Nicole Harris Hi, I'm Nicole Harris.  I'm an Educational Psychologist with   Portsmouth City Council. I'm also a visiting  Academic at the University of Southampton.   As an Educational Psychologist, I work with  children and young people up to the age of 25,   helping to identify their strengths, their  interests and potential barriers to learning. One   of my core areas of interest is the exploration of  how feeling connected to nature impacts us. Nature   connectedness is a psychological construct that  considers our emotional connection with nature   and the relationship that we form with the  elements in the natural landscape around us. There is a solid body of evidence in adults  that shows that feeling connected to nature   is beneficial for wellbeing and has a positive  impact on cognitive performance, for instance,   on attention, but there's less of an evidence base  when it comes to children and young people. So,   I was interested to explore the current  evidence base for children and young people,   especially that may link to what we call  behaviours for learning. So, for instance,   things like impulse control, focus, attention and  social skills. So, what I was hoping to clarify   through the study and what is important to me, the  main objective really was to explore what sort of   research was being conducted around the world  on supporting nature connectedness in children   and young people, focusing in particular  on what was being carried out in schools. And this was important to me because research  has shown that how connected to nature we   feel as adults is influenced by how, and if we're  supported to connect with nature as children. So,   this means that the influence of our families  and the access that we have to nature in our   childhood and how we're encare - encouraged to  view nature, interact with nature, respect nature,   is fundamental to how connected we feel to  nature as adults. So, why does this matter? So,   on a global scale, this matters because feeling  connected to nature has been shown to correlate   with pro-environmental behaviour, so we're more  likely to act in ways that protect and preserve   our planet if we feel connected to it. So, put  really simply, we care for what we care about. So, this also matters because for decades  now reach - research has been showing that   children and young people are feeling  increasingly disconnected from nature,   and this has come about through societal change,  where some children and young people have fewer   opportunities to connect and engage with  nature, and technological changes, so much   more, or many more of our children and young  people are spending time indoors and online. So,   there's the element of nature connectedness being  better for the planet. It's also better for us,   because feeling connected to nature has been  shown, again in adults, to improve wellbeing,   and there's an emerging evidence base that shows  this is also true for children and young people. So, significantly, research has also shown  that wellbeing in children and young people   tends to decrease in childhood  as they approach adolescence. So,   drawing together those three main threads, the  increasing disconnection of children from nature,   the links between increasing nature connectedness  and improving wellbeing, and then the decrease in   wellbeing in childhood made me wonder whether  establishing nature-based programmes designed   to increase nature connectedness in school could  have a wonderfully mutually beneficial approach.   This also, of course, sits within  the context of our current climate   crisis and the growing rates of climate  anxiety in our children and young people,   though I believe that any increase in  pro-environmental behaviour is a good thing. So, being aware of the intense pressure on schools  to focus on academic attainment and other aspects   of achievement, I wondered whether there might be  evidence that nature-based activities to increase   nature connectedness might also positively impact  on behaviours for learning. And we felt that if   there was evidence for this, then Teachers may  feel more able to carve out time within their   overstretched curriculum to spend on supporting  nature connection. So, a lot of nature connection   research is based on the theories of Attention  Restoration Theory, by Kaplan and Kaplan, and   the Stress Reduction Theory by Ulrich, so these  are reasonable expectations. And also, research   in adults has shown that there are positive  cognitive impacts of nature connectedness. So, we wanted to explore what the current research   said regarding relationship between nature  connectedness and behaviours for learning,   and we took a broad perspective on behaviours  for learning based on Ellis and Tod's framework,   that considered the emotional, the social and  the cognitive factors that underpin learning. So,   we were looking for evidence, for instance, of  improved attention, inhibition, social skills,   resilience and emotion regulation. Again,  the reasoning was that if school might be   able - better able to justify time being  spent on these activities, if they support   children and young people to engage with  learning as well as their mental health. Crucially, we wanted to review and evaluate the  research that was set in educational settings,   so largely schools is what we were looking for.  We hoped that any robust review findings would   support us to be able to advise - better able  to advise Teachers and schools on what could   be effective for them to do. And so, alongside  this review, my co-authors and I also carried   out a parallel study, so in schools, exploring the  effectiveness of some realistically implementable   nature connection activities for Teachers to  incorporate into their curriculum [pause]. The short answer to this is, yes. Most  surprising was the lack of published   research on programmes that had actually been  delivered in schools, sort of, on school sites.   So, this meant that we had to modify the  original inclusion criteria to include all   settings working with children and young people  which were looking at nature connectedness and   behaviours for learning. We proposed that  there may be two reasons for why so little   research is based on or in school sites,  and the first of these is that we think   that schools are outsourcing each and any nature  connectedness activities to external providers,   or - and/or they're delivering them in natural  settings that are a distance from the school,   and this was the case for the majority  of the studies in this literature review. We also wondered whether schools may  be delivering nature-based activities,   but they're just not gathering and publishing  their results. This suggests that there's a real   gap then in the research for action research  that in school to see what is achievable in   terms of supporting children and young people to  connect with the everyday nature that they have   access to on the school site, or adjacent to the  school site. And this is all the more important,   really, when we consider the more deprived areas,  because research has shown that children and young   people from the more deprived areas have even  lower access to and engagement with nature,   meaning that schools could really be  a key facilitator in this respect. We were also surprised to see how many studies  found that social skills and relationships with   others were positively impacted. In my work as  an Educational Psychologist, the majority of   my involvement at the moment in schools is in  supporting children and young people who have   real difficulties with emotional regulation  and with social interaction. And equally,   in the supervision sessions that are offered  to Teachers, a very common observation from   them is how the children and young people in their  classes have really underdeveloped social skills. So, I was really delighted to see such strong  evidence for time spent connecting with nature   being a way to foster and grow these very needed  social skills, and as a way for children and young   people to support their emotional regulation. So,  although I can feel this is true from a personal   standpoint, when I - practice-based evidence and  the world shows me, you know, the power of a walk   in the woods, and I know that really helps  me feel calm and refreshed and able to think   more clearly. From a professional standpoint,  where we support evidence-based practice, to   have so many qualitative and quantitative studies  seeing these improvements is really encouraging,   and it means that as an Educational Psychologist,  I feel confident in suggesting activities that   increase nature connectedness as a way of  supporting children and young people in school. And another surprise, again, personally, as  someone who is much more into quantitative   data and quantitative research than  qualitative, was the value and depth of   understanding that came from incorporating the  qualitative data into the systematic review,   and that very much challenged my expectations.  So, a lot of the evidence around behaviours for   learning came from the qualitative studies, but  it also showed in asking the children and young   people their thoughts and their feelings around  nature connectedness. The qualitative studies   allowed for a much more nuanced understanding  of their relationship with nature, and it   really allowed for better understanding that the  quantitative scores can't deliver. For instance,   showing understanding on climate anxiety or  ecophobia. And there was one paper in the review,   for instance, that mentioned how natural spaces  can seem unsafe and threatening for someone. And   although this may not relate to nature per se,  but wider societal concerns, these are still   details that you wouldn't necessarily pick up on  in a low quantitative nature connectedness score. So, this speaks again to the need for us to  consider the use of nature connection scale,   where maybe we want to start thinking  about asking about potential negative   thoughts and feelings that are associated  with nature connectedness. Feelings,   for instance, that might link to despondency  and overwhelm over the state of our planet,   but also about fears and anxiety that may  reasonably exist about being in natural spaces. We hope that our findings will encourage and  support schools and other settings working   with children and young people to incorporate  nature-based activities, designed to increase   nature connectedness into their ordinarily  available provision. We hope that this will   become a core part of the curriculum that supports  children and young people to thrive, not just   survive. We've shown that there are a variety of  ways that children and young people can engage   with nature, that improve nature connectedness  and behaviours for learning. Best of all,   we've shown that many of these activities can be  low cost and easily implemented. The core message   is really that being consciously present with  nature, for instance, through interacting with,   focusing on, being aware of, the nature around  you, helps to promote nature connectedness and   behaviours for learning, particularly the  important social and relational skills. Interestingly, we also found that the  behaviours for learning improved even   when nature connectedness didn't. I liken the  idea of supporting a relationship with nature   as how we build relationships with people.  So, we know as parents that we can sit in   our houses with our children in their bedrooms,  each of us doing our own thing in our own space,   and being in that shared space of the home doesn't  necessarily feel that we feel connected or close   to each other. To build those relationships again,  we need to be consciously present, interact with,   focus on, be aware of, who shares the space  with us, and be that our children or the plants,   the animals, the mountains, the streams,  the nature that surrounds and sustains us. So, some of the activities that were shown to  improve nature connectedness and behaviours   for learning were things as simple as  walking and reflecting in nature. So,   thinking about how you're feeling, engaging  with the environment through your senses,   you know, really noticing what things sound  like or smell like or feel like. There are   also art-based activities using nature, so, for  instance, things like sunlight photography or   taking photos of nature and reflecting on  the feelings that nature generated in you. The findings really support the  idea that nature-based activities   designed to improve nature connectedness  warrant inclusion into all of our schools,   as ordinarily available provision. So,  I've been making the point throughout   this presentation of saying "activities designed  to improve nature connectedness," which is quite   a mouthful to roll off, and the reason  I'm careful to keep saying this is because   this is the distinct idea from simply spending  time outside. So, although, of course,   there are benefits to spending time in green  open spaces, or through the increased activity   levels that might come from being outside, the  concept and construct of nature connectedness is   different to either of these. And our research  has looked at the impact of activity designed   to increase nature connectedness specifically, or  for impact on nature connectedness specifically. There was a huge amount of variety in  terms of how the studies were carried out,   and this was both a strength and a weakness of the  research base, in that it showed that a number of   different activities and levels of engagement  were shown to influence nature connectedness   and behaviours for learning. However, this also  meant that it was then quite difficult to compare   studies and draw overarching conclusions  about the specifics of what works and why.   There was also a huge variation in the types  of physical environment that were explored   in affecting nature connectedness, so in terms of  green spaces, forests, seasides. And each of these   may confer different benefits, but at present,  much of the literature takes nature to be almost   any wild or outdoor space, without being overly  specific in terms of what this may or may not be. There were difficulties in terms of what nature  connectedness looks like at different ages and   how this can be measured. So, again, different  studies use different nature connectedness scales,   and it wasn't always clear on whether the scales  that were used were validated for use on children   and young people. So, these scales may have been  made for adults and modified for use by children.   And this matters because not just because of the  language that may be in those scales, but how we   experience connection and the relationships  that we have with nature changes as we grow   up. Few of the studies used controls, and many  had relatively small sample sizes. So, you know,   a couple of challenges there, but to help address  these challenges and to help build a more robust   evidence base, we designed as part of our study  a framework to help education, sort of, plan and   evaluate their nature-based interventions. And  this is table seven in the paper, and we hope   that it will support Educators in undertaking  and publishing their own action research. Finally, there is an underlying challenge of  understanding what is and what isn't nature. So,   for example, there are many challenges to the  concept of seeing nature as something separate   or outside us, rather than seeing nature as  something that we are also an integral part of,   that we too are nature. So, exploring  this bridge or the connection between   our own nature and the greater nature, so  between our internal and external spaces,   is something that I and my collaborator, Dr  Bee Hartwell, have also been exploring [pause]. So, there are three parts to the key message  that I would like others to take away. Firstly,   I would like others to better appreciate  that there are many positive outcomes   that come from fostering a sense of nature  connectedness. There are benefits in terms   of being able to engage with learning, for  instance, improved attention, engagement,   motivation and independence. There's  benefits to being able to engage socially,   we're interest in social skills, empathy,  compassion, collaboration, self-esteem. And   then the findings from other studies that were not  part of this review, which have linked supporting   development of nature connectedness with improved  wellbeing and pro-environmental behaviours. I guess, secondly, I'd like to remind others that  these activities and the benefits arising from   them can be achieved through small-scale and low  cost activities. We don't, for instance, all have   to go camping in Canada for a month. And finally,  there's a need to develop the evidence base around   delivering nature connectedness programmes in  schools, for instance, by visiting Educators,   you know, using Teachers in the setting. And  these projects could really help embed nature   connection practices into the ethos and the  day-to-day organic opportunities in school,   and this would mean that they're less of an  intervention and more of a simple way of being. And it may be helpful for anyone interested to  know that as part of our wider body research   and development, Bee and I are currently  developing and evaluating what we hope   will be a very valuable and impactful nature  connectedness curriculum for Educators to share   with their children and young people. So, we've  already been trialling this with hundreds of   pupils from schools across four different local  authorities. And our curriculum offers Teachers   a series of structured sessions that they can  follow with their children to help them become   more consciously connected to both their inner  nature and the nature that surrounds them. And   if schools or other settings are interested in  receiving more information about this, they can   email me or Bee at the University of Southampton.  Our contact details are [inaudible - 1904]. Thank you so very much for  your interest in our research.