Teaching

I am the course director for the MSc in Environmental and Business Management and module co-ordinator for ENS-4318 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

I am an interdisciplinary researcher - my interests focus on interactions between the natural environment and people. Key areas are sustainability, human health and wellbeing and socio-geographic dimensions of greenspace use. 

Publications

• Evans, F., Gibbons, J., Chadwick, D., Gittins, H., Williams, P. and Wynne-Jones, S., 2025. “It's ‘common-sense’farming”: Exploring farmers' decision-making and behaviours towards adopting circular agricultural practices. Journal of Rural Studies, 120, p.103844.
• 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 and Sustainability Professionals – Practitioner Member

Royal Geography Society - Postgraduate Fellow

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