Unlocking nature connection through words
Miles Richardson is Professor of Human Factors and Nature Connectedness at the University of Derby; he’s also an advisor to the Encounter app. Here, he explains how the simple habit of nature journaling can transform your wellbeing and inspire you to care for nature
What’s nature connection about? At its heart, it’s two simple things woven together. First, it’s grasping that we’re not separate from nature. We’re not high-tech outsiders, we’re part of it, flesh-and-blood creatures, tied to the earth like every bird and tree. Second, it’s that quiet pull you feel when you watch the setting sun or hear waves lapping on the shore. Nature connection weaves these emotional and biological threads, creating a deep bond to the natural world. It’s much more than time outdoors, the two threads of knowing we belong and feeling it deep down cause a shift where the boundary between you and nature blurs into nothing.
Why does this matter? People with a strong tie to nature don’t just smile more or feel their days are more worthwhile – though studies show that they do. They’re also more likely to care about the birds or the trees or the air we all breathe. This isn’t just a feel-good fix for our minds: it’s a lifeline for the nature crisis too. Nature connection unites our own wellbeing with that of the wider natural world.
So, how do we find this special relationship? The first step is to tune in and take notice of the birds singing or the wind rustling the leaves. Too often our busy lives take over, and there always other things with designs on our attention. Most people never stop to hear a blackbird sing. It’s easy to find ourselves tuned out, lost in our own noise. But when you start noticing – truly seeing, hearing, feeling – the ‘soft fascination’ of nature wraps around you. These fleeting moments don’t need a lot of time: they can sneak in-between the busyness. And if you jot them down, something truly magical can happen: writing about nature deepens those moments and roots them in place.
Your journal doesn’t need to be a masterpiece. A couple of lines about a bright flower or a crow’s caw plants these moments as seeds. It’s the act of writing that matters, there’s no need to worry about facts and figures. A few short, positive lines about the good things in nature is great; a paragraph or two even better. Nature always has a story to tell and for us, constructing stories is a natural process that brings coherence and meaning. Simply noticing nature and weaving each moment together helps the threads of feeling and belonging to form.
Find out more about nature connectedness on Miles’s blog findingnature.org.uk – or for a practical guide try his inspiring book, The Blackbird’s Song. For deep dive into the science behind it all, immerse yourself in Reconnection.
