The document discusses the importance of nature connection for human health and well-being. It notes that urbanization and technology use have reduced opportunities for meaningful engagement with nature. Nature connection is defined as a subjective, multi-dimensional sensation of belonging within the natural world. Research presented suggests that spending time in and connecting with nature is associated with benefits like lower stress, better physical health, increased well-being and pro-environmental behavior. The document proposes specific pathways like contact, emotion, meaning and compassion that can strengthen an individual's nature connection. It advocates communicating nature's benefits by framing activities around these pathways and focusing on shared humanity with the natural world.

1. Beyond Contact:
Nature
Connection
DR RYAN LUMBER
DE MONTFORT UNIVERSITY
RYAN.LUMBER@DMU.AC.UK
@DMUPSYCHOLOGY

2. The challenge
50% of the global population now living in urban environments (Lin et
al., 2014)
Increased engagement with technology or ‘screen time’ and sedentary
lifestyles (The Wild Network, 2016)
Increase in prevalence of lifestyle diseases (Wagner et al., 2001) as well
as mental health conditions (Lederbogen et al., 2011)
Sixth mass extinction of species:
Loss of biodiversity = less opportunity to meaningfully engage with
nature
Human Exemptionism (Catton & Dunlap, 1978) which may be a driver of
irresponsible environmental behaviour (Schofield & Margulis, 2012)

3. Biophilia
Value Definition Function
Utilitarian Practical use of material nature Sustaining physical life and security
Naturalistic Pleasure from contact with nature Development of mental, physical and outdoor skills
and development
Ecologistic-
Scientific
Scientific study of the interconnectedness of
nature and natural systems
Observing nature, increasing knowledge and
understanding
Aesthetic Appeal of nature’s physical beauty Feelings of security, inspiration and contentedness
Symbolic Expressing ideas through nature based language
and metaphors
Developing mentally, communicating with
others/nature
Humanistic Emotional bond with, and love for nature Companionship, bonding and co-operation
Moralistic Ethical concern/judgements and revering nature Moral reasoning, meaning of life, affiliation
Dominionistic Control and dominance of nature Technological/mechanical skill, physicality, control
Negativistic Aversion, removal and fear of nature Security and physical protection

4. Nature
Connection
The sensation of belonging to a wider
natural community (Mayer et al.,
2009)
Nature Connection is subjective and
multi-dimensional, comprised of:
◦ Cognitions (Schultz,2001)
◦ Emotions (Mayer & Frantz, 2004)
◦ Social identity (Clayton, 2012)
◦ Learning and experience (Nisbet et
al., 2009)
◦ Personality factors (Kals et al.,
1999)

5. Health
Nature provides direct physical benefits to our health (Russell et al., 2013)
while exposure to nature leads to lower cortisol levels (Logan & Selhub,
2012)
Access to local natural spaces could reduce health inequality (Logan &
Selhub, 2012; Mitchell & Popham, 2008)
Nature connection, when coupled with openness, linked to the ability to
cope, providing resilience to disease through an improved immune system
function (Cervinka, Roderer & Hefler, 2012)
Nature connection linked to repeated engagement with natural spaces (Lin
et al., 2014) so could be a useful motivator for green exercise

6. Wellbeing & Mental Health
Meta analyses indicate nature & nature connection are as important as
established factors such as income & education for wellbeing (Capaldi et al.,
2014)
Nature connection acts as a moderator of the relationship between nature
and wellbeing outcomes (Zhang et al., 2014)
Spending time in nature and noting down 3 good things can increase
wellbeing (Richardson & Sheffield, 2017)
3 good things & nature also showed success in decreasing negative affect &
increasing positive affect in patients with depression & anxiety (Keenan &
Lumber, unpublished)
Different wellbeing benefits can be experienced (Richardson et al., 2016):
Hedonic - seeking pleasure – subjective well-being
Eudaimonic - wider sources of pleasure – personal growth

7. Pro-Environmentalism
Nature connection is suggested to be an important part of pro-
environmentalism (Tam, 2013)
Positive relationship between nature connection and pro-environmental
attitudes (Mayer & Frantz, 2004), as well as self-reported behaviour
(Richardson et al., 2016)
Is one of many factors that are important for pro-environmental
behaviours
Nature connection may be especially important for commitment to
sacrifice (Davis, Le, & Coy, 2011)

8. Pathways
Two online surveys (total n = 321) looking at the types of activities
people did in nature and their nature connection
Explained 61% and 62% of the variance of nature connection
respectively
Followed up by an experimental intervention where only engaging with
the pathway activities in nature led to increases in nature connection
when compared with simple exposure to nature or pathway activities in
the built environment

9. Pathways
Pathway Operational Definition
Contact The act of meeting with nature through the physical senses
Emotion An affective state or sensation that occurs as a result of engaging with
nature
Meaning Using nature or natural symbolism to communicate a concept that is not
directly expressed
Compassion Extending the self to include nature, leading to a concern for other
natural entities, one that motivates understanding and helping/co-
operation
Beauty The perception of aesthetic qualities including shape, colour, and form
that please the physical senses

10. Communicating Nature
Connection & its Benefits
What methods could we use to
communicate the benefits of
nature and how to experience
them more effectively?
Are there any barriers or pitfalls
to avoid/be mindful of?

11. Communicating Nature and
Benefits
Framing any activity is key; the pathways are a useful framework to do
this
Move away from passive contact & a complete emphasis on learning
Experiencing nature first hand is important
Focussing on our similarities to evoke compassion is important; we are a
cooperative rather than competitive species after all…

12. Communicating Nature and
Benefits

13. The Joy & Calm Model
(Richardson et al.,2017)
3 Circles Model
shows the 3
dimensions of our
emotion regulation
system – two types
of happy.
How nature brings
balance to our
feelings and the
nervous system that
controls the function
of our body, and
organs such as the
heart

14. Barriers & Pitfalls
Need to be aware that averse reactions to nature can occur & not
everyone have positive responses to all aspects
Need to be careful that we don’t focus too heavily on the appealing or
beautiful aspects of nature i.e. only protect what we love could have
disastrous
Technology is an issue; is it a help or hinderance?

15. NCI
As part of NE’s strategic research programme, a partnership of researchers
and practitioner organisations that have funded and worked to develop a
new simple measure for nature connection that can be used in a national
survey context with both adults and children. This focuses on measuring the
affective aspects of nature connection that you will have been talking
about.
Results from the pilot were published earlier this year by NE (see link) - the
new measure can differentiate levels of nature connection among the
population and analysis against other measures in the Monitor of
Engagement with the Natural Environment Survey found a good correlation
between nature connection and both wellbeing and environmental
outcomes.
http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/5337609808642048
The group are now working on phase 2 - so watch this space!
Meanwhile Anne Hunt from the SRG will be sharing results from the pilot at
the communicate conference.

16. Q & A

17. References
Capaldi, C. A., Dopko, R. L. & Zelenski, J. M. (2014). The relationship between nature connectedness and happiness: a meta-analysis. Frontiers in
Psychology, 5, 1-28, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00976
Catton W. R. & Dunlap, R. E. (1978). Environmental sociology: A new paradigm. American Sociologist, 13(1), 41-49.
Cervinka, R., Roderer, K. & Hefler, E. (2012). Are nature lovers happy? On various indicators of well-being and connectedness with nature.
Journal of Health Psychology, 17(3), 379-388. doi: 10.1177/1359105311416873
Clayton, S. (2012). Environment and Identity. The Oxford Handbook of Environmental and Conservation Psychology. New York: Oxford University
Press
Davis, J. L., Le, B., & Coy, A. E. (2011). Building a model of commitment to the natural environment to predict ecological behaviour and
willingness to sacrifice. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 31, 257–265. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2011.01.004
Kals, E., Schumacher, D. & Montada, L. (1999). Emotional affinity toward nature as a motivational basis to protect nature. Environment and
Behaviour, 31(2), 178-202
Logan, A. C. & Selhub, E. M. (2012). Vis Medicatrix naturae: does nature “minister to the mind”? BioPsychoSocial Medicine, 6(1), 11.
doi:10.1186/1751-0759-6-11
Lin, B. B., Fuller, R. A., Bush, R., Gaston, K. J. & Shanahan, D. F. (2014). Opportunity or orientation? Who uses urban parks and why. PLOSOne,
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Lumber, R., Richardson, M., & Sheffield, D. (2017). Beyond knowing nature: Contact, emotion, compassion, meaning, and beauty are pathways
to nature connection. PLoSONE, 12(5).
Lederbogen, F., Kirsch, P., Haddad, L., Streit, F., Tost, H., Schuch, P., . . . Meyer-Lindenberg, A. (2011). City living and urban upbringing affect
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18. References
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Nisbet, E. K., Zelenski, J. M. & Murphy, S. A. (2009). The nature relatedness scale: linking individuals’ connection with nature to environmental concern and behaviour. Environment
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Richardson, M., Cormack, A., McRobert, L. & Underhill, R. (2016). 30 Days Wild: Development and Evaluation of a Large-Scale Nature Engagement Campaign to Improve Well-Being.
PLoSONE 11(2): e0149777. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0149777
Richardson, M., McEwan, K., Maratos, F. & Sheffield, D. (2016). Joy and Calm: How an Evolutionary Functional Model of Affect Regulation Informs Positive Emotions in Nature.
Evolutionary Psychological Science. doi:10.1007/s40806-016-0065-5
Richardson, M. & Sheffield, D. (2017). Three good things in nature: Noticing nearby nature brings sustained increases in connection with nature. Psyecology.
Russell, R., Guerry, A. D., Balvanera, P., Gould, R. K., Basurto, X., Chan, K. M-A., Klain, S., Levine, J. & Tam, J. (2013). Humans and nature: how knowing and experiencing nature affect
well-being. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 38(6), 6.1-6.30. doi: 10.1146/annurev-environ-012312-110838
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Schultz, P. W. (2001). The structure of environmental concern: Concern for self, other people, and the biosphere. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 21(4), 327–339.
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