The FTHub 5 Components of
Nature-Based Interventions
A Framework for Nature-Based Interventions
Nature-based interventions are not a single activity. They are structured experiences designed to support health and well-being through intentional engagement with natural environments. But what makes an intervention effective? What distinguishes a professional intervention from an informal walk?
Forest Therapy Hub has developed a framework that answers these questions: the FTHub 5 Components of Nature-Based Interventions. This framework is the foundation of what we call Liquid Nature-Based Interventions (LNBIs), a flexible, responsive, and adaptive approach built on the fluidity of human-nature interactions.
It is informed by our research conducted through the Forest Therapy Institute Lab and forms the conceptual backbone of our training methodology.
The FTHub 5 Components are the only nature-based health framework being researched at scale through international public funding. They are not generic principles; they are standardized, modular components that allow interventions to adapt to time, place, and population while keeping research fidelity.
The Framework
The 5 Components
5 standardized, modular components that adapt interventions to different contexts while maintaining research fidelity.
1
Nature Connection Activities
Nature Connection Activities are the foundational components. They are designed as flexible, sensory-rich, and emotionally engaging experiences that strengthen individuals’ connection to nature. Nature Connection Activities go beyond simply spending time outdoors; research shows that deep, emotional engagement with nature, rather than passive exposure, is what produces meaningful mental health benefits.
Each Nature Connection Activity follows a sensory call to explore and open connection points. Nature Connection Activities are designed to maximize the possible responses to the experience, creating conditions for sensations, emotions, and thoughts to arise naturally.
In therapeutic settings, Nature Connection Activities have been shown to reduce stress, support mood regulation, and build resilience. Beyond clinical use, they enhance community well-being, promoting social cohesion, pro-environmental behavior, and ecological awareness.
2
Sequence of Activities
Research highlights the importance of the “nature dose”, both time and frequency of exposure, in improving health outcomes. The Sequence of Activities structures the order and combination of Nature Connection Activities, Expressive Arts in Nature, and Nature-Based Activities within a session or program.
The sequence works as fractal geometry; the same arc applies to a single 10–15-minute Nature Connection Activity and a multi-week therapeutic program. Structured sequences that combine different sensory experiences increase the effectiveness of nature-based interventions.
3
Noticing: Awareness, Spaces, Circle Work
“Noticing” refers to conscious engagement with natural surroundings, activating awareness beyond basic attention. This process enhances nature connectedness and well-being, and supports emotional sharing, empathy, and collective reflection within group settings.
Noticing operates at multiple levels and is a core facilitation practice in FTHub’s methodology; it provides a structured space for participants to verbalize, witness, and integrate their experiences.
This component adds depth to Liquid Nature-Based Interventions, moving beyond restoration theories to interactional and experiential dimensions of nature-based health.
4
Expressive Arts in Nature
Expressive arts, including movement, writing, sound, and storytelling, help participants explore symbolic meaning, deepening self-awareness and healing.
In FTHub’s framework, art becomes a co-therapist: it “speaks back” when participants are ready to listen. Integrating natural materials, such as leaves, stones, and branches, further enhances this process, creating a direct bridge between the participant’s inner world and the natural environment.
5
Nature-Based Activities
Nature-Based Activities focus on integrating nature connection into participants’ daily lives. While Nature Connection Activities are designed for facilitated sessions, Nature-Based Activities extend the impact beyond the intervention, supporting habitual and sustainable interaction with nature.
Nature-Based Activities can be embedded into daily routines, health promotion strategies, or clinical care. They help participants form habits that promote long-term well-being. The goal is lifestyle integration, ensuring that the benefits of nature-based interventions are not confined to the session itself.
The Complete Framework
How the 5 Components Work Together
Together, these 5 components create a flexible framework adaptable to different populations and settings.
Nature Connection Activities
Sequence of
Activities
Noticing
Expressive Arts
in Nature
Nature-Based
Activities
Nature Connection Activities, Nature-Based Activities, and Expressive Arts in Nature are interconnected extensions of the same foundational practice. Nature Connection Activities provide the core facilitated experiences. Nature-Based Activities carry those experiences into daily life. Expressive Arts in Nature add psychological depth through creative expression.
The Sequence of Activities structures how these components are combined and ordered. Noticing ensures that participants are fully engaged and that experiences are processed and integrated.
Together, the 5 components create a modular, adaptable framework that can be tailored to diverse populations and natural settings, from urban parks and hospital gardens to ancient forests and coastal environments. Their integration supports personalized and responsive interventions that promote emotional, physical, and ecological well-being.
Why It Matters
Why This Framework Matters
These 5 components are not theoretical abstractions but the practical foundations that FTHub-certified professionals use to design, deliver, and evaluate interventions.
They underpin every FTHub certification program and FTI Lab research project, and they are essential for professionals working in nature-based health. Critically, they are also the only framework in the field currently being validated through large-scale international public-funded research.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the FTHub 5 Components of Nature-Based Interventions?
A standardized framework of 5 modular components: Nature Connection Activities, Sequence of Activities, Noticing, Expressive Arts in Nature, and Nature-Based Activities, that define how nature-based interventions are designed, delivered, and evaluated. Used by 3,000+ certified professionals in 80+ countries.
Are the FTHub 5 Components scientifically validated?
Yes. They are the only nature-based health framework currently being researched at scale through international public funding, including Horizon Europe, Biodiversa+, Erasmus+, and Interreg NWE—representing over EUR 4 million in funded research across multiple countries and institutions. This is not self-published evidence. This is multi-partner research that is competitively awarded and independently reviewed.
How do the FTHub 5 Components relate to the FTHub Method and the Liquid Interactions Model?
The Liquid Interactions Model (LIM) explains why nature-based interventions work. The 5 Components define their structure. Together with the FTHub Method, they form the complete methodology taught across all FTHub certification programs and FTHub Academy courses.
Where can I learn to apply the FTHub 5 Components?
Through the FTHub certification programs and the FTHub Academy’s Continuing Professional Development courses across 10+1 themes. All graduates receive Hub Seedlings Pro membership with professional tools, an enhanced directory, and 8 exclusive practice-building courses.
