The nature inclusion among urban youth: enjoyment, outdoor activities and favorite places in nature

The article examines the experiences and views of young minors living in cities on the so-called nature inclusion: the affective caring of and cognitive connectedness with nature i.e., the perception of themselves as part of nature and the significance of nature to them. Schultz’s theoretisation of Inclusion with Nature in Self functions as a broad theoretical framework. In the analysis of its components, the cultural representations of outdoor exercise in nature and specifications of environmental worldviews are utilized. The data was collected in connection with an event organized by the youth services of a large city for 9th-graders (2020 and 2021) and in two school camps held at a youth center (2021). Between 49–211 pupils participated in the interviews/surveys.

The analysis of the caring of nature shows that most young people are attached to nature and find favorite places in the nearby nature. The caring of nature manifests itself primarily in a romantic-expressive way. Almost 60 percent of the pupils remember a special nature experience that happened close to home. The cognitive connectedness with nature appears unclear when analysing young people’s environmental worldviews which mainly represent anthropocentric view, where nature is perceived as separate from nature, offering something to humans.

The results also show that nature is a versatile exercise place for youth. When they gain special experiences in (nearby) nature, it supports their desire to act for the best of nature, like pro-environmentally. The conclusion is that the nearby nature, which has proven valuable to young people, must be cherished and their cognitive connectedness with nature needs to be further strengthened. For example, in urban planning, it is important to consider green areas and local nature-related outdoor exercise venues are easily accessible for young people.

Keywords: youth, nearby nature, caring for nature, connectedness with nature, outdoor activities in nature

Full text available in Finnish

Authors

Maarit Marttila (maarit.marttila@tampere.fi) & Mari Pienimäki