Toolbox — For Training and Youth Work
All new tools in your inbox: Be the first to know about new tools for learning with our e-mail notifications.
Manual
Resilience in Nature Toolkit
This toolkit is the result of a wonderful journey of discovery on resilience, nature and youth.
In this toolkit, you’ll find 22 evidencebased activities that support youth workers in guiding young people towards resilience through nature.
Aims of the tool
Young people tell us that they need a stronger connection with themselves, others, and the natural world. This toolkit offers practical ways for youth workers to explore and strengthen resilience through outdoor activities. These shared natural experiences can help young people build trust, emotional safety, and a more profound sense of belonging.
Description of the tool
Why this toolkit? Young people today are under great pressure from both global and local challenges such as climate change, war, financial insecurity, achievement pressures and social exclusion. At the same time, many young people struggle with mental health problems, while there is little focus in education on well-being and connection with nature. Research shows that nature can be a powerful source of resilience, but many young people have lost connection with it. They grow up in urban environments, get out in nature less often and have few opportunities to experience the value of peace, nature and connection. Professionals and volunteers working with young people want to involve nature more often in their guidance but often do not know where to start or which activities are appropriate and feasible. There is a need for accessible, hands-on, non-formal (experiential) and sustainable forms of work that can be directly applied in everyday work with young people. This toolkit has been developed to meet that need. It offers inspiration, practical tools and a clear vision of how nature can contribute to strengthening resilience and well-being in young people. This vision is based on the latest scientific insights from ecopsychology and ecopedagogy, in which the relationship between people and nature is central. With this toolkit, we approach resilience not only as an individual trait, but as something that lives in relationships and contexts. Young people thrive in environments that support, challenge and connect them. That is why we want to contribute to the development of resilient systems around young people - systems that focus on movement, rest, nutrition, social contact, meaning and nature. An ecosystem in which young people, supervisors, families, schools and communities build well-being and future strength together.
Available downloads:
Disclaimer
SALTO cannot be held responsible for the inappropriate use of these training tools. Always adapt training tools to your aims, context, target group and to your own skills! These tools have been used in a variety of formats and situations. Please notify SALTO should you know about the origin of or copyright on this tool.
Tool overview
http://toolbox.salto-youth.net/4956
This tool is for
Young People 14-18 years Connection & Competences: Young people face psychological challenges during adolescence. Exacerbated by crises, leading to increased demand for personal resilience skills and engaging in a supportive environment. Youth Workers Building Resilience: The need for concrete green skills who play a crucial role in building resilience among young people. Nature-Based Resilience: Nature provides opportunities for personal growth, problem-solving, adaptability, emotional regulation, and self-discovery, enhancing youths’ coping skills and wellbeing.
and addresses
Group Dynamics, YOUTH in ACTION (YiA) programme, Personal Development, Peer education, Environment
It is recommended for use in:
Strategic Partnerships
Behind the tool
The tool was created by
Flourish in Nature NGO (NL) and Utopia Education and Art Organization (TR)
in the context of
Strategic Partnerhsip Project
The tool was published to the Toolbox by
Ahmet Öncel (on 7 December 2025)
and last modified
16 June 2025
Comments
No comments have been posted yet.
If you want to comment on this tool, you need to be signed in with your MySALTO account. Sign in now