Rapid worldwide return to nature after lockdown as a motivator for conservation and sustainable action.

Exposure to nature is increasingly regarded as a key part of human health, and the recognition that urban environments must provide access to green spaces for the wellbeing. The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 led to many governments issuing stay-at-home orders and closing parks, limiting the options of accessible green spaces for people seeking to safely socialise and cope with stress. Here, we gain a global perspective on how quickly people returned to nature (visiting parks and beaches) in comparison to necessities (accessing groceries and pharmaceuticals) and luxury activities (retail purchases and recreation) following COVID-19 lockdowns using Google Mobility data. We found that people from around the world returned to nature 76 days after peak lockdown, 28 days after people returned to necessities and 77 days before the return to luxuries. Central Asia, Europe, and Northern America returned to nature before necessities. These patterns held even after seasonally-detrending the data. We further found a strong negative correlation between the speed people pulsed back to nature and the strength of government response measures. Combined, our data support the value of nature to people and the need to consider access to green and natural space for human well-being. At the same time, the large-scale return to nature also highlighted the need to promote messages on how to minimise the impacts of human activities in these spaces. We advocate for building and protecting green spaces, combined with strong eco-education, to foster pro-environmental behaviour. • Overall, people from around the world returned to nature faster than they returned to accessing luxuries. • Many regions, particularly in Northern America and Europe, returned to nature even before necessities. • Human relationships with nature improve wellbeing, social connection, and motivate conservation action. • The importance of nature conflicts with urban development practices leading to reduced green spaces. • Access to nature should be elevated to the status of a basic human right. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]