The newest Central Statistics Office (CSO) Pulse Survey, titled Our Lives Outdoors, has launched. It hopes to explore the relationships people have with the green and blue spaces in Ireland and how we use them.
This CSO Pulse Survey is open to everyone aged 18 years and over living in Ireland. CSO Pulse Surveys aim to take the ‘pulse’ of the nation about a particular topic at a particular point in time.
Sylvie Clappe, Statistician in the Ecosystem Accounts Division, says, “Our connection to nature and the outdoors can impact on our general health and well-being, something we have all become more aware of during the pandemic. This survey is an opportunity for the CSO, as the national statistics agency, to assess how people in Ireland use and experience the natural and outdoor spaces that surround them.”
“Everyone’s experience has its place in this survey. Our questionnaire can be divided into three main sections which should help us measure your interaction with nature and the outdoors no matter how big or small that may be. Even if you only have access to a small balcony or a garden, the survey asks how you use those spaces and what you grow there. Other questions cover how much time you spend in nature and the outdoors and what activities you enjoy doing outside. We also ask how your relationship with nature has changed since the pandemic, especially if you have changed your behaviours to protect the environment.”
Fiona O’Riordan, Head of Division – Social Section, adds: “The CSO wants to make it easier for people to engage with us. The CSO conducts household surveys all year round on topics such as health, travel, crime and well-being which help inform the public and policy makers.
However, these online CSO Pulse Surveys allow people to voluntarily take part in surveys and gives us a better understanding of how people feel about issues that affect all our lives. We want your story to become part of the story – the story of Ireland.”
All information provided remains confidential. The CSO will publish the results of our CSO Pulse Survey Our Lives Outdoors later in May.
Take part in the Our Lives Outdoors survey here.