Natural England - Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment

Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment

People enjoy the natural environment in many different ways. These include visiting the countryside, enjoying green spaces in towns and cities, watching wildlife and volunteering to help protect the natural environment.

MENE User Engagement Surveyexternal link
Please tell us what you think of MENE by completing our short survey.

Natural England, Defra and the Forestry Commission commissioned a new survey called Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) to provide baseline and trend data on how people use the natural environment in England.

Survey content - what is included in the survey

MENE collects a range of information about people’s visits to the natural environment. This includes the type of destination, the duration of the visit, mode of transport, distance travelled, spend, main activities and motivations for the visit. It collects data on people that do not visit the natural environment, and the reasons for this.

The survey also collects information about other ways that people engage with the natural environment, for instance watching wildlife and volunteering to help protect the natural environment. This will help develop understanding of how people interact with the natural environment and will support many projects that work with people.

Results, indicators and publications

Notice about the Public Health Outcomes Framework Indicator 1.16

Natural England and Defra are delighted that the MENE survey was chosen as one of the datasets for the framework. This is a clear indication of the quality data that MENE produces, and a significant step forward in embedding the natural environment in other sectoral drivers.

We are aware that the framework classifies the MENE dataset as “ready”. At this time we are working with our partners in the Department of Health and Defra to fully develop the baseline scores for each Authority; guidance documents; and downloadable raw data and metadata.

The baseline is likely to be an aggregation of the first three year’s survey data. As the third year of surveying concludes at the end of February 2012, the earliest we expect to have everything in place for download is late April 2012. If you would like to be notified in advance of the date when the data will be ready, or have any other questions about the indicator at this time, please email MENE@naturalengland.org.uk.

Results from year 1

Results from year 2

  • Annual Report from 2010-11 surveyexternal link - Presents the main findings from the second year of the Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment survey.

  • Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE): Spatial Reportexternal link - This report is an exciting new development that allows us to visualise geographic analyses of the survey data. As such, the report showcases some of the ways the information can be used to discover the places people visit, how far they will travel and where the opportunities for enjoying the environment are in relation to where people live.

Results from year 3

From year 3 onwards data is published as a monthly statistical release. We will continue to publish annual reports to summarise the year’s fieldwork.
Monthly Reporting Schedule for 2012/13: (5kb)pdf document

Results from year 4

MENE On-line Cross-tabulation Viewer

The MENE On-line Cross-tabulation Viewerexternal link allows access to the year one and year two MENE survey data, and replaces the need to sift through extensive paper-based tables. All survey data can now easily be cross-tabulated by a large number of variables.

The data displayed in the viewer is pre-analysed and all of the required weighting and filtering has been applied to the results.

By accessing data via the MENE On-line Cross-tabulation Viewer, users can be confident that the data outputs are correct, as unlike other ways of sharing data such as SPSS, there is no risk of selecting an incorrect weighting variable.

We intend to begin populating the viewer with year 3 survey data on a monthly basis as it becomes available - starting on or around 6 July 2011.

The data contained in this viewer may be used free of charge, for non-commercial purposes in line with the conditions set out in our Terms of Use for Information and Data statement. For further information contact MENE@naturalengland.org.uk.

Official statistics

The Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 brought all ‘official statistics’ under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. The purpose is to improve public trust and confidence in official statistics by increasing transparency and independence in the way they are produced.

MENE is designated as official statistics, because the results are part of an intended time-series; the methodology returns nationally representative results; it assesses the impact of previous policy interventions; and it was felt that some of the outputs will attract public attention.

For further information about how Natural England complied with the provisions in the Statistics & Registration Services Act 2007, see MENE: compliance with the Statistics & Registration Services Act 2007: (221kb)pdf document.

For further information about official statistics email Stephen Herbert - MENE@naturalengland.org.uk

Any queries about the reuse of survey data, the commissioning of bespoke analysis or the possibility of adding questions to the survey programme should be directed to MENE@naturalengland.org.uk.

Pre-release access list

The Pre-release Access (PRA) order 2008 drastically limits the circulation of official statistics prior to publication. The intention is to avoid any perception that the figures have been influenced for policy or political purposes.

Aside from those people involved in the collection, analysis and quality assurance of official statistics, prior access is limited to a strict maximum of 24 hours (actual not working) and anyone granted access must not disclose any of the statistics, or indicate their size or trend.

A list of the individuals who received 24 hour pre-release access to the year two data can be found in the MENE pre-release access list: (121kb)pdf document.

Survey methods - how the survey is being run

The survey is being carried out face to face as part of an in-home omnibus survey. Every year at least 45,000 interviews are undertaken and around 800 respondents are interviewed every week. Fieldwork is being conducted by TNS Travel & Tourism and started in March 2009.

The survey uses a quota sampling method to ensure that respondents are representative of the adult population (16 years and over) of England. Respondents’ answers are recorded using Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) software on portable computers.

The MENE Technical Reportexternal link contains a copy of the full questionnaire in the appendix, as well as details of the survey methodology - including approaches to sampling, grossing and weighting, and estimates of margins of error.

Publication timetable – the timing of findings from the survey

Fieldwork started in March 2009. The first report was published on 6 September 2010 alongside a technical report and summary data tables which cover the 2009-10 survey.

The second report on the survey findings was published on 30 June 2011, alongside an updated technical report, Pre-Release Access list, and a statement of compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Previous surveys

  • England Leisure Visits Survey 2005external link - The survey showed an estimated 3.6 billion leisure trips in England in 2005, down from 5.4 billion in 2002/03.

  • GB Leisure Day Visits Survey 2002/03external link - The survey reports participation in leisure day visits by the adult population (16 years and over) and estimates the scale and value of visits for Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). It provides information on how often people undertake leisure visits, how much they spend, what they do and the characteristics of visits and visitors.

Further information

This list of frequently asked questions (FAQs): (244kb)pdf document has been compiled to improve transparency around the running and reporting of the MENE survey.

If you cannot find what you are looking for please email MENE@naturalengland.org.uk.