Relationships between childhood experience of nature and green/blue space use, landscape preferences, connection with nature and pro-environmental behavior

Abstract

Nature exposure during childhood is thought to foster habits and preferences leading to greater nature exposure in adult life, thus providing an indirect route to increased mental and physical well-being, and greater engagement in pro-environmental behaviors (PEB). We explored the relationships between childhood nature experience (CNE) and time spent in nature, landscape preferences, biodiversity exposure, nature connection and willingness to engage in PEB as adults, using two data sets. Adults sampled in three New Zealand cities showed no significant association between CNE and time spent by adults in public and private green and blue spaces, nor with biodiversity exposure, as those with higher CNE scores did not select more biodiverse spaces to visit as adults. There were positive but weak associations between both age and the Nature Relatedness score, and nature contact. A second survey of young adults aged mostly between 18 and 25 years found only a weak association between CNE and willingness to engage in PEB, and similarly weak positive associations with scores representing participants' awareness of the term “biodiversity” and strategies to improve biodiversity, the degree to which they valued biodiversity and urban green spaces, and their belief in the wellbeing benefits of nature for people. Time spent in nature during childhood was not a good predictor of time adults spent in natural spaces, landscape preferences or likelihood of PEB, suggesting that even where there is a deficit of childhood experiences adults can positively engage with nature in green and blue spaces.