Teaching

I am course director for the MSc in Environmental and Business Management and module co-ordinator for DDL-4201 Social Issues in Forest Management, DXX-4524 Strategic Environmental Management and DXX-4525 Green Technologies. I teach social research methods, particularly qualitative, and supervise dissertations in this area.

https://www.bangor.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/environmental-and-business-management-msc 

Research

My research interests include interactions between the natural environment, human health and and wellbeing as well as socio-geographic dimensions of greenspace use and access. My cross-disciplinary PhD between the School of Natural Sciences and the School of Psychology, in partnerhsip with The Woodland Trust, examined the benefits of woodland activity programme provision on personal wellbeing and investigated barriers and enablers to woodland access and use.

 Publications

• Cole, R., Gittins, H. and Dandy, N., 2024. Agroforestry in the UK: exploring consumer knowledge and interest. British Food Journal, 126(5), pp.2187-2203.
• Social Return on Investment of Nature-Based Activities for Adults with Mental Wellbeing Challenges (Hartfiel, Gittins et al., 2023)
• “You don't have to perform for the trees”: The longer-term effects of nature-based interventions on wellbeing (Gittins et al., 2023)
• "Its opened my eyes to what's out there": How do nature-based interventions influence access to and perceptions of the natural environment? (Gittins et al., 2023)
• Nature benefits wellbeing - but whose? Sir William Roberts Centre Newsletter, (Gittins, H., Autumn 2021)
• Golygfa Gwydyr Wellbeing Project - Feasibility Study, (Report by Davies, R., and Gittins, H, 2021)
• Longer term impacts of the Actif Woods Wales programme, Summary report, (Gittins, H., 2021)
• Can a woodland activity programme benefit participant wellbeing and change the way they use woods? Phd Thesis (Gittins,  H., 2021)
• Woodlands and wellbeing: evaluating the 'Actif Woods Wales' programme in A Modern Guide to Wellbeing Research, (Gittins, H., Wynne-Jones, S., & Morrison, V., 2021, Edward Elgar Publishing)
• Social prescribing of wellbeing services using the forest as a resource in Public Health Network Cymru E-bulletin, Covid 19 and opportunities to accelerate green recovery, (Gittins, H., February 2021)
• Social return on investment of the Actif Woods Wales Programme (Report by Ned Hartfiel, Heli Gittins and Rhiannon Tudor Edwards, 2020)
• Disciplined research in undisciplined settings': Critical Explorations of In-Situ and Mobile Methodologies in Geographies of Health and Wellbeing (Foley et al, 2019, 'Area') 
• Multilevel engagement: theory and practice integration in book ‘Green Innovation and Future Technology’ (Kelliher and Reinl, 2015, Palgrave macmillan) 

Conference Papers

• 'ESRC Festival of Social Science' photo story exhibition, Pontio, Bangor, Nov '23
• 'Tree Sense', Bangor University, Gwynedd. Multimedia exhibition, March - May '23
• Public Health Wales Annual Conference, Cardiff, Oct. '19
• ‘Making Space for Nature’, Royal Geography Society, London, Aug ‘19
• ‘Health psychology methods’, British Psychological Society Health Psychology Conference, Manchester, July ‘19
• ‘Nature Connections’ Conference, Derby, July ‘19
• ‘Let’s Get Moving North Wales’ conference on physical activity, Bangor, Jan ‘19
• Woodland Trust Research Student Network Symposium, Grantham, Sept ‘18
• ‘Geographies of Happiness,’ Royal Geography Society RGS-IBG, Cardiff, Aug 2018
• ‘In-Situ and mobile methodologies in Geographies of Health and Wellbeing’, RGS Hack Day, July ‘18
• ‘Trees and Wellbeing’ Research Day, Oxford Brookes, May ‘18

Professional Affiliations

Higher Education Academy - Fellow

Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment – Practitioner Member

Royal Geography Society - Postgraduate Fellow

Biography

I am course director for the Masters in Environmental and Business Management and teach on both environmental management and forestry modules. My research area is intersections between the natural environment, human health and wellbeing and socio-geographic dimensions of access to greenspace. Prior to teaching I worked at on two knowledge transfer projects at Bangor University - a sustainable business project and a land use and climate change change project.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeliGittins

Rydw i’n siarad Cymraeg  (wedi dysgu) / I speak Welsh (experienced learner)

2025

• E-pub ahead of print“It’s ‘common-sense’ farming”: Exploring farmers’ decision-making and behaviours towards adopting circular agricultural practices.
  Evans, F., Gibbons, J., Chadwick, D., Gittins, H., Williams, P. & Wynne-Jones, S., 1 Dec 2025, In: Journal of Rural Studies. 120, 103844.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2023

• Published“It's opened my eyes to what's out there”: How do nature-based interventions influence access to and perceptions of the natural environment?
  Gittins, H., Dandy, N., Wynne-Jones, S. & Morrison, V., 2023, In: Wellbeing, Space & Society. 4, 100125.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedSocial Return on Investment of Nature-Based Activities for Adults with Mental Wellbeing Challenges
  Hartfiel, N., Gittins, H., Morrison, V., Wynne-Jones, S., Edwards, R. T. & Dandy, N., 2 Aug 2023, In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 20, 15, 13 p., 6500.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• Published“You don't have to perform for the trees”: The longer-term effects of nature-based interventions on wellbeing
  Gittins, H., Dandy, N., Wynne-Jones, S. & Morrison, V., 1 Dec 2023, In: Wellbeing, Space & Society. 5, 100160.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review