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Retkeilijät kulkevat polkua pitkin harjulla.

Exploring happiness related to forest from the world’s happiest nation

The University of Eastern Finland's nationwide survey investigates the link between forests and happiness.

During the pandemic when social media was filled with pictures of people outing in forests, the scientific community become interested in the potential of forests to contribute to happiness and well-being. The University of Eastern Finland's new project, "Forest Happiness," aims to investigate the relationship between Finnish forests and happiness. It will also aim to develop a forest happiness index.

Syamili Manoj Santhi, a Doctoral Researcher from India, came up with the idea while completing her studies in Bangor, UK. She had just learned about the importance of urban forests for well-being and had read the news about Finland being the happiest country even during the pandemic. “I wonder if the amazing bond Finns share with boreal forests plays a role to make that country the world's happiest,” Syamili said. The Forest Happiness project aims to make an important contribution to understanding human well-being by exploring the relationship between forests and happiness.

The research is conducted through an online questionnaire, where respondents will have the opportunity to reflect on their relationships with the forest. Finns and international residents in Finland are invited to take part in the study. Participation in the research makes people think of their ways of interacting with the forests and thereby offers a fascinating journey to understand their own connection to the forest. During pretesting the questionnaire survey, one international respondent said: “Personally, I have not thought about the feelings when I am in the forests but while filling out, it brought out how I felt.” The international responses help determine whether foreigners adapt to the Finnish forest culture. The questionnaire is available in Finnish, English and Swedish, and it is open now until August 2023.

With the help of this study, we are better able to understand whether, how, and to what extent forests can affect how happy people feel in Finland. This knowledge can be applied in urban planning, especially for the management of green areas to make them inclusive and for general forest management planning to improve the well-being of the people.

More information and the questionnaire link are on the project webpage.

For more information, please contact:

PhD. researcher Syamili Manoj Santhi (syamili.manoj@uef.fi), in English

Researcher Aino Korrensalo (aino.korrensalo@uef.fi) or Tuomo Takala (tuomo.takala@uef.fi), in Finnish and Swedish

Professor Eeva-Stiina Tuittila (eeva-stiina.tuittila@uef.fi), in Finnish

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