Natural England publishes Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) survey

This study provides a wealth of useful evidence and sampled 47, 000 people in 2011/12, providing a unique data set on long term trends in countryside usage.

This year’s results show that:

• Volumes of visits to urban parks have increased 13 per cent and visits to paths, cycleways and bridleways have increased by 20 per cent since 2010/11.
• 68 per cent of visits were to places within two miles of the respondent’s home.
• 93 per cent of the population agreed that having open green spaces close to where they live is important. Also 86 per cent agreed that spending time out of doors was an important part of their life.
• Nearly 2.7 billion visits were made to English countryside, coast and open spaces last year - around 65 visits per adult.
• An estimated £20 billion was spent during visits to the natural environment in 2011/12.
• Nearly 1 in 6 people (16%) only visit the natural environment twice or less a year.

http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/about_us/news/2012/020712a.aspx