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Background: Lack of physical activity (PA) is a growing public health concern. There is a growing body of literature that suggests a positive relationship may exist between the amount of local green space near one's home and PA levels. For instance, park proximity has been shown to predict PA levels amongst certain populations. However, there is little evidence for the role of relatedness towards nature and perceptions of local green space on this relationship. The aim of this study was to examine, in a National UK sample, whether subjective indices associated with local green space were better predictors of visit frequency to local green space and PA levels compared to objectively measured quantity of local green space.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was designed. From a random sample, 2079 working age adults responded to an online survey in September 2011. Demographics, self-reported PA, objective measures of the local environment (including local green space, road coverage, and environmental deprivation), were assessed in conjunction with perceptions of local green space and nature relatedness. Quantity of local green space was assessed by cross-referencing respondents' home postcodes with general land use databases. Regression models were conducted to assess which of our independent variables best predicted visit frequency to local green space and/or meeting PA guidelines. In addition, an ordinal regression was run to examine the relationship between visit frequency to local green space and the likelihood of meeting national PA guidelines.Results: Nature relatedness was the strongest predictor for both visit frequency to local green space and meeting PA guidelines. Results show that perceived quality is a better predictor of visit frequency to local green space than objective quantity of local green space. The odds of achieving the recommended amount of PA was over four times greater for people who visited local green space once per week compared to never going (OR 4.151; 95 % CI, 2.40 to 7.17).Conclusions: These results suggest that perceptions of local green space and nature relatedness play an important role in the relationship between local green space and PA. Considering the known health benefits of PA, our results are potentially important for public health interventions, policy making and environmental planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous and environmental politics often draw on the claim that Indigenous cultures are closely related with nature and, thus, Indigenous governance will lead to better environmental outcomes. Neither this assumption, nor the details of a presumed Indigenous-nature relationship, have yet been examined quantitatively. Using a unique community-led, decolonial quantitative method we find a strong positive relation between Anishinaabe culture of Central/Southern Canada and nature relatedness. This relationship is not simply driven by repeated interactions with nature associated with certain cultural practices, but by communicated elements such as ceremonies, stories, and songs. Findings support the suggestion that Indigenous governance and cultural revitalization programs may improve environmental policy outcomes. Based on Coloniality/Modernity/Decoloniality theory, we argue that quantitative methods such as this are not only appropriate for research with Indigenous peoples, but are potentially decolonial if the research is meaningfully Indigenous-led. • Quantitative methods can be appropriate, even decolonial, for Indigenous research. • Uses focus groups led by Indigenous knowledge keepers to design quantitative study. • Finds that nature relatedness increases with Indigenous knowledge and culture. • Finding is not driven only by cultural practices that occur in contact with nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that contact with nature can be beneficial, for example leading to improvements in mood, cognition, and health. A distinct but related idea is the personality construct of subjective nature connectedness, a stable individual difference in cognitive, affective, and experiential connection with the natural environment. Subjective nature connectedness is a strong predictor of pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours that may also be positively associated with subjective well-being. This meta-analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between nature connectedness and happiness. Based on 30 samples (n = 8,523), a fixed-effect meta-analysis found a small but significant effect size (r = .19). Those who are more connected to nature tended to experience more positive affect, vitality, and life satisfaction compared to those less connected to nature. Publication status, year, average age, and percentage of females in the sample were not significant moderators. Vitality had the strongest relationship with nature connectedness (r = .24), followed by positive affect (r = .22) and life satisfaction (r = .17). In terms of specific nature connectedness measures, associations were the strongest between happiness and inclusion of nature in self (r = .27), compared to nature relatedness (r = .18) and connectedness to nature (r = .18). This research highlights the importance of considering personality when examining the psychological benefits of nature. The results suggest that closer human-nature relationships do not have to come at the expense of happiness. Rather, this meta-analysis shows that being connected to nature and feeling happy are, in fact, connected.

Physical activity promotion has received increasing attention globally due to the considerable benefits of regular activity for population health and well-being. In Saudi Arabia, government strategy explicitly aims to increase physical activity participation among residents. This study assessed the barriers to physical activity among the general Saudi population including any age and gender differences and examined the contribution of contextual factors and nature relatedness to health and well-being. A representative sample of 1046 Saudi adults (aged 18 years and above) completed an online survey that included four validated scales: the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-short form, the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale, the World Health Organization Five Well-Being Index and the Nature Relatedness Scale. Analyses indicated that young Saudi adults perceived more barriers than middle-aged and older adults, but few gender differences were observed. Furthermore, exercising outdoors, with other people and via sport predicted higher levels of mental well-being, as did nature relatedness. Therefore, developing a comprehensive strategy package that includes the development of outdoor environments for all age groups across regions and fostering a connection with nature may be particularly effective to improve the health and well-being of Saudi adults.

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This paper presented the Turkish version of the Nature Relatedness Scale, examined its pre-psychometric properties. Besides, the relationship between nature relatedness and self-transcendence was adverted. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted, followed by concurrent validity. New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) Scale was used for concurrent validity. In addition, the instrument's internal consistency and re-test reliability were proved. Results explanatory factor analyses demonstrated that 21 items yielded one-factor, and that the uni-dimensional model was explained 38.71% of total variance. Factor loadings ranged from .30 to .69. In the concurrent validity significant positive relationship was found between NR-21 Scale and NEP Scale. Cronbach Alpha internal consistency coefficients were found as .76 for scale. Moreover, test-retest reliability coefficient was .68 and corrected item-total correlations ranged from .29 to .61. In second study, nature relatedness has positive relationship with self-transcendence. The results were discussed in the light of the related literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how people's relationships with nature form, how they influence personal values and attitudes, and what behavioural implications they may have could provide more insight into how connectedness to nature (CNT) can effectively contribute to environmental management goals. This paper undertakes a review of literature published over the past decade (2002–2011) on SCOPUS; and describes the current state of knowledge regarding CNT, assesses any efforts towards the spatial mapping of CNT for environmental management, and identifies measures of CNT defined in the broader literature. This review suggests that there is quite some overlap in the literature on CNT concepts, and that more effort needs to be made towards multi-disciplinary research which explores how CNT can be useful to environmental planning and conservation research on the field. It also further corroborates the need and relevance of applying more social and affective strategies to promote conservation behaviour. The main progress in CNT theory seems to have been made in the development of measurement tools, and it is clear that there is a strong convergent validity amongst the different measures due to their similarity, and functional associations. Further efforts towards the exploration of multi-dimensional measures is recommended since they consistently stand out as showing better results. The geographic visualisation of CNT constructs is another area of research that deserves attention since it can provide a unique point of view towards guiding participatory protected area planning and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theory and correlational research suggest that connecting with nature may facilitate prosocial and environmentally sustainable behaviors. In three studies we test causal direction with experimental manipulations of nature exposure and laboratory analogs of cooperative and sustainable behavior. Participants who watched a nature video harvested more cooperatively and sustainably in a fishing-themed commons dilemma, compared to participants who watched an architectural video (Study 1 and 2) or geometric shapes with an audio podcast about writing (Study 2). The effects were not due to mood, and this was corroborated in Study 3 where pleasantness and nature content were manipulated independently in a 2 × 2 design. Participants exposed to nature videos responded more cooperatively on a measure of social value orientation and indicated greater willingness to engage in environmentally sustainable behaviors. Collectively, results suggest that exposure to nature may increase cooperation, and, when considering environmental problems as social dilemmas, sustainable intentions and behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Perceived childhood nature exposure is associated with sensory profile in adulthood. • Less exposure to nature in childhood is related to higher scores on low sensory registration. • Sensory profile partially mediated the relationship between childhood nature exposure and nature relatedness. • Sensory profile partially mediated the relationship between childhood nature exposure and creativity. Nature deficit poses critical developmental challenges to the future generations. Louv, for example, stated that children needs adequate nature exposure for healthy development of their sense, learning, and creativity. However, it remains unknown whether individuals having various levels of nature access during childhood may develop different sensory processing patterns. The current study reports relationships between retrospective life course measure of childhood nature exposure and sensory profiles in young adulthood. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Shanghai, China, with 700 Chinese young adults (18–25 years old) who grew up in diverse geographies across the country. Sensory Profile was measured using the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) with four quadrants; creativity using the Alternative Uses Task (AUT), and nature-relatedness using the Nature-Relatedness (NR) scale. Perceived childhood nature exposure was calculated as a cumulative score from up to three childhood home locations, weighted by duration of residency. Ordinary least square (OLS) and structural equation models (SEM) were fitted to examine the direct and indirect relationships. After adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics, low childhood nature exposure was associated with low sensory registration. Regarding the relationship between childhood nature exposure and adulthood creativity and nature-relatedness, significant direct paths and indirect paths through low sensory registration were observed. Results suggested that children who had lower levels of nature exposure grew up to exhibit a high tendency to miss subtle sensory stimuli, and this sensory processing pattern in turn is associated with lower levels of affinity to nature and creativity. Notwithstanding the preliminary nature of these findings, this study offers implications for designing child-friendly urban space that facilitates sensory explorations and allows children to acquire the ability to recognize various sensory inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature relatedness is an important construct in environmental psychology and has frequently been measured using the NR-6, a six-item unidimensional short form scale. The NR-6 was developed using exploratory factor analysis on a sample of undergraduates and community members, but subsequent validity evidence is limited. This is concerning because the NR-6 comprises items from two nature relatedness dimensions, making it unclear whether researchers should use the NR-6 as a unidimensional or multidimensional scale. Poor validity evidence also threatens the interpretability of observed NR-6 scores across groups (e.g., results from t -tests). The purpose of the study was to evaluate the factor structure, measurement equivalence, and reliability of the NR-6 across males and females using an independent sample from the Open-Source Psychometrics Project (n = 1,522). Results revealed challenges when comparing observed NR-6 scores across males and females. Both unidimensional and multidimensional factor structures were plausible specifications for the NR-6, but the multidimensional model demonstrated superior fit. However, regardless of whether the NR-6 was treated as a unidimensional or multidimensional scale, observed mean differences between males and females were inflated. Additionally, the multidimensional NR-6 demonstrated reliability that was unacceptable for research purposes for both males and females. To appropriately use the NR-6 on a case-by-case basis, I recommend that researchers 1) always report structural validity and reliability evidence and 2) adjust analyses accordingly, when necessary, using structural equation modeling techniques. • The NR-6 measures nature relatedness, but its validity evidence is limited. • Analyses of gender differences are unclear with poor validity. • Results indicated challenges with the NR-6's factor structure and reliability. • Gender differences were inflated due to measurement non-equivalence. • Researchers should always report validity evidence for the NR-6 to inform use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A person's health and wellbeing are contingent on the amount of social support that they receive. Similarly, experiencing nature has been shown to improve people's health and wellbeing. However, we do not know how relationships between social cohesion, nature experiences and nature connection could interrelate and vary across different types of urban green spaces, and in non-Westernised cultures. We conducted a study on 1249 residents in Singapore, a tropical city-state, and measured three dimensions of social cohesion (i.e. general social cohesion; trust and sense of community; and social interactions), various types of nature experiences (i.e. amount of green space around one's residence; frequency and duration of urban green space visits; frequency and duration of visits to gardens), and three dimensions of one's connection to nature: self-identity with nature, desire to experience nature, and environmental concern (using the nature relatedness scale). We found that people who strongly identify with nature, who enjoy being in nature, and who had more frequent gardens visits were more likely to have a stronger sense of social cohesion across two dimensions. However, those with stronger environmental concern reported an overall weaker sense of social cohesion, possibly due to the perception that society's contributions to conserve environmental problems was insufficient. Further, people who gardened more frequently were also more likely to visit green spaces, self-identify with nature and exhibit a stronger desire to experience nature. We propose that strategies targeted at encouraging people to engage in nature-related, collaborative activities at the local community level, such as spending time in local gardens, will increase urban residents' daily nature experiences and its associated benefits such as improving social cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construct of (dis)connection with nature or 'nature relatedness' has become increasingly useful in the study of environmental behaviour as well as psychological health and well-being. Strong nature relatedness is associated with greater happiness and ecologically sustainable behaviour. A number of scales reliably assess individual differences in nature relatedness, but some circumstances may necessitate a brief measure. We developed a short-form version of the nature relatedness scale (NR-6), comprised of 6 items from the 'self' and 'experience' dimensions, and tested the new scale's predictive ability across multiple samples and with longitudinal data in students, community members, and business people. The new NR-6 scale demonstrated good internal consistency, temporal stability, and predicted happiness, environmental concern, and nature contact. This new brief measure of connectedness may have advantages where time and space are limited and the research context requires an assessment of connectedness elements rather than environmental attitudes.

This study was undertaken to investigate the factors influencing proenvironmental behavior of individuals residing in the Northern Rocky Mountains (N = 267). Measures of relatedness to nature and perceived science knowledge were collected through a convenience sample approach using multiple avenues such as city email lists, organizational newsletters, and social media channels. Analysis of the data was conducted using both partial least squares and covariance based structural equation modeling to explore the relationships between the constructs. Additionally, qualitative definitions of proenvironmental behavior were investigated in order to address potential gaps between self-reported and observed behaviors. Quantitative findings show a renewed positive connection between science education, nature relatedness, and proenvironmental behaviors. Furthermore, qualitative findings suggest positive relationships between how publicly people are willing to share their passion for the outdoors and their willingness to engage in proenvironmental behaviors.

This paper tests whether people's sense of connectedness with the natural environment is related to cognitive styles such as Kirton's adaption–innovation (KAI), and analytic-holistic thinking (AHT). We conducted two studies with Singaporean secondary students as participants. Study 1 ( N = 138), using an online survey, established the significant positive relationship between the nature relatedness self subscale and both the KAI and the AHT cognitive styles. Study 2 ( N = 185), using pen and paper surveys, replicated Study 1's findings and found that connectedness with nature was significantly related to both the KAI and the AHT cognitive styles beyond alternative explanations (demographic and well-being status). Students who were more connected with nature preferred innovative and holistic cognitive styles, while controlling for their general emotional status and well-being. These findings are the first to establish the link between connectedness with nature and cognitive styles. Future research and implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change adaptation frameworks often emphasize tangible community vulnerabilities, but typically fail to recognize that healthy, vibrant, and resilient communities are also based on many factors that are experiential in nature. In response to the continued undervaluation of such factors, scholars are adopting place identity and place attachment as a way to explore the risks of climate change in a more holistic manner. This study draws on Churchill, Manitoba's unique relationship with climate change to present an early examination of place-based climate change adaptation. Results from a community survey suggest that citizens’ sensitivity to local climate impacts is associated most strongly with their connection to the social meanings that are embedded in the natural landscape. Results also indicate that this place driven sensitivity does not necessarily lead to an increase in actions to adapt to climate change. It is suggested that inaction in the face of climate change can persist, even when citizens’ have a strong connection to place, particularly because dominant climate change communications fail to produce a socially salient message. By linking place-based adaptation research to an emerging value-based frame for climate adaptation, this study presents new pathways to help legitimize local values in climate change adaptation processes, and to create frames for communication that are more conducive to fostering collective action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initiated by a team of educators and academics, the only full-day nature kindergarten program in British Columbia started operations in September 2012 at a local elementary school. Following the model of forest schools in Scandinavian countries, the nature kindergarten provides young children with large amounts of time in natural outdoor settings where they can play, explore and experience natural systems and materials. In this paper, we describe the creation of the nature kindergarten and the pedagogical principles on which it is based. We also illustrate children's experiences outdoors. Finally, we report preliminary findings of our research evaluating the effects of being in nature on children's nature relatedness and their environmentally responsible behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature relatedness has been explored from interdisciplinary perspectives and found to be related to greater well-being. However, nature relatedness has not been incorporated into counseling-based holistic wellness models. This study of the relationship between nature relatedness and wellness provides implications for wellness theory, counseling practice, and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: The rapid growth of urbanisation and the increased prevalence of mental problems have been concerns in China. 'Green prescription' such as keeping houseplants has been found to be an effective means of interacting with nature and improving mental health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychological effects of keeping houseplants in the home and to examine how 'connection to nature' relates to mental well-being and mindfulness among Chinese adults living in urban areas; (2) Methods: A cross-sectional survey was completed by 421 (66.3% female) participants from 19 representative Chinese cities; (3) Results: Results revealed that participants who self-classified themselves as 'houseplants carers' reported higher levels of mental well-being compared with 'non-houseplants carers'. Specifically, hours spent on taking care of houseplants, the number of houseplants, and the years of keeping houseplants were positively associated with greater levels of mental well-being and the trait of mindfulness. (4) Conclusions: The findings of the current study have implications for use of therapeutic horticulture for people who are seeking to improve their mental well-being and mindfulness in urban China.

• Nature connectedness is stronger than nature exposure in predicting mental well-being. • Greenspace visit is stronger than nature connectedness in predicting mental ill-being. • Nature connectedness impacts the relation between nature exposure and mental health. • Promoting nature connectedness is needed to achieve mental health benefits. Exposure to nature is associated with various mental health benefits. Nature connectedness (NC), a psychological construct that measures individuals' subjective sense of connection to nature, is found to influence the relationship between nature exposure and mental health, including well-being and ill-being. However, studies from non-Western cultures have only examined either nature exposure and mental health or NC and mental health, with little research investigating the relationship among all three in a single study. Based on a face-to-face survey in Guangzhou (N = 863), this study investigates the relationship among nature exposure (greenspace visitation frequency, duration, and greenspace accessibility), NC, and mental well-being and ill-being. Based on the results, NC is stronger than nature exposure in predicting mental well-being, while greenspace visitation frequency and duration are stronger than NC in predicting ill-being. Having a higher-than-average NC is associated with a 7% increase in feelings of worthwhileness, a 6.4% increase in life satisfaction, and a 2.5% decrease in depression risk. NC could function as both mediator and moderator, depending on the specific nature exposure–mental health link examined. Future studies are required to understand the complex interaction of nature exposure, NC, and mental health. Our study indicates that a shift in policymaking to enhance NC is recommended to achieve the related psychological benefits. To this end, research on the influencing factors of NC (e.g., characteristics of nature experiences) and effective interventions to cultivate NC are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subjective connection with nature, or nature relatedness, is similar to other environmental worldview measures in predicting sustainable attitudes and behaviors, yet is unique in predicting happiness. In two studies, the authors assessed the overlap between nature relatedness and other subjective connections (e.g., with friends or country) and examined these connections as a possible confound in explaining the link between nature relatedness and happiness. Study I adapted a measure of general connectedness and administered it to student (n = 331) and community (n = 415) samples along with multiple nature relatedness and happiness indicators. Study 2 examined more established measures of subjective connections in another community sample (n = 204). General connectedness predicted happiness well, yet nature relatedness remained a significant distinct predictor of many happiness indicators, even after controlling for other connections. Results support the notion that nature relatedness could be a path to human happiness and environmental sustainability, though confirming this causal direction requires additional research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of encouraging the use of natural settings for educational experiences with young children, an exploratory study using survey research and photographs of outdoor settings was conducted to understand how preservice early childhood educators perceive these settings and what educational opportunities, motivations, and barriers they associate with them. Based on the results of 110 participants, this study suggests preservice early childhood educators perceive parks as the most conducive outdoor setting for achieving educational outcomes, specifically structured learning about nature, and that they are more inclined to use maintained outdoor settings than natural outdoor settings. The strongest predictors of intention to use natural outdoor settings were perceived difficulty in using natural settings, participants’ level of nature relatedness, and the degree to which they agreed that experiences in nature were important for young children’s health and wellness. Barriers to address include perceived lack of access to natural settings and safety concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature relatedness (NR) describes the affective, cognitive, and experiential aspects of human-nature relationships (Nisbet in Environ Behav 41: 715-740, ). Evidence from three studies suggests that individual differences in NR are associated with differences in well-being. In study 1 ( N = 184), we explore associations between NR and a variety of well-being indicators, and use multiple regression analyses to demonstrate the unique relationship of NR with well-being, while controlling for other environmental measures. We replicate well-being correlates with a sample of business people ( N = 145) in Study 2. In study 3 ( N = 170), we explore the influence of environmental education on NR and well-being, and find that changes in NR mediate the relationship between environmental education and changes in vitality. We discuss the potential for interventions to improve psychological health and promote environmental behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disconnection from the natural world may be contributing to our planet's destruction. The authors propose a new construct, Nature Relatedness (NR), and a scale that assesses the affective, cognitive, and experiential aspects of individuals' connection to nature. In Study 1, the authors explored the internal structure of the NR item responses in a sample of 831 participants using factor analysis. They tested the construct validity of NR with respect to an assortment of environmental and personality measures. In Study 2, they employed experience sampling methodology examining if NR people spend more time outdoors, in nature. Across studies, NR correlated with environmental scales, behavior, and frequency of time in nature, supporting the reliability and validity of NR, as well as the contribution of NR (over and above other measures) to environmental concern and behavior. The potential of NR as a useful method for investigating human-nature relationships and the processes underlying environmental concern and behaviors are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature provides a myriad of intangible and non-material services to people. However, urbanites are increasingly disconnected from the natural world. The consequences of this progressive disconnection from nature remain difficult to measure as this process is slow and long-term monitoring or large-scale manipulation on nature experiences are scarce. Measures to contain the spread of the recent COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., lockdowns) have potentially reduced or even suppressed nature experiences in cities. This situation provided an opportunity for conducting a longitudinal study that can serve as a sort of natural experiment to quantify the effects of nature deprivation on individuals' health, well-being and relationship to nature. We collected data on these variables from the same individuals inhabiting a large metropolis (Tel Aviv, Israel) twice, in 2018 (before) and during the lockdown in 2020. Our results confirmed that frequency, duration and quality of nature interactions dropped during the lockdown, while environmental attitudes and affinity towards nature remained similar. This was particularly true for people living in the least green neighborhoods, where a significant decrease in personal and social well-being was also found. Finally, affinity towards nature influenced well-being through nature experiences in 2018. The mediation effect was not significant in 2020, probably due to the decrease in nature experiences during the lockdown, but the direct relationship between affinity towards nature and well-being remained strong. These results provide insights into the means required to align the public health and conservation agendas to safeguard urbanites' health and well-being during a pandemic and mitigate the biodiversity crisis. • We used COVID-19 restriction measures to quantify effects of nature deprivation. • We surveyed the same individuals before the pandemic and during the lockdown. • Experiences of nature dropped for all respondents. • Well-being decreased only for people living in the least green neighborhoods. • Affinity towards nature and environmental attitudes remained unchanged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored how nature relatedness (NR) was linked with human eye movements in outdoor space. We created a 360-degree virtual reality scene that contained half urban setting of buildings and half nature area of trees, and recorded 112 participants' eye movements (total visit duration and total fixation duration ratio) during 1 min of free viewing. It was found that individuals' NR score correlated with their eye movements on the area of interests (AOIs), i.e., total fixation duration ratio on Trees (r (110) = 0.341, p <.001). Further analyses of the correlations between three subscales of NR scale and eye-tracking data revealed that NR-Self was related to eye movements significantly, but not for NR-Perception and NR-Experience. The paired t-tests result showed that people with Low NR score spent more time looking at buildings than trees, while the High NR group did the opposite. For the medium NR group, no distinct eye movements difference between trees and buildings was detected. The outcomes shed light on the divergence of individual visual attention in a mix of natural and built environment. Our finding also determined the efficacy of NR scale with physical measurements of behavior. • Nature relatedness is associated with eye movements in outdoor space. • NR-self scale is the only scale out of the three NR subscales to be significantly related to the eye-tracking data. • Nature related individuals are more likely to look at trees than buildings. • People low in nature relatedness spend more time viewing buildings rather than trees. • For people with medium nature relatedness, no distinct eye movements difference between trees and buildings was detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our economy, social lives, and mental health, and it therefore provides a unique chance for researchers to examine how people cope with changes to their everyday activities. Research suggests that people may be spending more time in nature than they did pre-pandemic. The current study sheds light on how nature is being used to cope with the stresses of the global health crisis and lockdowns. Canadian undergraduate students (N = 559) filled out a questionnaire during the fall of 2020 about their pandemic experience, including their affects, life satisfaction, and feelings of flourishing and vitality, in addition to a wide variety of nature variables. The weekly exposures, the perceived increases or decreases in the exposure to nature during the pandemic, and the feelings of connectedness (nature relatedness) were assessed. Those who felt like they were spending more time in nature than they did pre-pandemic experienced more subjective well-being. Nature-related individuals were more likely to access nature and to appreciate it more during the pandemic than others, but all people (even those less connected) experienced well-being benefits from spending more time in nature. Going into nature appears to be an increasingly popular and effective coping strategy to boost or maintain subjective well-being during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We conducted surveys on nature relatedness and soundscape perception in Argentina. • Hearing was of secondary importance to vision in experiences of nature. • Nature relatedness was positively correlated with valuation of natural soundscapes. • Valuation of natural soundscapes was higher than that of technophonic soundscapes. • Natural-soundscape-based educational programs may help promote nature relatedness. Human disconnection from nature is thought to have contributed to the environmental crises we currently face, and increasing connection with nature has been proposed as one way of promoting pro-environmental behavior, nature conservation, and social-ecological sustainability. Some efforts to increase connection with nature ("nature relatedness") have centered on exploring the social-ecological importance of soundscapes, but there is a paucity of empirical evidence supporting the theoretical linkage between soundscape perception and nature relatedness. Using prerecorded and in situ soundscape prompts, we conducted a street intercept survey in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina to assess: 1) the relative importance of senses in experiences of nature, 2) the relationship between nature relatedness and soundscape perception, 3) differences in soundscape perception between various soundscapes, and 4) possible sociodemographic influences on sense importance, nature relatedness, and soundscape perception. Participants reported that hearing was of secondary importance to vision in experiences of nature. We also found that nature relatedness was positively correlated with the valuation of soundscapes—particularly more natural ones—but not with the discernment of soundscapes or identification of where soundscapes were recorded. Valuation of more natural soundscapes was higher than valuation of more technophonically dominated soundscapes, while soundscape discernment and location identification were higher for soundscapes that were likely more familiar to listeners. Sociodemographic influences on these variables were minor, but women reported higher sense importance, and having a nature-based occupation was associated with higher nature relatedness and valuation of a soundscape from a penguin colony. Our study highlighted a number of potential research areas concerning soundscape perception, including differences between prerecorded and in situ soundscape prompts, defining various aspects of soundscape perception, and the relative influences of sound sources and quantitative acoustic parameters on soundscape perception. Further research is certainly needed to account for global diversity in cultures and soundscapes, but we found some promising empirical support for the use of natural-soundscape-focused educational programs in efforts to promote nature relatedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to investigate whether a sense of relatedness to a city helps to broaden understanding of the restorative potential of urban public spaces. Findings based on a sample of German adults ( n = 249) confirm that people experience relatedness to a city. The study's 3 × 3 (built, mixed, natural environment) × (average, livability environment, bird's-eye view) design revealed disordinal interactions for being away, fascination, preference, mental fatigue, and stimulating and activating effects associated with cities. This implies that humans' place perceptions are more complex than previously assumed. Both city and nature relatedness were relevant covariates of these findings. Surprisingly, the construct 'activating effects', was found to be mostly perceived as more positive for mixed and built environments compared to natural environments. Thus, complementing restorative environments research by introducing a measure for city relatedness significantly enhances understanding of the potential of urban public spaces for promoting human health and well-being.