What is nature? Young people’s views, nature connection, and conservation motivation

Environmental, geographical, and related disciplines engage young people in learning about nature and the interdependence between people and nature, with increasing emphasis on fostering connection to, and protection of, the natural world. Supporting such connection requires deeper insight into how young people conceptualise nature, and how these conceptualisations may enable motivations to protect it. Accordingly, this study analysed views of nature among 648 Year 9 students (aged 13/14 years) in England; categories were identified from their written accounts and then examined in relation to agreement-scale responses. Young people who reported a stronger desire to do more to look after the environment were more likely to conceptualise nature as inherently natural, as the world, as surrounding people, and as involving life and living things, but were less likely to conceptualise nature as the outdoors or outside, compared with those who were disinclined to do more to look after the environment. The findings provide further insights and implications for education, suggesting ways in which young people may be better supported to develop understandings of nature that foster motivation to protect it and align with more sustainable ways of relating to socio-ecological systems.