Climate action is driven by a close connection to nature. The United Nations have called for transformational change in people’s relationship with nature as a crucial element in efforts to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises. The University of Derby’s Nature Connectedness Research Group (NCRG) is leading work to bring about this transformation, through the application of their pioneering research into nature connection and the human-nature relationship. Since 2013, they have been breaking new ground in producing research with impact, through high-profile partnerships and collaborations with organisations across sectors, from environmental NGOs such as the National Trust, Wildlife Trusts, and RSPB to government bodies such as the Department for Education, Natural England, and local councils, and scores of SMEs, and public service organisations. By sharing their knowledge and evidence-based resources and tools, the NCRG have directly shaped the design and delivery of initiatives aimed at connecting people with nature, and empowered thousands of others to apply nature connection science in their own areas of work – across health, education, arts and culture, uniting the wellbeing of people and planet. The ‘pathways to nature connection’ design framework has been used to inform the design of national programmes such as Generation Green and is informing international policy for transformational change.
Nature Connection Handbook
Image rights: University of Derby
https://www.derby.ac.uk/research/showcase/deeper-connections-with-nature/
The key innovation is seeing the warming climate and loss of biodiversity as symptoms of a broken relationship with nature and demonstrating that nature connection is a tangible target for change. The pathways design framework identifies the types of activity to promote in order to improve the human-nature relationship to encourage climate action and improve human wellbeing. The pathways can be applied at the level of the individual or to the design of large systems to enable transformative change.
