Measuring, understanding, and enhancing nature connectedness

1.A large body of literature illustrates that nature connectedness is associated with both higher wellbeing and a greater likelihood of displaying more pro-environmental behaviours, indicating it is an important leverage point for sustainability. It is therefore important to examine the correlates of nature connectedness to improve both the wellbeing of individuals, and the health of the planet.2.Through a national-level survey in Australia, this paper contributes to this literature by exploring the correlates of nature connectedness, analysing the efficacy of different nature connection measurement tools, and undertaking a detailed examination of how policy can enhance nature connectedness. 3.Our results show that nature connectedness is higher for older Australians, individuals who grew up in rural or regional area, those who work part-time, are self-employed or retired, Indigenous Australians, and those who speak a language other than English.4.Being too busy or not having enough time is the most common barrier to engaging with nature, with individuals on higher incomes being more likely to identify this barrier. Other barriers, such as lack of access, cost of access, and safety concerns, were more likely to be raised by people on lower incomes.5.Different nature connectedness tools produce varied results, highlighting that researchers should carefully consider the tool they apply in surveys. In particular, there were a number of differences in the results when using a measure of nature contact compared to subjective measures of nature connectedness.Policy implicationsOur research points to valuable policy levers such as increasing green space in urban areas, enhancing opportunities for meaningful interactions in nature, and addressing structural inequalities to enhance access to nature for certain groups. Doing so will help create positive change for both people and planet.