Nature Connection
Much has been said about the importance of connecting with nature. Extensive studies by the Nature Connectedness Research Group at Derby university have shown that whilst being in nature for example, going for walks or playing games in a green space is good for wellbeing, there is much greater benefit to be had for both the individual and nature itself by going beyond simple contact.
Nature connectedness is about our relationship with nature - how intimate, how vibrant, how meaningful is it for each of us? And how can we deepen our relationship with nature?
At Bloom we discovered that the 5 Pathways to Nature Connection that Derby University developed for their studies fitted our approach to bringing young people closer to nature.
The five pathways are:
Senses/contact - tuning in to nature through the senses
Emotion - feeling alive through the emotions and feelings nature brings
Beauty - noticing nature’s beauty
Meaning - nature bringing meaning to our lives
Compassion - caring and taking action for nature
In brief this is how we apply the five pathways in our workshops:
Senses/contact
We teach young people to smell, taste, touch, hear and see in a fresh and vivid way so that their experience of nature is immediate and present.
Emotion
This often evokes emotions such as joy and peace,
Beauty
And an appreciation of beauty that is so easily overlooked in everyday life.
Meaning
We ask questions about the significance of what nature has to teach us based on the sense observations and deeper experiences pupils report in the sessions. For example, the fresh, sweet and decaying smell of soil tells us something about cycles in nature and cycles alert us to the way nature works in harmony. We can then ask how cycles and harmony, in this example, relate to human life.
Compassion
These pathways of contact, beauty, emotion and meaning can and often do lead to a sense of belonging, of being part of nature. Young people then express a love and gratitude for nature and a wish to care for it/help it flourish.
