In recent years, the term nature connectedness has become almost synonymous with mental health and wellbeing. Schools, charities, and policy initiatives alike have embraced outdoor learning and green spaces as powerful tools to reduce stress, support resilience, and enhance pupils’ mood and focus. These outcomes are undoubtedly valuable. Yet, framing nature connection solely through the lens of wellbeing risks overlooking another crucial dimension — its role in shaping how people care for and act on behalf of nature.
From Feeling Good to Doing Good
Nature connectedness refers to the extent to which individuals include nature as part of their identity and emotional world (Mayer & Frantz, 2004; Lumber et al., 2017). While it contributes to psychological wellbeing, it also predicts pro-environmental behaviour — the everyday actions people take to protect and restore the natural world.
Studies consistently show that those who feel more connected to nature are more likely to recycle, reduce consumption, support conservation efforts, and advocate for environmental causes (Martin et al., 2020). In other words, fostering a sense of belonging with nature doesn’t just make us feel better — it motivates us to do better.
Moving Beyond the “Wellbeing” Narrative
In education, nature experiences are often justified as antidotes to stress or digital overload. While these benefits are real, an exclusive focus on wellbeing can unintentionally reduce nature to a kind of outdoor therapy. This instrumental framing risks missing a deeper purpose: nurturing empathy and responsibility toward the natural world.
If pupils’ only takeaway from outdoor learning is that “being outside makes me feel calm,” we’ve missed the chance to cultivate environmental stewardship. By contrast, experiences that emphasise relationship — curiosity, care, and reciprocity — can foster the values and behaviours essential to addressing the ecological crises of our time.
What This Means for Schools
Schools have a unique opportunity to support pupils’ environmental identities. This means designing outdoor learning that moves beyond relaxation or sensory engagement, towards activities that encourage noticing, questioning, and acting. For example:
Noticing and naming: Encouraging pupils to identify species and seasonal changes builds awareness and empathy.
Emotional connection: Using art, storytelling, or reflection to express feelings about nature deepens relational understanding.
Action and agency: Linking local issues (e.g., litter, biodiversity loss) to practical responses fosters a sense of efficacy.
When such approaches are embedded across the curriculum, nature connection becomes a foundation for environmental citizenship, not just a wellbeing intervention.
Reframing the Conversation
To meet the environmental challenges of the 21st century, we need citizens who not only value their own wellbeing but also recognise their interdependence with the natural world. Educators, policymakers, and practitioners must therefore broaden the conversation about nature connectedness. Yes, it supports mental health — but, more importantly, it cultivates the empathy and agency that drive pro-environmental behaviour.
If we want future generations to care for the planet, they must first see themselves as part of it.
References
Lumber, R., Richardson, M., & Sheffield, D. (2017). Beyond knowing nature: Contact, emotion, compassion, meaning, and beauty are pathways to nature connection. PLoS ONE, 12(5), e0177186.
Martin, L., White, M. P., Hunt, A., Richardson, M., Pahl, S., & Burt, J. (2020). Nature contact, nature connectedness and associations with health, wellbeing and pro-environmental behaviours. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 68, 101389.
Mayer, F. S., & Frantz, C. M. (2004). The connectedness to nature scale: A measure of individuals’ feeling in community with nature. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 24(4), 503–515.
