The benefits of nature for our mental health are well documented. Just recently, Wildlife and Countryside Link (Policy_Briefing_Nature_for_Everyone_Campaign.pdf (wcl.org.uk)) published a briefing which stated that “Nature provides a significant boost to people’s mental and physical health.” It added that, “Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature leads to a significant increase in wellbeing… this combination of physical and mental health benefits enhances and extends life.”
We have long known that we should be encouraging children to spend as much time outside as possible, and if we can, taking formal learning outside too. But are there nuances to be understood? In a recent blog The Curious Tale of Adolescent’s Nature Connection | Finding Nature, Professor Miles Richardson, founder of the Nature Connectedness Research Group at the University of Derby, wrote of the “teenage dip” in nature connectedness. He pointed to a paper published in Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology which detailed research that explored children’s nature connectedness in more detail.
The research, led by Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, found that nature connectedness is already in decline by age 7. This dip becomes more pronounced in boys than in girls, but despite this decline, adolescents’ favourite places were natural spaces. As Richardson explained, “although adolescents appreciate nature, their emotional attachment and feeling of being part of nature is diminished.” This is key.
What’s standing in the way?
Interestingly, 43% of those questioned felt there was nothing preventing them spending time in nature. For 21% the barrier was weather; for 10%, it was health and school; work prevented 9% and safety prevented 5%. Richardson said, “Similar to our work with adults on smartphones, we found a strong negative relationship between nature connectedness and self-reported screen time, and this was consistent across all age groups and in both sexes.” While screen time may have its uses, when it comes to nature connectedness and the wellbeing benefits that can give us, it appears to be a hindrance. Not something that should surprise us.
There are also interesting results when it comes to the favourite activities of children and young people. In the main, these are not activities based in nature. How can we change that?
Engaging for connectedness
If we want to glean the immense benefits to be had from our time spent in the natural world, we need to do all we can to help children to notice them and to feel them while out in nature. Helping them to have an active role in their relationship with the natural world, where they are engaged with nature and building their relationship with nature, will help to cement that connectedness.
So, what can we do to achieve that? Richardson writes of the “5 pathways to nature connection” Beyond Knowing Nature – 5 Pathways to Nature Connection | Finding Nature, which offer teachers excellent inspiration for devising activities and embedding within the curriculum the kind of experiences that will lead to nature connection. These ideas may help for starters:
An active relationship
The notion of stewardship can really help young people to develop an active relationship with nature. “Looking after” a patch of land, whether that is on the school grounds or in the local community, helps children to notice and to care, and to see first-hand what engagement with nature can do. Litter picking, ground clearing, planting and nurturing all help. The more active rather than passive the session is, the better.
An appreciative relationship
Help children to notice and wonder at the natural world. Highlight rare events, keep track of the changes that each season brings us, bring experts in to inspire awe. Weave the natural world throughout the curriculum and identify where we can personally build our relationship with nature and the benefits we will gain. This is where screen time can really help! There are some fantastic documentaries available that support learning across the curriculum at each age and stage.
A compassionate relationship
Help children and young people to understand the impact of human behaviour on the natural world. How can they help to restore local areas of imbalance? How can indifference be replaced with compassion and care?
A developing relationship
Identify the skills that children will be learning in their active relationship with nature. Highlight the fact that this relationship is lifelong and will develop over time.
Find out more…
- The Wildlife Trusts run local programmes for wildlife engagement. Check out The Wildlife Trusts | The Wildlife Trusts for more information.
- WWF Inspiring young people to take action | WWF
- Nature Friendly Schools Home | Nature Friendly Schools
- British Ecological Society Connecting schools with nature - British Ecological Society
Resources for David Attenborough’s film, A Life on Our Planet, can be found here, including ways to take action to restore nature: Schools - Host An Action Plan Workshop In Your School (attenboroughfilm.com)
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About the author
Elizabeth Holmes
After graduating with a degree in Politics and International Relations from the University of Reading, Elizabeth Holmes completed her PGCE at the Institute of Education, University of London. She then taught humanities and social sciences in schools in London, Oxfordshire and West Sussex, where she ran the history department in a challenging comprehensive. Elizabeth specialises in education but also writes on many other issues and themes. As well as her regular blogs for Eteach and FEjobs, her books have been published by a variety of publishers and translated around the world. Elizabeth has also taught on education courses in HE and presented at national and international conferences.
