Research: nature connection / deficit

A comprehensive reference section of reports & research into Nature Deficit Disorder and the importance of nature connection for children and young people. Includes opinion pieces and reflections from outdoor practitioners & nature connection experts.

Arranged, as much as possible, in chronological order, most recent at the top.

Outdoor Hub

Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv

The book & author that started a movement!
"the first book to bring together a new and growing body of research indicating that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development and for the physical and emotional health of children and adults. More than just raising an alarm, Louv offers practical solutions and simple ways to heal the broken bond - and many are right in our own backyard."

New edition reflects the enormous changes that have taken place since the book was originally published. 2008. Available from Muddy Faces:

Last Child in the Woods - Richard Louv

£12.99 exVAT

Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder has spurred a national dialogue among educators, health professionals, parents, developers and conservationists. This is a book that will change the way you think about your future and the ...

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WWT Generation Wild: Evaluation report 2021-2024

Generation Wild is WWT’s nature connection programme for schools, children and families in economically disadvantaged areas. It has connected thousands of children and families with nature, improving well-being and increasing care and concern for nature.

The impacts of nature connectedness on children's well-being: systematic literature review

"...in this review... We ask, how have children's nature connectedness and its well-being impacts been studied during the past two decades; how is nature connectedness found to influence children's well-being. We analyze what children's own perspectives on the effects of nature connectedness ... present how future research in the field could fulfill current research gaps... " Science Direct, Arola, Aulake, Ott, Lindholm, Kouvonen, Virtanen & Paloniemi, February 2023.

The Nature Connection Handbook: A Guide for Increasing People’s Connection with Nature

'The real-world application of the science of nature connection really matters – there’s an urgent need to connect more people, more fully with the rest of nature. With widespread recognition of the importance of a close relationship with nature, there has been growing use of nature connection principles and practices across a range of sectors, including environmental, mental health, social care, youth, arts and creative industries, local government, community, education, and business. To meet the increasing demand for help in the design and delivery of nature connection initiatives, we have created this guide.' Professor Miles Richardson, May 2022.

Nature Preschools in the United States: 2022 Survey

Preschools in which children play and learn outside for the majority of the school day—called nature preschools—are continuing to rapidly expand across the United States, according to Natural Start’s newest report. Natural Start Alliance (US).

How actively noticing nature (not just time in nature) helps promote nature connectedness

"A great deal of valuable research shows the link between nature contact and wellbeing. However, three recent large-scale studies have shown that wellbeing is better explained by nature connectedness than by nature contact alone." Miles Richardson, Finding Nature, 19 October 2021.

Children & Nature Network Research Digest: Barriers to Nature Engagement

Gathered research that addresses barriers to nature engagement for children, grouped under public green spaces, personal issues and those that are school-related. July 2021.

Childhood nature connection and constructive hope: a review of research on connecting with nature and coping with environmental loss

Review of literature on young people's connectedness with nature and how it relates to their well-being and stewardship
behaviour; research on how young people cope with information about large-scale environmental problems; and practices to sustain hope. Louise Chawla in People and Nature, 13 June 2020. Click below to download pdf

Chawla People and Nature 2020 Childhood nature connection and constructive hope A review of research on connecting

pdf, 1.94 MB

Download Chawla People and Nature 2020 Childhood nature connection and constructive hope A review of research on connecting

A New Relationship with Nature: what it means and what we can do

"This briefing draws together key findings from our research into human-nature connections [including 5 pathways to a new relationship with nature]. The purpose is to inform people of the evidence (there’s been much more since 2020!) and what it means in practice." Miles Richardson, Finding Nature, 8 April 2020.

Noticing Nature: what are the essential ingredients for a positive connection to nature?

Research from National Trust & University of Derby highlighting concern about the natural world and a lack of connection to nature. The survey explores attitudes to nature, participation in nature activities, participation in pro-nature conservation action (such as providing food for wildlife) and self-reported wellbeing. February 2020.

Age and connection to nature: when is engagement critical?

"...there needs to be a better understanding of the variability in people's connection to nature shown at different ages. We examined connection to nature among people aged 5–75 years, using two popular measures, in a cross-sectional UK sample, based on the hypothesis that there would be clear, age-related patterns in people's connection to nature, with specific “breakpoints” associated with differences in feelings of connection..." Joelene Hughes, Mike Rogerson, Jo Barton, Rachel Bragg, Frontiers in Ecology & Environment, 1 April 2019.

Why teenagers need to get more connected to nature

"Mid-teenagers feel less connected to nature than any other age group, according to new research from the RSPB and the University of Essex." Summary of research above, University of Essex, 16 April 2019.

Research Brief: Impact of Naturalized Early Childhood Outdoor Learning Environments

Extensively referenced summary of research into the reasons to 'naturalize' and the physical, social, emotional & cognitive benefits, and benefits to conservation, of doing so, and implications for space design. Natural Learning Initiative (US), 2019.

Writing Prescriptions to Play Outdoors

Inspired by Richard Louv’s work on Nature Deficit Disorder, Dr Zarr is the founder and medical director of Park Rx America, a nonprofit that encourages doctors to prescribe parks, based on the expanding scientific literature that shows that spending time outdoors is good for physical and mental health.
New York Times (US)(sign up to free account needed), 16 July 2018.

Re-Wild Your Child!

Opinion piece, celebrating Earth Day, Richard Louv’s Nature Deficit theory, Forest Schools and arguing ‘for “green time” over “screen time.”’ Quotes various authors & their research. JSTOR Daily, 17 April 2018.

A 30-minute lesson can connect young people to nature, preserve for others

"A study conducted at Outdoor School, a residential program run by Penn State’s Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, shows that a 30-minute educational lesson about the importance of leaving what you find during outdoor experiences helps young people feel more connected to nature and results in children being less likely to take natural items home as souvenirs." PennState (US), 6 April 2018.

Nature Preschools and Forest Kindergartens 2017 National Survey (US)

A new national survey of nature-based early childhood educators found that the number of nature preschools and forest kindergartens operating in the U.S. is at an all-time high. Natural Start Alliance (US), 17 November 2017.

Building a Movement to Help Young Children Connect with Nature & Care for it

Looking at the early childhood environmental education movement and how to get more children to experience “the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.” Natural Start Alliance, October 2017.

Beyond Knowing Nature – 5 Pathways to Nature Connection

"Our latest research has revealed there is a need to go beyond activities that simply engage people with nature through knowledge and identification, to pathways that develop a more meaningful and emotional relationship with nature." Miles Richardson, Finding Nature, 10 May 2017.

CHILDREN AND NATURE: What We Know and What We Do Not

"This literature review summarizes empirical research on the links between nature and benefits for child development, focusing on the most compelling scientific findings. The goal was to survey current knowledge, so as to identify where research needs to proceed." Dr. Robert Gifford, & Dr. Angel Chen, University of Victoria, 2016.

The Criminalization of Natural Play

Article in which Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, discusses the “decades-long slide toward the criminalization of natural play” and suggests what could be on the agenda of a national or international Forum on Children, Nature and the Law. Children & Nature Network, 6 April 2015.

The Impact of Children’s Connection to Nature

“This report presents findings on the impact of connection to nature from a survey of 775 children, using the child as the unit of analysis, rather than aggregated data. The results demonstrated that children who were more connected to nature had significantly higher English attainment, although this wasn’t repeated for Mathematics. Further, the 1.5 Connection to Nature Index (CNI) level was found to be a significant threshold across other measures, with those children with a CNI of 1.5 or above having significantly higher health, life satisfaction, pro-environmental behaviours and pro-nature behaviours.” Report by the University of Derby for the RSPB, 2015.

Bring Down The Barriers!

Five Causes of Nature-Deficit Disorder; Five Challenges for the New Nature Movement. Richard Louv, Children & Nature Network, September 2014.

Just one in five UK children are ‘connected to nature’

Summary of three-year research project by the RSPB involving academics from the University of Essex. 16 October 2013.

Nature-deficit disorder: evidence, dosage, and treatment

Literature review, then "The evidence to date suggests, broadly, that total exposure is important; all forms and quantities of exposure are helpful; and the greener the better. From these insights into dosage, nine recommendations are drawn for addressing nature deficits at the population level." Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events, Kuo, 13 May 2013.

The Misdiagnosis: Rethinking ‘‘Nature-deficit Disorder’’ (pdf)

‘This study examines and critiques ‘‘nature-deficit disorder’’ (NDD), Richard Louv’s popular theory of how and why children are alienated from nature… I call on adults to rethink human-nature disconnectedness by returning to the psyche, digging deeper to the problem’s cultural roots, and using nontraditional communication practices such as emotional expression and non-naming.’ Elizabeth Dickinson, Journal of Environmental Communication, 2013.

Natural Childhood (pdf)

Executive summary: “This report presents compelling evidence that we as a nation, and especially our children, are exhibiting the symptoms of a modern phenomenon known as ‘Nature Deficit Disorder’. We look at what this disorder is costing us, why it’s proving so difficult to reverse, and gather current thinking on what we must do to eliminate it, before opening up the question to the nation for consideration.” Stephen Moss, for the National Trust, 2012.

Every Child Outdoors Wales

Children need nature. Nature needs children. “Draws together the findings from the wide range of research that has been carried out into the positive impacts that contact with nature has on children, as well as on the environment. It also explores some of the consequences of the loss of such experiences and, sadly, the increasingly used term of Nature Deficit Disorder to describe the phenomenon.” RSPB, 2012 (see also England version, 2010, below)

Children and nature

‘Sets out the findings of a review into the evidential support for claims about the benefits for children of experiences with nature.’ Tim Gill of Rethinking Childhood, November 2011. Why does nature matter to children? What’s the evidence? Tim Gill explains his thinking, methods and learning from the above report.

Effective approaches to connecting children with nature 212x300

Effective approaches to connect children with nature

‘Based on a review of relevant research and literature… insights from research findings on the most effective approaches for engaging with different age groups. Finally, the paper reviews the role of participative, active arts education as a tool for facilitating and effectively connecting children and nature.’ Department of Conservation, New Zealand, 2011.

Every Child Outdoors

Healthy Planet, Healthy Children: designing nature into the daily spaces of childhood

‘This chapter draws on the latest research findings, which suggest that a healthy, therapeutic effect is experienced by children who are directly exposed to nature, and explores the roles of physical design in improving the quantity and quality of exposure to nature by integrating it into the built environment.’ Robin C Moore & Clare Cooper Marcus, in Biophilic design: the theory science and practice of bringing buildings to life. Green Schoolyard Network (US). 2009.

Connecting Kids & Nature: special reports

Some excellent reports into children & nature – and how it effects their wellbeing, health, learning and more, gathered by the National Wildlife federation (US). Listed individually below.

The Forecast Calls for Play: Feel Confident Outdoors No Matter the Weather, 2013