Dr Rachel Bragg

Biography

Dr Rachel Bragg, Care Farming Development Manager at Social Farms & Gardens and Visiting Fellow, University of Essex. Dr Rachel Bragg spent 17 years as a researcher at the University of Essex and remains a Visiting Fellow in the Green Exercise Research Group, researching the relationship between nature, health and mental wellbeing. Rachel is considered an expert in evaluating nature based green care interventions, has been actively involved in the development of the UK care farming sector for over 15 years and is a passionate advocate of green care – ‘nature-based treatment interventions for people with a defined need’. In 2015, Rachel moved to Care Farming UK (now Social farms & Gardens), which supports care farms, city farms and community gardens all over the UK. Through the Growing Care Farming project, SF&G promotes care farming and provides supporting services to the 250 care farms in the UK.

Qualifications

• PhD Environmental Sciences (PT) : Nature-based interventions for mental wellbeing and sustainable behaviour: The potential for green care in the UK University of Essex, (2014)

• MEnv Masters in Environment, Science & Society University of Essex, (1998)

• Bsc (Hons) Geography & Geology College of St Paul and St Mary (University of Bristol), (1990)

Appointments

University of Essex

• Visiting Fellow, School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex (30/9/2015 - present)