With an average 68% decline in animal populations since 1970, action needs to be taken to help preserve habitat and protect our natural world. A new study finds that we may not be connected enough to nature to do so, though.

Recent research on our link to the outdoors finds that nature connectedness has gone down 60% since 1800. During this time, there has also been roughly the same decrease in the number of nature words that have appeared in books. The study, published in the journal Earth, found that one of the main factors is that parents aren’t passing down an appreciation for the outdoors, which suggests a key step in reversing this trend is enacting policies and urban planning that get families and young children into green spaces far more frequently.

Miles Richardson, study author and professor of nature connectedness at the University of Derby, says, “Working with families and parents to engage children with nature with a real focus on that intergenerational transmission is key. There’s already a lot of focus on connecting children with nature, but I prefer to say – don’t disconnect them. A newborn child is much the same as a child born in 1800. Children are fascinated by the natural world. It’s maintaining that through their childhood and schooling that’s essential, alongside urban greening.”

The study looked at data on urbanization, nature engagement opportunities, and generational nature transmission between 1800 and 2020. This, combined with a model, helped project these trends through 2125. The projections showed that even with significant efforts to increase nature connectedness, there will still be a disconnect by 2050. However, after that, the investment into this effort will begin to pay off.

The paper says, “Although reversing the long-term decline will take time, the model’s projection of a ‘self-sustaining and accelerating recovery’ post-2050 is a critical insight. It demonstrates how, once a threshold is crossed, interventions can trigger a positive feedback loop that propagates through the population.”

Suggested policy actions to get us back in tune with nature include focusing on biodiverse, accessible green spaces in urban planning and ensuring these spaces exist in education, health care, transport, art, and housing settings. Since the study found that a generational transfer was lacking, it also recommends programs for new parents to improve their own nature connectedness, school curriculums that include nature engagement, and public awareness campaigns to encourage family outings in nature. The paper also says it’s key to institute tracking measures to see how well these policies work.

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