Fostering connectedness to nature in higher education

Environmental thinkers and educators have argued for the importance of celebrating our connectedness to nature, or the perception of being part of, rather than separate from, the natural world. Using pre-and post-test measurements of Nature Relatedness and supplemental interviews, this study addresses the question of whether a particular introductory collegelevel ecology course can increase learners' connectedness to nature, both independently and in comparison to a similar course. The results show that the course significantly increased participants' connectedness, particularly their identification with nature and nature-focused worldview. Other environmental courses studied demonstrated no such changes, suggesting that environmental education does not automatically lead to connectedness. However, if woven into the goals and approach of teaching, connectedness to nature can indeed be fostered in higher education. This is a promising result for educators and others working towards a sustainable future.