Human connection to nature has declined 60% in 200 years, study finds | Environment

People’s link to nature has decreased by more than 60% since 1800, almost exactly reflecting the disappearance of words from nature such as the river, foam and flower flowers, according to a study.

IT modeling predicts that the levels of nature connectivity will continue to decrease unless there are large -scale societal policies and societal changes – with the introduction of children to nature at a young age and radically vertiginous urban environments the most effective interventions.

The study by Miles Richardson, professor of natural connectivity at the University of Derby, follows with precision the loss of the nature of people over 220 using data on urbanization, loss of fauna in neighborhoods and, above all, parents no longer transmitting the commitment with nature to their children.

In the research published in the Earth journal, Richardson also identified the disappearance of the natural words of books between 1800 and 2020, which culminated at a drop of 60.6% in 1990.

Modeling predicts a continuous “extinction of extinction” with future generations which continue to lose awareness of nature because it is not present in the increasingly accumulated neighborhoods, while parents no longer transmit a “orientation” to the natural world. Other studies have revealed that the connectivity of parental nature is the strongest predictor to know if a child will become close to nature.

“Nature’s connectivity is now accepted as a deep cause of the environmental crisis,” said Richardson. “It is also of vital importance for our own mental health. He unites people and the well-being of nature. There is a need for transformational change if we want to change the relationship of society with nature. ”

Richardson said that when he had tested various urban political and environmental changes in the model, he was surprised at the scale of the changes necessary to reverse the loss of connection to nature.

The increase in the availability of biodiversity green spaces in a city of 30% may resemble radical positive progress for fauna and people, but Richardson said that its study suggested that a city might have to be 10 times greener to reverse the decline in natural connection.

The study revealed that measures to increase popular engagement with the natural world were not effective in reverse long -term declines in nature connectivity. Richardson said that these charitable organization programs – for example, # 30dayswilds from Wildlife Trusts – were always important to stimulate mental health, but modeling suggested that they do not stop the intergenerational loss of nature.

According to the study, the measures instilled awareness and commitment to nature in young children and families, such as nurseries in forest schools.

Another obstacle to restoring nature connectivity is that modeling shows that policies to transform early education and urban areas must be in place over the next 25 years to reverse the decline. But if this is done, an increase in the connectivity of nature would become independent.

Richardson said that the extent of the societal changes necessary to restore the connection of nature may not be as intimidating as they appear because the basic lines were now so weak.

A study revealed that the inhabitants of Sheffield spent an average of only four minutes and 36 seconds in natural areas every day.

“Increase this by [a factor of] 10, and people spend 40 minutes outside every day – it can be enough, “said Richardson.” Working with families and parents to engage children with nature by really emphasizing this intergenerational transmission is essential. There is already a lot of concentration on the connection of children to nature, but I prefer to say – do not disconnect them. A newborn is almost the same as a child born in 1800. Children are fascinated by the natural world. It is a question of maintaining that during their childhood and its schooling, which is essential, alongside urban ecologization. There are policies that start to do so, but we have to think in transformational terms – not 30% but 1,000%. »»

Curiously, there can be a hope of cultural change. Richardson was surprised to note that the words of nature in the books are increasingly increasing – the decline having increased from 60.6% between 1800 and 1990 to 52.4% today.

“Is it a real eco-consciousness? Is it the British trend for the writing of nature? Is it” real “or is it an artifact of the data? I don’t know,” said Richardson. “There has also been growing interest in spirituality in recent decades, which could reflect people to get back into contact with nature.”