The Natural Environment Social Research Network (NESRN)

Summary

The Natural Environment Social Research Network (NESRN) is an informal collaboration between the environment and nature agencies in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) that aims to further the quality and impact of the social sciences in the work of the agencies. It is primarily for, and run by, practising social researchers in these organisations.

The core group that runs the network and organises its meetings consists of Natural England, Forest Research, Natural Resources Wales, NatureScot and Environment Agency.

Individual members are practising social researchers and scientists in these organisations or evidence specialists with a large social component to their roles.

Aims

• further the quality, visibility and impact of social research and social sciences in Great Britain environment and nature agencies
• provide a platform for knowledge sharing
• enable continuing professional development of social researchers in the agencies
• agree strategic priorities with respect to the social sciences of nature and environment and communicate them beyond the network e.g. to academics
• provide a forum to compare work programmes, exploit synergies and avoid duplication
• work on joint social research projects of mutual relevance and interest

Activities

• Knowledge sharing of social scientific methodologies and research projects carried out by the agencies
• Identification of strategic social research priorities of the network e.g. health benefits of nature visits, behavioural science and the environment, risk perception and communication
• Liaison with lead government environmental departments (Defra, Welsh Government, Scottish Government) social researchers
• Joint presentations at conferences and workshops
• An online shared workspace – hosted on the Environment Agency Social Science Profession SharePoint site
• Network meetings and events including inviting academic experts to present their work

Latest updates and current work

The network typically meets 2–4 times a year (primarily online) to provide updates and to exchange knowledge.

ACCESS – Advancing Capacity for Climate Change and Environment Social Science

The core network is directly involved as a named partner in this five year Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded project led by Exeter University (2022–27).

ACCESS aims to provide leadership on the social science contribution to tackling and solving a range of environmental problems. Core NESRN members have been involved in Task Forces, summer schools, research projects and contributed to publications about environmental social science and why we need it.

Net Positive Centre

The core network is a named partner in this five year ESRC funded project led by Exeter University from 2024–29.

The Centre for Net Positive Health and Climate Solutions is focused on impactful solutions, pioneering collaboration, and new perspectives turning the climate challenge into an opportunity to support healthier lives and to improve the environment.

Covid and nature

The core network in a joint collaborative piece of work brought together and summarised research conducted in each organisation concerning how people, both adults and children, visited green and blue natural spaces during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, and their experiences of this.

Outputs

Project

• Why society needs nature – Lessons from research during Covid-19 – Forest Research

Publications

• Why society needs nature – Lessons from research during Covid-19 [PDF, 2.64MB]
• Environmental Social Science: What is it and why do we need it? – University of Surrey
• Taylor, T. Guell, C., Macintyre, H., Earnshaw, K., O’Brien, L & Wheeler, B. 2025. Advancing interdisciplinary work on climate change and health: Early lessons from the Net Positive Centre, 2025. Environmental Scientist.

Membership, funding and partners

The network, of which Forest Research is a core member, is an informal partnership between five core organisations:

• Forest Research
• NatureScot
• Environment Agency
• Natural England
• Natural Resources Wales.

Other agencies may apply to become core members of the network.

Contact

Liz O’Brien
Principal Social Scientist