Assessing the emotional and spiritual dimension of forests: A review of existing participatory methods

Spirituality, aesthetic enjoyment, relaxation, and emotions are key non-material intangible values experienced in forests. Despite being a central issue to present-day forest policy and regulation, they are difficult to assess because they are intertwined with people's values and beliefs. In this paper, we explore which participatory methods can serve best to identify and evaluate the emotional and spiritual contributions of forests to people (henceforward Forests' Intangible Contributions to People, FICP). We do so to formulate a series of practical recommendations for forest practitioners and researchers eager to use Participatory Methods (PM) to assess the emotional and spiritual contributions of forests to people. Results from a systematic literature review of different participatory tools were validated using semi-structured interviews with PM facilitators and experts. We found 15 participatory methods used to assess Forests' Intangible Contributions to People (FICP). Performative and walking methods emerge as the most widely used. These tools capture the vision of both individuals and communities and aim at giving an active voice to the environment, making nature part of the decision-making process. This research confirms that participatory approaches are pivotal methods to unfold connections amongst stakeholders dealing with Forests' Intangible Contributions to People, supporting the multifunctional role of forests and thus the delivering of national and worldwide policy objectives.