The importance of urban gardens in supporting children's biophilia

Hand, Kathryn L.; Freeman, Claire; Seddon, Philip J.; Recio, Mariano R.; Stein, Aviva; Heezik, Yolanda van

doi:10.1073/pnas.1609588114

Cited by 114 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Recognising this, and the potential of bystanding memories, lends further support for recent contestations of Nature Deficit Disorder (NDD) discourses 108 . Opportunities to recognise nature-culture connections within a variety of local contexts, rural and urban, emerge as especially significant given disparities in access to different levels of biodiversity available in the gardens and yards within which children spend their time 109 . This study also highlights the dangers of romanticising the opportunities for 'wild' encounters that children living within national parks might have.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

By-standing memories of curious observations: children’s storied landscapes of ecological encounter

Dunkley

Smith

2018

cultural geographies

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Founded in contemporary concerns that children are increasingly disconnected from nature, this paper explores how children re-imagine their memories of childhood experiences within the landscape of a National Park. The concept of 're-connecting' children with 'nature' has recrystalised around conceptualisations of 'slow ecopedagogy' as a form of ecological conscientisation. Through creative mapping with children from the Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales, this paper questions whether exposure to such environments pre-disposes young people to an environmental consciousness. Examining children's creative representations of childhood memories from nonhuman encounters, and building on Philo's discussion of 'childhood reverie', we develop the concept of by-standing memories to articulate how children re-story their own memories, the landscapes in which they take place, and the nonhumans they include. Something of a 'child panic' currently surrounds the disconnect between children and ecology. While some are concerned by this 'child panic', which positions children as 'bystanders' to adult affairs, we argue that by-standing is critical for how children tell stories of their dwellings in, and curious observations of, place. The retelling of childhood memories stretches the conceptualisation of slow ecopedagogy beyond the place of encounter, to the creative spaces of storying and re-telling, which are equally critical for memory itself.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

By-standing memories of curious observations: children’s storied landscapes of ecological encounter

Dunkley

Smith

2018

cultural geographies

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“…This unpreceded rate and scale of urbanization may embark civilization on a development trajectory with limited possibilities for people, and especially for children, to experience natural environments on a regular basis (Giusti, 2016; Colding and Barthel, 2017; Hand et al, 2017). Such a development trajectory, if not carefully designed, may lead to a shift in baseline related to connection to nature (Miller, 2005; Giusti, 2016; Hartig and Kahn, 2016; Soga and Gaston, 2016), defined as ‘one’s affective, experiential relationship to the natural world’ (Mayer and Frantz, 2004, p. 504).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fostering Children’s Connection to Nature Through Authentic Situations: The Case of Saving Salamanders at School

et al. 2018

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The aim of this paper is to explore how children learn to form new relationships with nature. It draws on a longitudinal case study of children participating in a stewardship project involving the conservation of salamanders during the school day in Stockholm, Sweden. The qualitative method includes two waves of data collection: when a group of 10-year-old children participated in the project (2015) and 2 years after they participated (2017). We conducted 49 interviews with children as well as using participant observations and questionnaires. We found indications that children developed sympathy for salamanders and increased concern and care for nature, and that such relationships persisted 2 years after participation. Our rich qualitative data suggest that whole situations of sufficient unpredictability triggering free exploration of the area, direct sensory contact and significant experiences of interacting with a species were important for children’s development of affective relationships with the salamander species and with nature in an open-ended sense. Saving the lives of trapped animals enabled direct sensory interaction, feedback, increased understanding, and development of new skills for dynamically exploring further ways of saving species in an interactive process experienced as deeply meaningful, enjoyable and connecting. The behavioral setting instilled a sense of pride and commitment, and the high degree of responsibility given to the children while exploring the habitat during authentic situations enriched children’s enjoyment. The study has implications for the design of education programs that aim to connect children with nature and for a child-sensitive urban policy that supports authentic nature situations in close spatial proximity to preschools and schools.

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“…Besides their importance as ecological niches for many species (Smith et al, 2006), they increase the connectivity of urban landscapes (Rudd et al, 2002) and provide multiple ecosystem services (Elmqvist et al, 2015). Urban gardens give the opportunity for people, particularly children (Hand et al, 2017), to interact with nature (Miller, 2005). Soil is the foundation of urban habitats that provide key ecosystem services in cities (Zhu et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%