Nature Connection: Wellbeing for People and Planet
Developing a meaningful connection with nature through daily and seasonal practices can support mindsets and ways of living that are respectful and holistic. We all benefit when humans acknowledge our place as part of nature and push back against the extractive behaviours that have led to the multiple crises we now face.
This Spotlight collection is designed for educators to deeply explore the concept of nature connection: what it means, why it's so important and how we can strengthen our personal connection, to become the role models our ākonga need. Evidence tells us that nature connection is one of the most important areas of focus for communities who are passionate about creating a future where both people and nature thrive (Transformative Change report, 2024).
“If we want children to flourish, to become truly empowered, then let us allow them to love the Earth before we ask them to save it.” - David Sobel
We are delighted to share this collection of resources based on the work of our Nature Connection Community of Practice which began in 2023. NZAEE will continue to support our network of educators on this journey, with a series of webinars in 2025 highlighting nature connection case studies.
Scroll down to explore the following concepts in this Spotlight:
- Our Relationship with Nature
- Nature Connectedness Research
- Connecting with Te Taiao in Aotearoa
- Nature Connection for Children and Young People
Start with the sections that are most relevant to you and check back in regularly as we add webinar recordings from March onwards. If you're looking for teaching resources then head straight to our Resource Catalogue and use the filter: Hauora | Nature Connection.
Our Relationship with Nature
Unpacking key concepts related to nature connection can be a useful starting point. Some discussion questions to consider:
- What is my understanding of “nature connection” as a concept?
- How do different worldviews relate to and influence nature connection?
- Why are some people and societies now disconnected from nature?
- What can we learn from Indigenous cultures, particularly te ao Māori?
Nature connection is more than just enjoying and spending time in nature, but rather how we feel and perceive ourselves in relation to the wider environment. This human-nature relationship has changed over time for many people and is also determined by cultural and social influences (Nature Connection handbook).
Indigenous worldviews share many values such as reciprocity and respect for nature, with holistic views of humans and the environment, including non-human kin and the landscape.
Watch these two short videos from Happen Films which explore these concepts:
Rongoā Māori: Healing People and Place with Donna Kerridge.
Building Indigenous Food Sovereignty with Dr Jessica Hutchings, Hua Parakore.
All of our ancestors lived closely with nature, but for many societies that are now based on an industrial, capitalist model this has changed dramatically. The actions of many modern societies are based on extractive ways of seeing and being in the world, which have caused the environmental and social issues we now face. We acknowledge this does not include Indigenous peoples who have continuously fought to protect their way of life and environment from exploitative and colonising forces. However, consumerism and environmental degradation have had devastating effects on the relationships between people and nature, including Indigenous communities in colonised areas.
How did this happen? When and why did we lose our close connection with nature?
Watch Retelling the Story of Humans and Nature TED Talk with Damon Gameau (15 mins) for a short overview of the many historical events that have led us here.
Learn more by exploring our collection Indigenous Worldviews, which includes videos, reading and listening, curated into sections based on how much time you have available. Below are a few of our favourite resources from this collection:
Climate Justice - why does it matter? NZCER research summary by Rachel Bolstad and Sinead Overbye, includes discussion questions.
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
Kinship: Belonging in a world of relations collection of essays across five books.
Reconnection: Fixing our broken relationship with nature by Miles Richardson.
Our Story of Nature - From Rupture to Reconnection podcast
Kia Whakanuia Te Whenua - People, Place, Landscape. This book has essays from Aotearoa, Australia, Ireland, including educators from Auckland Zoo.
“Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond.”
- Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass
Nature Connectedness Research
This section is for all the research geeks or those who like a good framework. "Nature connectedness" is a specific term that is used by the research community to measure our relationship with nature. It is about more than just ‘time spent in nature’ but rather how we perceive ourselves and feel a sense of connection and belonging with nature.
“Nature connection is about our relationship with nature – how we think about, feel about, and experience nature. When we feel very close to nature, we recognise ourselves as part of the natural world, and value our relationship with it. We notice nature, seek it out, and feel happy when we are in it.”
- Nature Connection Handbook
Most of this research has been conducted in the northern hemisphere, such as through the University of Derby Nature Connectedness Research Group, but the findings and associated resources are very applicable to our context in Aotearoa. If you have the time to go deeper into their work, you can complete a free online, self-directed course here, which many of our educators have found useful. If you're short on time or prefer to read short summaries of research, you can check out Miles Richardson's Finding Nature blog.
Download and print one of these handbooks, with useful explanations of terms, activities and case studies:
Pathways to Nature Connection
One of the useful frameworks that has emerged from the research in the UK is the 'Five Pathways to Nature Connection' which aims to provide guidance for those wishing to reconnect with nature. You can read more in the handbooks provided above, but here is a quick overview.
Research has found that a specific focus on these aspects of nature connection will have the most positive impact:
Senses - exploring and experiencing nature by slowing down, noticing and engaging all of your senses, such as touch, smell, taste. This could include foraging for plants, sitting quietly under a tree, and sensory bingo.
Beauty - seeking and appreciating the beauty of nature, such as nature photography, art, poetry and music.
Emotion - noticing and welcoming the feelings nature inspires, such as joy, wonder, calm, gratitude and love.
Meaning - celebrating and sharing nature's events and stories, such as noticing the signs of the changing seasons, local pūrākau and waiata, songs and rituals from your ancestors.
Compassion - helping and caring for nature, such as making homes for animals, planting and maintaining habitats, developing kinship with other non-human beings.
The Department of Conservation education team developed the 50 Things to Do in Nature resource based on the Five Pathways research, which can be printed and used as an easy prompt for nature connection activities.
As part of our NZAEE Nature Connection Community of Practice in 2023, local educators in Wānaka took part in an exploration of the Five Pathways at their local park and by the lakeside, using a framework that gives examples for different ages groups, including adults. You're welcome to use this template and adapt it to work for your own area.
We also recommend watching this short video to spark interesting discussions with your colleagues about how we define and engage with our local nature, even in urban areas: Nature is Everywhere - we just need to learn to see it - TED Talk by Emma Marris (15 mins).
The Children and Nature Network in North America is another useful source of research, with a huge database and excellent infographics that summarise key findings about the benefits of nature for children.
Infographics to print or share with others to convince them of the benefits:
- Nature Play can encourage Care for the Earth
- Nature can improve Health and Wellbeing
- Nature can improve Academic Outcomes
Time in nature during childhood and role models who care for nature are the two biggest factors that contribute to environmental stewardship in adulthood.
- Chawla & Derr, from Nature Play research infographic
Connecting with Te Taiao in Aotearoa
Te ao Māori offers us an insight into Indigenous worldviews and a chance to reconnect with Indigenous ways of being, if we approach this gift with respect and gratitude.
Our Community of Practice spent time exploring how international nature connectedness research might be appropriately applied in Aotearoa. We also considered our own personal ancestry and positioning as educators working with young people from a range of backgrounds, including ākonga Māori. Some key considerations for Pākehā and tauiwi educators are included in this section.
Discussion questions to consider:
- What does ‘nature connection’ look like in Aotearoa?
- What is my personal ancestry and how can this support my connection with nature and place?
- Does our school culture value and uplift mātauranga, tikanga and te reo Māori?
- How can tauiwi educators appropriately incorporate te ao Māori within nature connection activities?
Matariki is a wonderful opportunity to connect more closely with te taiao, by spending time with whānau and community, watching the night sky and preparing kai for celebrations. You can explore this context further in our Spotlight Matariki, Environment and Wellbeing.
"The beauty of the Matariki holiday is that it’s one way in which mātauranga Māori can connect us all. There isn’t a single person in the world who doesn’t come from a culture or background where people looked up to the sky — for inspiration, for navigation, for understanding time." - Dr Rangi Mātāmua
There are many other learning contexts within te ao Māori that provide opportunities for deep nature connection, such as maramataka, rongoā and relationships with wai. Watch the two episodes of Waka Huia below to explore these ideas and then connect meaningfully with local mana whenua and environmental education providers to help develop activities and learning appropriate to your place.
Waka Huia: Waiora - Explore whakapapa connections to wai with Te Rerekohu Tuterangiwhiu (Ngāti Rangi, Ngāti Hine, Ngāruahinerangi) and Kelly Ratana (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Te Arawa).
Waka Huia: Rereata Mākiha -
Hokianga astronomer Rereata Mākiha shares mātauranga about maramataka Māori.
You may also like to explore these Aotearoa frameworks:
Atua Matua - wellbeing model developed by Dr Ihirangi Heke. Watch Waka Huia to learn more. Also watch Te Kura o Te Muriwai who use Atua Matua as part of Mātaiao.
Tīwaiwaka - healing the mauri of the whenua is a set of 6 principles, written by renowned Rongoā Māori practitioner Pā Ropata / Rob McGowan.
Mauri Tūhono - sustaining and restoring the mauri of te taiao and people through entwining our efforts. A framework for te taiao from the Mauri Tūhono ki Te Upoko o Te Ika a Māui working group.
"From a mātauranga Māori perspective, the living world is intrinsically interconnected, with no element within it existing in isolation from another." - Mauri Tūhono
For Pākehā and tauiwi educators, it is important to explore your own personal nature connection by learning more about your ancestry and culture. Depending on how many generations you need to go back, this can be a long journey but it is hugely valuable and is often recommended as one of the first steps towards becoming authentic tangata Tiriti.
We highly recommend watching Connecting to Aotearoa, a short episode (7 mins) with Juliet Batten from a documentary series exploring the role of Pākehā in this space. You can watch all of the episodes here: Land of the Long White Cloud.
Juliet has written two books that are amazing resources for exploring both te ao Māori and European seasonal traditions, to help deepen our connection with nature:
- Celebrating the Southern Seasons: Rituals for Aotearoa
- Sun, Moon and Stars: seasonal celebrations for children & families, tamariki & whānau
Watch our recorded webinar with Juliet from 2023: Sacred Connection with Nature.
Read Connecting to Place, Mātauranga Māori and Histories for more case studies and resources that explore this topic.
Nature Connection: Children & Young People
We know that children are born with an innate curiosity and love for nature, so our role as adults is to nurture this and offer an environment rich in play, exploration and respect for nature. Watch this short video from DOC featuring ECE and schools from Porirua: Benefits of Teaching and Learning in Nature.
As children grow and move into new developmental stages, there are particular strategies we can use to support their ongoing relationship with nature. You may not be surprised to hear that nature connectedness starts to drop for young people as they move into their adolescent years, referred to as the 'teenage dip'. Fortunately, if they have developed a strong connection with nature as children they will return to their relationship with nature in adulthood.
Read Effective Approaches to Connect Children with Nature for an excellent overview of the developmental stages. Below is a very brief summary of this research review. We also recommend reading books written by educator David Sobel, such as Beyond Ecophobia, Place-Based Education, and Childhood and Nature: Design Principles for Educators.
Early Years (up to age 7)
"For pre-school and young school children, there is a strong emphasis in the literature on active hands-on exploration in the local environment, using all their senses to experience and appreciate the natural environment. The focus is on learning and finding meaning in the environment through informal, spontaneous and unrestricted play and socialisation."
"It is in this stage of early childhood that children cultivate their sense of affection toward the natural world and their perceptions of the needs of other creatures."
Sign up to our March webinar: Nature Connection in Early Childhood, with case studies from Marlborough Kindergartens.
Read the Environmental Kinship Guide aimed at supporting early childhood educators.
Middle Years (age 7 - 12)
"This is a time when the sense of wonder of early childhood is transformed to a sense of exploration... Research recommends a strong focus on student-directed, experiential and action-based learning in natural environments for late primary-aged children. For this age, a number of authors stress the importance of starting to promote children’s participation as environmental stakeholders."
"Research has found that participation with nature before age 11 is particularly potent in shaping both environmental attitudes and behaviours in adulthood."
Watch Tracey-Lee Dalton discuss case studies of nature connection in Tāmaki Makaurau primary schools, as part of the Healthy Active Learning programme (from our October 2024 online conference).
Watch Connecting with Nature through Bioblitz short video from NZ Landcare Trust and Marlborough Enviroschools.
Watch Te Kura o Te Muriwai, a Kura Taiao in Tairāwhiti who are supported by the Mātaiao programme.
Adolescence (age 13+)
"In the secondary school years, the literature advocates an increased focus on active citizenship and programmes that are participatory and action orientated. In this age of ‘daring exploration’, the focus moves beyond the immediate neighbourhood to include larger landscapes and ecosystems. The literature also highlights the importance of developing both an individual and collective sense of competence [...] reinforcing the need to provide opportunities for social exchanges and gatherings where young people can be motivated and inspired, share ideas and experiences, and build friendships."
Watch Tiaki Taiao: Empowering Rangatahi with Hannah Simmonds from Ngā Kura ā Iwi. Presentation recording from our online conference in 2024.
Watch Hauora Wellbeing Activities videos from Whenua Iti, produced with rangatahi and highlighting the importance of nature connection for wellbeing.
Watch Rangatahi and da Taiao NZAEE webinar recording with Tyra Begbie and Quack Pirihi from December 2024.
We will explore many of these ideas in our webinar series over Terms 1 and 2 this year. Visit our Events page to register and come back to this Spotlight article during the year as we add recordings from the series.
Teaching and Learning Resources
You can search for nature connection resources that are relevant to your students in our Resource Catalogue, using the Hauora | Nature Connection and additional filters.
Here are some of our favourites that can be adapted for most age groups:
- Earth Dreamers
- Ko au te Taiao
- Environmental Kinship Guide
- Mātaiao (for kura kaupapa Māori)
- Pūtātara
- 50 Things to Do in Nature
- DOC Learning in Nature activities
- Whenua Iti Outdoors - Nature Connection activities
- Kids Greening Taupō nature connectors
- The Nature Activity Book
- The Seed Pod
You may also like to read our Spotlight Nature Books: Storytelling, Curiosity and Empathy.
“If a child is to keep alive their inborn sense of wonder, they need the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with them the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in."
- Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder
Acknowledgements
This Spotlight was written in Ōtākou, with inspiration from the mountains, the song of the korimako and the smell of harakeke seeds in the sun. I acknowledge Ngāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe and Waitaha, as mana whenua with a deep and ongoing connection to this land.
Huge thanks to Thea DePetris for contributing to this Spotlight and co-facilitating our NZAEE Nature Connection Community of Practice. To all the members of the Community of Practice, thank you for being so generous and open with your questions, ideas and learning. Thanks also to my nature connected children for being willing participants in photo shoots and “work meetings” in nature.
Becky McCormack, Learning and Content Curator, NZAEE
Article published February 2025
