How Nature Resource Boxes Are Supporting Patient Recovery at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh

For many patients at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE), accessing the outdoors isn’t possible. The hospital is large and busy, and for people recovering from a stroke or living with limited mobility, the calming, restorative power of nature can feel out of their reach.

But thanks to generous donations, nature is now reaching patients where they are – right at their bedsides! With the help of the Charity’s Nature Ranger, and in close collaboration with the Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) Team, natural materials are being used as part of patient rehabilitation to aid communication, confidence and recovery.

Bringing the Outdoors In

The idea grew from an impromptu discussion in the hospital’s newly refurbished staff wellbeing courtyard, where the SLT Team often took breaks. There, they connected with the Charity’s RIE Nature Ranger, Lou, and started talking about the difference that fresh air, natural textures, and the sights and smells of nature can make, not only for staff wellbeing, but for patients too.

They reflected on how much the outdoors helps reduce stress and anxiety but how many of the patients the SLT team support are recovering from strokes and cannot leave the ward to experience those same benefits. The team wondered: If patients can’t go outside, could nature come to them?

This simple question sparked an idea. Working together, the Ranger and SLT Team co designed nature resource boxes: specially created collections of natural materials and themed tools to support the delivery of specific tasks such as assessments, through communication, cognition, and sensory engagement.

These nature boxes include;

Real natural items such as pine cones, twigs, leaves, and shells
Nature themed matching cards to support and encourage speech
Pictures and visual materials to aid understanding
Sensory items designed to encourage touch and smell

What makes these boxes even more impactful is how easily the concept can be shared, with the potential to reach far beyond the SLT team. Because they are simple to develop and easy to adapt, other teams across the hospital can make their own versions, tailoring them to their patients’ needs and allowing the impact to spread even further.

Supporting Communication, Confidence and Rehabilitation

The boxes are now used regularly as part of SLT patient sessions, and they are already having a noticeable impact.

Staff are finding that patients engage more readily with natural objects than with standard clinical tools like pencils or plastic props. The textures, smells, and familiarity of natural materials spark curiosity and conversation, helping patients connect more deeply with their therapy tasks.

The resources from the Ranger have really helped. They are a better talking point rather than just a pencil — patients engage better with natural materials.”

Hazel, Speech and Language Therapy Site Lead, RIE

Using nature during sessions also gives patients something meaningful to talk about and interact with, helping them practise speech, comprehension, and memory in a more enjoyable, less clinical way.

Patients respond better to these natural items, so it has improved the way we work with patients — therefore aiding their rehabilitation.”

Hazel, Speech and Language Therapy Site Lead, RIE

A Small Idea Making a Big Difference

What began as a simple conversation in a garden has grown into a powerful rehabilitation tool. The nature resource boxes are helping patients rebuild confidence, communicate more easily, and experience the calming benefits of the outdoors, when they are unable to leave the hospital ward.

This project shows how small, thoughtful charity-supported interventions can create meaningful change, both for patients and for staff. By making nature accessible to patients who need it most, we’re helping to support recovery, comfort and connection.