A new study has revealed that people’s connection to nature has fallen by more than 60% since the year 1800, raising concerns about both environmental health and human wellbeing.
The research, led by Professor Miles Richardson from the University of Derby, tracked the decline using historical data on urbanisation, loss of wildlife, and the shrinking role of nature in people’s lives. The study also found a similar drop in the use of nature-related words such as “river,” “moss” and “blossom” in books between 1800 and 1990.
According to Richardson, this “extinction of experience” is likely to continue unless major changes are made, such as introducing children to nature from an early age and dramatically increasing greenery in towns and cities. His modelling suggests that cities may need to be up to ten times greener to reverse the trend.
Short-term campaigns and nature activities, while helpful for mental health, do not appear to stop the long-term decline in nature connection. Instead, the study points to the importance of family-based engagement and nature-rich education, like forest school nurseries, to ensure the bond with the natural world is passed from one generation to the next.
The research also found some signs of hope: after decades of decline, nature-related words in books have started to rise again, possibly reflecting a growing cultural interest in the environment.
Richardson warned that urgent action is needed within the next 25 years to prevent further loss of connection, but said the low current baseline means even small improvements could make a big difference.