Well-being Interventions in and with nature - WIN

The WIN Center

🌿 The WIN Center (Well-being Interventions in and with Nature) at the University of Padua is a cutting-edge multidisciplinary hub dedicated to studying the relationship between natural environments and human health.

🌱 Mission and Vision
In response to the growing human–nature disconnection, the Center aims to measure and integrate the therapeutic potential of nature into healthcare and well-being pathways.
It addresses challenges such as sedentary lifestyles, urbanization, and non-communicable diseases by developing sustainable and inclusive solutions across different natural settings.

🔬 Research Activities
The Center combines psychology, medicine, forestry, and spatial planning in an interdisciplinary approach.
Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, it investigates the effects of practices such as:
🌲 Forest bathing
🧘 Green mindfulness
🌾 Social horticulture
🏡 Biophilic design
Research activities include:
❤️ Monitoring physiological and cognitive responses
🌳 Evaluating green spaces
🌍 Assessing environmental impacts
👥 Exploring related social and employment opportunities

🤝 Collaboration and Innovation
The Center brings together more than 50 researchers from 8 departments.
It collaborates with numerous local organizations and is supported by an international advisory board.
It promotes:
💡 Methodological innovation
🌐 Collaboration with global research networks
📑 Harmonization of protocols in the fields of individual, public, and ecosystem health in urban and rural contexts

📚 Outreach and Training
The Center is actively involved in outreach and professional training for practitioners working in:
🌿 Well-being promotion
🏥 Health
🌎 Environmental protection
Its vision is guided by the idea that biodiversity and human care are two sides of the same coin.