Joy, Jobs, and Sweat: Older Adults' Physical Activity During COVID-19 Lockdowns in New Zealand.

This qualitative narrative correspondence study investigates older adults' experiences of physical activity (PA) during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in Aotearoa, New Zealand. This paper presents a reflexive thematic analysis of 501 letters received from 568 participants that discussed PA. Participants described PA as bringing joy and rhythm to daily life under stay-at-home measures. The most frequently discussed forms of PA included exercising, gardening, and housework. Four interconnected conceptual themes identified were as follows: (a) renegotiating environmental relationships, (b) social connection, (c) pleasure and PA, and (d) navigating active aging discourses. This paper emphasizes the important environmental and social motivations for becoming and remaining physically active despite restrictions on movement. Older adults' understandings and performance of PA were heavily shaped by active aging discourses. As such, we suggest that initiatives seeking to promote PA should foreground older adults' feelings of connection, productivity, and pleasure and recognize their diversity. This is contrary to current recommendations focused on duration or intensity of older adults' PA.

Perceived Impacts of COVID-19 by Spanish University Students: Changes in the Physical and Social Environments

The COVID-19 pandemic has shattered health and brought about economic and social havoc to many countries. Spain is one of the hardest affected European countries in both the number of sick or deceased people and the ongoing socioeconomic consequences. Experts think that the current COVID-19 disaster will change our perception of the world and human relationships and lead us to a new reality for which we are likely not fully prepared. The main aim of this paper is to observe, describe and analyze Spanish people's perception of the post-COVID-19 reality. In order to approach the sample's perception of the new reality, a thorough qualitative and quantitative analysis of the available lexicon produced by a sample of 220 university students is carried out. The lexical association tests used in the available lexicon research allow access to the shared prototypic categorization. In this paper we specifically intend to analyze the perception the informants have-after the first months in the context of the so-called ʼnew normality'-on the following centers of interest presented as stimuli: society, city, countryside and environment. We will work with a sample with variations in sex, age and place of confinement. The global results show that the most central words in the categories of city and countryside seem conflicting, providing a more positive vision in the first case. Regarding the comparisons between groups according to the pre-stratification variables, certain differences are perceived not so much at the quantitative level as at the qualitative level. It will serve to design intervention strategies from both educational and preventative-health and administrative fields to provide society with the necessary tools to face future crises and recover from the worst possible consequences of the current situation. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Ecology in the age of climate change: Challenges facing the effective implementation of nature-based solutions in terrestrial ecosystems

At this stage of the Great Acceleration of the Anthropocene, humanity is experiencing the global issues of worsening climate change impacts, devastating damage from more frequent and severe natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic, all of which are attributable to ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss. The global community recognises that these issues pose severe societal and economic risks. “Nature-based solutions” have been posited as a means to address these threats. Nature-based solutions utilise natural terrestrial ecosystem functions to provide environmental, social and economic benefits at low cost. The growing social demand for nature-based solutions constitutes an opportunity for the field of ecology to expand beyond the conventional focus on biodiversity and conservation and shift to presenting biodiversity and ecosystem functions as the basis of human well-being and social sustainability. We sought to identify a trajectory for ecological research that is aimed at contributing to the effective implementation of nature-based solutions. First, we summarise current social needs related to terrestrial ecosystem utilisation. Next, we provide an overview of existing literature and knowledge regarding biodiversity and terrestrial ecosystem function, which are critical to nature-based solutions. Finally, we identify outstanding ecological hurdles to the implementation of these strategies and propose a way forward based on our findings. We explain that any basic presentation of ecological processes requires addressing the impacts of climate change and the interrelatedness of biodiversity, climate and social systems. Enhanced ecological process models are critical for linking biodiversity and ecosystems with climate and social systems. It is crucial to establish a framework that embeds monitoring systems, data infrastructure and delivery systems within society to mobilise terrestrial ecosystem and biodiversity data and results. Furthermore, the implementation of nature-based solutions must include acknowledging trade-offs in objectives and transdisciplinary research with other fields and stakeholders with the shared goal of transformative change. Ecological research must demonstrate more clearly how terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystems are linked to human health and well-being, as well as how they are affected by production and consumption systems. In the age of climate change, the knowledge and tools of the ecologist form the foundation of nature-based solutions and provide an indispensable theoretical basis for this approach.Alternate :æŠ„éŒ²äººæ–°ä¸–ã®å¤§åŠ é€Ÿã¨ã‚‚å‘¼ã°ã‚Œã‚‹æ°—å€™å¤‰å‹•ã®æ™‚ä»£ã«ãŠã„ã¦ã€æ°—å€™å¤‰å‹•å½±éŸ¿ã®é¡•åœ¨åŒ–ã€è‡ªç„¶ç½å®³ã®æ¿€ç”šåŒ–ãƒ»é »ç™ºåŒ–ã€COVID-19の世界的流行などの地球規模の問題が増大している。国際社会では、ã"ã‚Œã‚‰ã®å•é¡Œã¯ç”Ÿæ…‹ç³»ã®åŠ£åŒ–ã‚„ç”Ÿç‰©å¤šæ§˜æ€§ã®æå¤±ãŒè¦å› ã§ã‚ã‚‹ã"と、そして社会経済にも多大な損害ã‚'与える大きなリスクであるã"とが共通の認識となりつつある。そのような状況ã‚'åæ˜ ã—ã€é™¸åŸŸç”Ÿæ…‹ç³»ã®å¤šé¢çš„ãªæ©Ÿèƒ½ã‚'活用するã"とで、低いコストでç'°å¢ƒãƒ»ç¤¾ä¼šãƒ»çµŒæ¸ˆã«ä¾¿ç›Šã‚'もたらし、社会が抱える複数の課題の解決に貢献する「自然ã‚'基盤とした解決策」という新しい概念に大きな期待が寄せられている。ã"の解決策への社会的なニーズの高まりは、生態学が長年取り組ã‚"できた生物多様性や生態系の保全に関する課題ã‚'超えて、生態学が生物多様性や生態系が豊かな人é–"社会ã‚'継続し発展させる知的基盤となるã"とや、生態学の社会的有用性ã‚'示す機会である。そã"で本稿では、気候変動時代における「自然ã‚'åŸºç›¤ã¨ã—ãŸè§£æ±ºç­–ã€ã®å®Ÿè·µã«å‘ã‘ãŸç”Ÿæ…‹å­¦ç ”ç©¶ã®æ–¹å‘ã¥ã‘ã‚'目的とし、陸域生態系の活用に対する社会的なニーズの現状ã‚'概観する。その上で、「自然ã‚'åŸºç›¤ã¨ã—ãŸè§£æ±ºç­–ã€ã®éµã¨ãªã‚‹é™¸åŸŸç”Ÿæ ‹ç³»ã®ç”Ÿç‰©å¤šæ§˜æ€§ã‚„ç”Ÿæ…‹ç³»æ©Ÿèƒ½ã«é–¢ã™ã‚‹çŸ¥è¦‹ã‚'整理して課題ã‚'抽出し、ã"れらã‚'è¸ã¾ãˆã¦ä»Šå¾Œã®ç”Ÿæ…‹å­¦ç ”ç©¶ã®æ–¹å‘æ€§ã‚'å…·ä½"的に示す。まず、現象の基礎的な理解という観点からは、生物多様性ã‚'含む陸域生態系と気候システムや社会システムとの相äº'関係性ã‚'含めた包括的な気候変動影響のメカニズムの解明と、予測・評価のためのプロセスモデルの高度化ã‚'進めるã"と、そして同時に、陸域生態系と生物多様性の変化ã‚'ç¤ºã™ãŸã‚ã®åŠ¹æžœçš„ãªãƒ¢ãƒ‹ã‚¿ãƒªãƒ³ã‚°ã¨æƒ…å ±åŸºç›¤ã®å¼·åŒ–ã‚'行い、データや分析結果ã‚'社会に還元するフレームワークã‚'構築するã"ã¨ãŒå„ªå…ˆäº‹é …ã§ã‚ã‚‹ã€‚ã‚ˆã‚Šå®Ÿè·µçš„ãªè¦³ç‚¹ã‹ã‚‰ã¯ã€ã€Œè‡ªç„¶ã‚'基盤とした解決策」の実装や社会変革などにおいて共通の目標ã‚'ã‚‚ã¤ä»–åˆ†é‡Žã¨ã®å­¦éš›ç ”ç©¶ã‚'積極的に行うã"とにより、実装における目的é–"のトレードオフã‚'示すã"と、健康・福祉の課題や生産・消費システムの中での陸域生態系や生物多様性への影響や役割ã‚'示すã"ã¨ãªã©ãŒå„ªå…ˆäº‹é …ã¨ãªã‚‹ã€‚æ°—å€™å¤‰å‹•ã«ä»£è¡¨ã•ã‚Œã‚‹ä¸ç¢ºå®Ÿæ€§ã®é«˜ã„ç'°å¢ƒä¸‹ã§ã€åŠ¹æžœçš„な「自然ã‚'åŸºç›¤ã¨ã—ãŸè§£æ±ºç­–ã€ã®å®Ÿæ–½ãŸã‚ã«ã¯ã€ãã®ç§‘å­¦çš„åŸºç›¤ã¨ãªã‚‹ç”Ÿæ…‹å­¦ã®çŸ¥è¦‹ã¨ãƒ„ãƒ¼ãƒ«ã¯ä¸å¯æ¬ ã§ã‚ã‚Šã€ã¾ãŸãã®å®Ÿè£…ã‚'通じた社会変革へのé"筋においても生態学の貢献が期待されている。

The Pandemic and Sustainable Peace. A combination yet to be understood

This essay aims to verify the existing combination of low levels of sustainable peace and the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The hypothesis we want to support is that the aforementioned pandemic wouldn't have become a world crisis had there been greater investments in social and environmental issues, which are the sources of sustainable peace. The applied methodology is preceded by a brief description of the different meanings of and the interdependencies between sustainable development and peace, a reflection on the main reports, both national (Italian Ministry of Health, Italian National Statistical Institute) and international (UN, UNPD, IMF, WHO, IEP) and a quantitative supplementary analysis of their guidelines insofar as pandemic-related sustainability and sustainable peace are concerned. Our goal is to prove how much needed and no longer deferrable is a reading able to reconcile factors that are different from each other when it comes to their nature and content. Such factors are environmental pollution, climate change, cultural and structural violence, inequalities within individual States and between States. © FrancoAngeli.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, can the development of coastal ecological resources create a safe leisure and tourism environment, maintain ecology, and promote economic development in villages?

Context and aims. The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of environmental development in the seashore waters of Maluan Bay on the current situation of sustainable development of coastal villages. Methods. We used SPSS statistical software (ver. 26.0) to analyse the data with statistical verification, Student's t-test and ANOVA, the used the inverview method to solicit opinions on the questionnarie results, and, finally, conducted multivariate inspection and analysis to explore the results. Key results. The development of seashore waters can effectively enhance people's positive perceptions of the current economic, social, environmental and coastal ecological development, and increase their willingness to revisit and purchase property. Also, the insufficient number of security guards in villages can be improved, the environmental awareness of residents and their willingness to participate in decision-making can be enhanced. Conclusions and implications. Providing tourists with better tourism facilities, transportation, hotel and restaurant management and planning will increase leisure opportunities and solve environmental and waste problems such as in this scenic location. It will help achieve the goal of sustainable circular economy of water.

Urban Green Space for Sustainable Environmental Health in Relation to Pandemic Crises

Trace the timeline of a pandemic such as Ebola, SARS, and SARS-CoV-2. All these extremely infectious viruses led to a worldwide pandemic starting in 2002. All these three viruses are transmitted to humans by animals from the jungle. The novel human coronavirus COVID-19 is now the fifth documented pandemic since the 1918 influenza pandemic. Questions about pandemics are on the rise these days, and it is widely discussed in the media. Recently, awareness about urban green spaces is rising in this era, and numerous researchers claim that appropriate landscape planning and design with the conception of sustainability able to produce a beneficial and responsive environment for healthy urban improvement in relation to pandemic crises. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of urban green spaces for sustainable environmental health. The result shows that the role of urban green spaces improves immune system function, increases social capital and cohesion, reduces mortality, and increases life expectancy, reduces potential negative health impacts, and makes urban beautification healthier. In addition, the finding shows the benefits of urban green spaces in pandemics, for example improving mental health and stress reduction, improving physical health, decreasing the risk of disease transmission, and improving social cohesion.

Vital Factor for Homestay Operation of Tourism Natural Environment in COVID-19 Period

There is a growing interest in the role of homestay in tourism linked to the stakeholders care about sanitization as well as their contribution to the tourism experience. This study is to explore factors that affect the house satisfaction for homestay operation in COVID-19 period. It is a quantitative and survey research. Research tools for this study are structural questionnaires and using area sampling from sample size 399 visitors who stayed one night and longer in the homestay. Percentage, mean, and standard deviation were used to describe general data description of social, population, and attitude of intrinsic factor of homestay operation that affected house satisfaction. Multiple Regression (Enter method) was used to compare between independent and dependent variables. The finding shows that the variables of attitude in term of food;hospitality;tour program;local product's value;management and public relation can affect house satisfaction. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Video games as a tool for ecological learning: the case of Animal Crossing

Amidst lockdown policies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many used video games as a method to maintain a connection with others while ensuring social distancing. A new edition of the Animal Crossing series of games had been released in March 2020 and beat sales and downloads records. The game focuses on living in a natural environment, building a house and a village, as well as capturing, exhibiting, and selling species to progress. Here we examine whether players gain species identification skills and whether it is transferred to real-life models. We used the results from a survey conducted from the end of March to early April 2020 on 200 people (72 players and 128 nonplayers of Animal Crossing). Participants were first asked to rank their personal interest in nature and then to identify species from photos. The photos displayed both organisms present in the game and organisms that were not. We expected players to obtain a slightly higher score than nonplayers for questions related to the species present in the game and a similar score in both groups for questions related to species not present in the game. Multivariate analyses (multiple linear regression and principal components analysis [PCA]) showed that players were better than nonplayers at identifying real-life species that were present in the game. The role of the species in the game design impacts the ability to identify the species in real life, such as plants having mainly a role of ornamentation. Additionally, this study suggests that survey participants could correctly assess their naturalistic knowledge in general. This article shows that video games can help enhance ecological learning, improve organisms identification, and might be used as a tool for education in conservation biology.

Sustainable Outdoor Education: Organisations Connecting Children and Young People with Nature through the Arts

There is an increasing concern regarding the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people;as a result, schools are increasingly expected to provide support, but they have few resources to do so. As such, there is a need for establishing mechanisms for supporting the health and wellbeing of children and young people that are relatively easy and cost-effective and that can be embedded within the school day to ensure sustainability. The overarching aim of our Branching Out project was to understand how successful elements from one such programme that supports children's mental health through the art-in-nature-based practice can be expanded from school-based approaches that reach small numbers of children to include whole communities. This paper reports on one strand that examined the practice of organisations offering arts and/or nature-based activities outdoors in schools, either as part of the curriculum or as an extra-curricular activity. Survey questions served as an a priori thematic framework around the characteristics of arts-in-nature activities delivered;the perceived impacts of activities;working with volunteers, teachers, and schools;and barriers to expansion and sustainability. Despite extensive searching, identifying, and recruiting relevant arts organisations was difficult;however, respondents strongly supported the notion that the arts-in-nature practice has a positive impact on children and young people's connection to nature, supports their mental health and wellbeing, and engages them with their local environment. Yet, challenges were identified in engaging teachers and schools and funding such projects, suggesting a need for a multi-professional approach to creating more sustainable and impactful practice for children, young people, and communities.

The Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic on the Contribution of Local Green Space and Nature Connection to Mental Health.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to green space and feeling connected to the natural environment have independently been associated with improved mental health outcomes. During the coronavirus pandemic, people experienced restrictions on access to the outdoors, and health data indicated a decline in mental health in the UK general population. METHODS: Data available from two independent surveys conducted prior to and during the pandemic enabled a naturally occurring comparison of mental health and its correlates prior to and during the pandemic. RESULTS: Survey responses from 877 UK residents were included in the analyses. Independent t-tests revealed significant declines in mental health scores during the pandemic. After controlling for age and gender, greater nature connection significantly predicted lower depression and stress and improved well-being. Percentage of green space did not significantly predict any mental health outcomes. Further, time point (pre- or during COVID) and the interaction of time point with green space and nature connection did not significantly predict any of the outcome measures. The findings indicate that nature connection may play an important role in promoting mental health. Strategies to improve mental health and reduce mental illness should consider the role of nature connection and the use of interventions that involve direct interaction with natural environments.

Exploring the impact of the pandemic on the relationship between individual types and the natural environment: the role of mortality concerns.

COVID-19 is a global event that has impacted every individual on earth in some way and can be viewed as a mortality salience trigger. Although there were reports of increased nature exposure across the world, research is needed to understand whether the pandemic event impacted the underlying psychology of the human-nature nexus. Given the likelihood of pandemics and environmental challenges increasing in frequency in the future, there is a need for a deeper understanding of how pandemics impact individuals' relationship with the natural environment in South Africa. To achieve this, the study applied psychological types (grouping individuals based on homogeneity) to explore potential shifts as human nature is neither fixed, nor universal. The study asked: Given the multiple significant impacts of COVID-19 on the African continent, how have perceptions and attitudes towards the natural environment changed within and between types of individuals from 2016 (pre COVID) to 2021 (COVID) in South Africa? In a longitudinal, quantitative study, separate samples 721 in 2016 and 665 in 2021 were obtained. Participants in 2021 were grouped into the same six types using the same criteria, for comparison with the 2016 data. The results showed limited potential for pandemics to act as catalysts for long-term individual change towards increased pro-environmentalism. The study confirmed the main tenets of Terror Management Theory that individuals tend to be driven to uphold worldviews when confronted with mortality. Furthermore, there was a reduced experience of personal control over outcomes that increased reliance on sources of control outside the self as an attempt to buffer against mortality concerns. The study contributes towards Terror Management Theory's application during pandemics, and how that relates to individual environmental attitudes and perceptions.

Back to future: International social work in the new era

An editorial is presented on International social work in the new era. Topics include number of infected cases being decreasing, the loss of life being reducing, and social and economic activities again started resuming;and globalization moving towards de-globalization and various supply chains such as human talents, financial capital, ideas, and information.

Alleviating mental health disorders through doses of green spaces: an updated review in times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted issues due to mental health disorders, in particular the serious consequences derived from lockdown measures. This paper aims to analyse the literature on the potential direct impact of the natural environment on mental health disorders. We have systematically reviewed the studies analysing green spaces and mental health included in this review using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Cochrane Library. A retrospective time-frame is considered, covering the COVID-19 pandemic. We have found that exposure to, use and proximity to green spaces have a beneficial impact on mental health among elderly, students and patients with underlying pathologies. However, it has negative effects on the mental health of women and young adults. Exposure to and interaction with the natural environment can improve certain mental health disorders and should be taken into account for strategies and policies related to future threats to public health.

Associations between greenness and predicted COVID-19-like illness incidence in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Green spaces may be protective against COVID-19 incidence. They may provide outdoor, ventilated, settings for physical and social activities and therefore decrease transmission risk. We examined the association between neighborhood greenness and COVID-19-like illness incidence using individual-level data. Methods: The study population includes participants enrolled in the COVID Symptom Study smartphone application in the United Kingdom and the United States (March-November 2020). All participants were encouraged to report their current health condition and suspected risk factors for COVID-19. We used a validated symptom-based classifier that predicts COVID-19-like illness. We estimated the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), for each participant's reported neighborhood of residence for each month, using images from Landsat 8 (30 m2). We used time-varying Cox proportional hazards models stratified by age, country, and calendar month at study entry and adjusted for the individual- and neighborhood-level risk factors. Results: We observed 143,340 cases of predicted COVID-19-like illness among 2,794,029 participants. Neighborhood NDVI was associated with a decreased risk of predicted COVID-19-like illness incidence in the fully adjusted model (hazard ratio = 0.965, 95% confidence interval = 0.960, 0.970, per 0.1 NDVI increase). Stratified analyses showed protective associations among U.K. participants but not among U.S. participants. Associations were slightly stronger for White individuals, for individuals living in rural neighborhoods, and for individuals living in high-income neighborhoods compared to individuals living in low-income neighborhoods. Conclusions: Higher levels of greenness may reduce the risk of predicted COVID-19-like illness incidence, but these associations were not observed in all populations.

ACCIONES COLECTIVAS Y CONFLICTOS SOCIALES ALREDEDOR DE LOS TERRITORIOS Y BIENES COMUNES EN LA RURALIDAD COSTARRICENSE EN TIEMPOS DE PANDEMIA

Este artículo brinda una mirada sobre los conflictos sociales que se han mantenido en Costa Rica durante la pandemia producida por la Covid-19 (enero de 2020 y diciembre de 2021). Para esto se consideraron las acciones colectivas registradas y las experiencias del "Observatorio Comunitario de Acciones Colectivas", con lo que se logró identificar cuatro ejes de conflicto en este período: a) la demanda de derechos y defensa de los territorios indígenas, b) comunidades en defensa del agua y el ambiente, c) proyectos de ley que amenazan los bienes comunes, d) conflictos laborales y contaminación en la producción de monocultivos.Alternate :This paper provides a look at the social conflicts that have taken place in Costa Rica during the Covid-19 pandemic (January 2020 and December 2021). This study comes from the registered collective actions and the experiences of the "Community Observatory of Collective Actions." Based on this data, four axes of conflict were identified during this period: a) The demand for rights and defense of indigenous territories, b) Communities in defense of water and the environment, c) Draft laws that threaten common goods, d) Labor conflicts and pollution in the production of monocultives.

Environment and COVID-19 incidence: A critical review

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is an unprecedented worldwide health crisis. Many previous research studies have found and investigated its links with one or some natural or human environmental factors. However, a review on the relationship between COVID-19 incidence and both the natural and human environment is still lacking. This review summarizes the inter-correlation between COVID-19 incidence and environmental factors. Based on keyword searching, we reviewed 100 relevant peer-reviewed articles and other research literature published since January 2020. This review is focused on three main findings. One, we found that individual environmental factors have impacts on COVID-19 incidence, but with spatial heterogeneity and uncertainty. Two, environmental factors exert interactive effects on COVID-19 incidence. In particular, the interactions of natural factors can affect COVID-19 transmission in micro- and macro- ways by impacting SARS-CoV-2 survival, as well as human mobility and behaviors. Three, the impact of COVID-19 incidence on the environment lies in the fact that COVID-19-induced lockdowns caused air quality improvement, wildlife shifts and socio-economic depression. The additional value of this review is that we recommend future research perspectives and adaptation strategies regarding the interactions of the environment and COVID-19. Future research should be extended to cover both the effects of the environment on the COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-19-induced impacts on the environment. Future adaptation strategies should focus on sustainable environmental and public policy responses.

Perceptions of change in the environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic: Implications for environmental policy.

COVID-19 lockdown measures have impacted the environment with both positive and negative effects. However, how human populations have perceived such changes in the natural environment and how they may have changed their daily habits have not been yet thoroughly evaluated. The objectives of this work were to investigate (1) the social perception of the environmental changes produced by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and the derived change in habits in relation to i) waste management, energy saving, and sustainable consumption, ii) mobility, iii) social inequalities, iv) generation of noise, v) utilization of natural spaces, and, vi) human population perception towards the future, and (2) the associations of these potential new habits with various socio-demographic variables. First, a SWOT analysis identified strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O), and threats (T) generated by the pandemic lockdown measures. Second, a survey based on the aspects of the SWOT was administered among 2370 adults from 37 countries during the period from February to September 2021. We found that the short-term positive impacts on the natural environment were generally well recognized. In contrast, longer-term negative effects arise, but they were often not reported by the survey participants, such as greater production of plastic waste derived from health safety measures, and the increase in e-commerce use, which can displace small storefront businesses. We were able to capture a mismatch between perceptions and the reported data related to visits to natural areas, and generation of waste. We found that age and country of residence were major contributors in shaping the survey participants ´answers, which highlights the importance of government management strategies to address current and future environmental problems. Enhanced positive perceptions of the environment and ecosystems, combined with the understanding that livelihood sustainability, needs to be prioritized and would reinforce environmental protection policies to create greener cities. Moreover, new sustainable jobs in combination with more sustainable human habits represent an opportunity to reinforce environmental policy.

Human activities and zoonotic epidemics: A two-way relationship. the case of the COVID-19 pandemic

This article will try to highlight the two-way relationship of human activities with the emergence of epidemics-pandemics, through a multi-level approach to the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges that humanity faces, and the need to adopt policies at a global level to prevent future pandemics. © 2022 Cambridge University Press. All rights reserved.

How does nature heal tourists in the context of COVID-19? The perspective of the emotional mechanism

Nature has healing powers that provide physical and mental benefits to tourists and reduce their anxiety related to COVID-19. However, few empirical studies have examined the emotional mechanism that induces tourists to feel satisfied with, rather than anxious about, their lives. We explain the underlying impact mechanism that connects nature and subjective well-being in a natural heritage context by analyzing data collected from a sample of 534 tourists in Wulingyuan (south-central China). Our study revealed interesting and meaningful findings: (a) nature has healing powers that directly and indirectly (via awe and place attachment) influence tourists' sub-jective well-being;(b) tourists with a relatively low level of positive emotions who become attached to a destination, subsequently experience a greater degree of healing;and (c) there are significant gender differences concerning the healing powers of nature among tourists. These findings contribute to well-being research by highlighting the underlying emotional mechanism whereby nature influences tourists' subjective well-being. The paper also demonstrates the moderating effects of positive emotions and gender in the proposed model, which offers valuable practical insights for governments in tourist destinations.

Virus Diversity, Abundance, and Evolution in Three Different Bat Colonies in Switzerland.

Bats are increasingly recognized as reservoirs for many different viruses that threaten public health, such as Hendravirus, Ebolavirus, Nipahvirus, and SARS- and MERS-coronavirus. To assess spillover risk, viromes of bats from different parts of the world have been investigated in the past. As opposed to most of these prior studies, which determined the bat virome at a single time point, the current work was performed to monitor changes over time. Specifically, fecal samples of three endemic Swiss bat colonies consisting of three different bat species were collected over three years and analyzed using next-generation sequencing. Furthermore, single nucleotide variants of selected DNA and RNA viruses were analyzed to investigate virus genome evolution. In total, sequences of 22 different virus families were found, of which 13 are known to infect vertebrates. Most interestingly, in a Vespertilio murinus colony, sequences from a MERS-related beta-coronavirus were consistently detected over three consecutive years, which allowed us to investigate viral genome evolution in a natural reservoir host.