Visible Garden Biodiversity Leads to an Increase in Noticing Nature, Which in Turn Leads to an Increase in Nature Connectedness

Abstract

A strong connection to nature promotes behaviours that help conserve the natural world. However, it is likely that this relationship is reciprocal, with the pathways to nature connectedness including care for nature through pro-nature conservation behaviours and sensory contact with nature. Pro-conservation behaviours vary in terms of how much visible biodiversity, and therefore contact with nature, they produce. It is likely that conservation behaviours that support higher visible biodiversity will result in more sensory contact with nature and therefore greater levels of nature connectedness. The present research investigates the relationship between garden-focussed pro-nature conservation behaviour, noticing nature and nature connectedness using data from Natural England’s People and Nature Survey in the UK, a large national survey that includes items to measure noticing nature, nature connectedness, and pro-nature conservation behaviours. Results suggest that undertaking garden-based pro-nature conservation behaviours that enhance visible biodiversity leads to an increase in noticing nature, which in turn leads to an increase in nature connectedness. These results point to a relatively simple way to boost human connection to nature: boost and engage people with visible biodiversity.

Speaking of nature: Relationships between how people think about, connect with, and act to protect nature

“…In contrast to environmental volunteering, citizen science, or community gardening, picking up litter is a relatively quick and simple behavior that provides immediate feedback and has been associated with personal and social norms (The Behavioural Insights Team 2014, Gould et al 2016) -it may therefore be a behavior that is generally more likely to occur. Further, while previous research has demonstrated associations between CN and environmental volunteering (Guiney and Oberhauser 2010), citizen science (Chase and Levine 2017), and gardening practices (Hamlin and Richardson 2021), the current findings suggest that the pathways linking these constructs are likely more intricate than a simple moderation via concepts of nature. Exploring other potential moderators and/or mediators of the CN-PBB relationship(s) could be a useful avenue for future research.…”

“…Evidence suggests that different CN dimensions may have different relationships with some PBB (Hatty et al 2020), indicating that further exploration of CN dimensions as antecedent PBBs is warranted. Further, the relationship between CN and PBB is likely reciprocal (Richardson and Hamlin 2021), thus future research should investigate CN and PBB as both antecedent (X) and consequent (Y) in moderation/mediation analyses.…”