Biocultural diversity on school grounds: benefits for nature and human connectedness

Abstract

We are navigating through difficult times with regard to wicked sustainability problems such as loss of nature due to war, industrial pollution, and development of habitats causing reduced biodiversity. With less connection to nature, a sense of place is not developed, and we experience higher levels of anxiety. A sense of place entails feelings of understanding and comfort with a specific place in the environment, usually developed over a period of time. As adults we often remember such a place from growing up: a place we used to play, visit, or go to when we needed to think or recover from challenges. Connectedness to place results in development of an ethic of care toward the environment (Christie and Higgins, 2012). If we don’t care about the state of the environment and the loss of natural processes and ecosystem services, we are less likely to change our behavior to protect it.