Hertfordshire High Sheriff's Annual Lecture 2026

Nurture through Good Nature

In this year’s High Sheriff’s Annual Lecture, Professor Baroness Kathy Willis CBE (University of Oxford) explores the idea of nurture through nature, drawing on insights from her acclaimed book Good Nature: The New Science of How Nature Improves Our Health. She presents compelling scientific evidence showing that our relationship with the natural world is not a luxury, but a powerful driver of physical and mental health. By revealing how the sights, sounds, smells and touch of nature activate distinct biological mechanisms, she makes a clear case for protecting urban green spaces and embedding nature into our homes, workplaces and schools to support resilient communities.

A panel discussion will look ahead to the growing economic and employment opportunities created by nature-based interventions, alongside the need for robust scientific evidence to guide investment and policy. Bringing together cutting-edge environmental science and real-world case studies, the lecture challenges us to rethink how we value nature and shows how nurturing nature in our towns and cities can help build healthier, fairer and more sustainable communities across Hertfordshire and beyond.

Professor Baroness Kathy Willis CBE is Professor of Biodiversity and Principal of St Edmund Hall at the University of Oxford, and a crossbench peer in the House of Lords. Her work is driven by impact, from leading science at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, to shaping national and global policy through the Natural Capital Committee and the IPBES Global Biodiversity Assessment.

Her research explores how nature shapes our future: how biodiversity responds to environmental change, how ecosystems deliver essential services such as carbon capture and flood protection, and how nature influences human health and wellbeing.

A passionate and open communicator, she brings science to life through major BBC programmes and award-winning public engagement and has published around 200 academic papers and several books, most recently Good Nature: The New Science of How Nature Improves Our Health.