Nature Connection

Nature connection is a personal, meaningful relationship with nature which has many benefits for our wellbeing. Nature Connection is a personal relationship with nature which has many great health benefits. After all, we are a part of the natural world, and reconnecting with nature can boost our mood and bring meaning to our lives.

Developing a Nature Connection doesn’t have to involve far-away travels with exotic wildlife, but comes from taking active notice of the everyday and nearby nature to you. This can be noticing the wallflowers growing beside the path as you walk to the shops, or finding beauty in a street tree changing colour through the seasons, or appreciating the birdsong of the garden birds. Whatever it is, it’s the everyday nature which has personal meaning for you which is most important for your nature connection.

The University of Derby’s Nature Connectedness Research Group have been doing a lot of excellent research into nature connection. Watch this video to learn more about what nature connection means.

This video talks about the 5 Pathways To Nature Connection – using SENSES, EMOTION, BEAUTY, MEANING, and COMPASSION to develop a connection with nature.

Below is a useful postcard summarising the 5 Pathways to Nature Connection.

To find out more about their research or for ideas for developing your own nature connection, Prof. Miles Richardson from the Nature Connection Research Group has an excellent blog which you can read here: Finding Nature blog

As a measure of your own nature connectedness, why not take our ‘How Nature Connected Are You?’ quiz below.

At Wild at Heart we have been using the 5 Pathways to Nature Connection as part of our toolkit in our sessions to create meaningful experiences with nature and promote wellbeing within our community groups. 

Here is our A to Z of the wide variety of ways we can grow our nature connection and in turn boost our physical and mental wellbeing.