played a large role in human creative endeavours, are the root of significant relationships to the environment and can be conceptualized through key metaphors, ideas and theory as a bridge linking culture and nature together. Yet despite the wide-ranging contributions of soils to these NCP, the literature remains uneven and much more remains to be understood, including how relational values of care and stewardship with soils can be fostered and how attention to the co-produced 'biosocial' nature of soil can help improve practices for soil health. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of soils in delivering Nature's Contributions to People'.