Abstract
Nature Connection (NC) is considered an important driver of conservation behavior. Consequently, conservation organizations run many activities aiming to increase NC among participants. However, little is known about which activities are most effective at doing this and why. This study developed the Evaluating Nature Activities for Connection Tool (ENACT), to evaluate the effectiveness of activities for increasing participants’ NC and nature-related intentions. ENACT comprises 11 activity aspects identified through two research phases. In Phase 1, a literature search, focus group and interviews identified desired, short-term behavioral outcomes of nature activities, and variables that might promote these. In Phase 2, 241 adults completed a pilot survey immediately post-nature activity, with 1-month follow-up (N = 145), to evaluate the impact of participation on NC, nature-related behavioral intentions and behaviors. ENACT correlated with NC measures and offered incremental validity in predicting nature-related behavioral intentions and self-reported behaviors after 1 month.
Highlights
Nature is declining globally at an unprecedented rate, with around 1 million animal and plant species threatened with extinction (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, 2019)
Nature Activity Outcomes (a) The focus group identified a wide range of existing nature activities that may promote adult Nature Connection (NC) (Question 1), and supported the hypothesis that repeated activities are necessary to develop enduring NC and changes in conservation behavior (Question 2)
It was not feasible to identify specific conservation behavior outcomes that could be attributable to participation in a single activity yet applicable across a wide range of different activities
Summary
Nature is declining globally at an unprecedented rate, with around 1 million animal and plant species threatened with extinction (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, 2019). Species and habitats are in decline in the United Kingdom (Hayhow et al, 2019), a 2017 survey showed that 47% of the United Kingdom population was unaware or unconcerned about biodiversity loss, with a further 42% showing only “some engagement” (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 2019). The conservation community recognizes that successful biodiversity conservation requires empowering more people to act positively for nature; the challenge lies in identifying effective interventions and activities to achieve this. A critical area for theoretical and applied research is to understand how nature activities promote conservation behavior. Changing human behavior is a crucial route to conservation success (Schultz, 2011).
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