A “blue prescribing” scheme has been launched to help hundreds of people improve their mental health through spending time in wetlands. The scheme to allow up to 300 people to take part in a six-week nature-based health programme in London comes as a poll for the Mental Health Foundation shows two-thirds of people think being near water improves their wellbeing. The initiative at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) London Wetland Centre in Barnes has been set up in response to growing evidence that being in nature can reduce stress, fatigue, anxiety and depression. A survey for the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) by YouGov of more than 4,000 adults backs that up, with 65% of people saying they found being near the coast, rivers, lakes and ponds had a positive impact on their mental health.