The social value
of ecosystem
services
... impacts on
development
in adolescents
Identity development model
“Embodied I”
Practical
World
Social
World
Ultimate
adolescent
concerns
Who we are is a
matter of what we
care about most.
Archer 2002: 11
Bodily wellbeing
identity
formation
Adolescent moratorium:
Who am I?
role
confusion
Natural World
Adolescent identity development
Erikson 1968
A challenging social context
Increasing
eco-phobia
Why this study?
Eco-phobia is the fear of
ecological deterioration …
If we fill our classrooms with
examples of environmental
abuse, we may be
engendering a subtle form of
dissociation …
Lacking direct experience
with nature, youth begin to
associate it with fear and
apocalypse, not joy and
wonder.
Richard Louv, 2005: 133
I think nature
is something special
but nature
is not nature
if people
kill our animals
Oh
cut our trees.
$#¥@§
So I would
say
!!
nature is not for me.
The need for nurturing environments
Young people, as a result of their detachment from their elders,
have less access to networks which existed in previous
generations to manage the process of growing up.
Crain Soudien 2007: 6
What role can Nature play?
How do teens feel about Nature?
Low
ex-HoR
High
Pvt girls
V. low
ex-DET
% Responses from all schools / groups to Q5 (n = 587) :
How do you personally feel about nature?
Lots of teens, even though
they won't admit it, love
being in nature. They prefer
not to engage in nature
because of peer pressure.
C-GQ 8.14
Escape
Nature helps me forget my problems
the stress, the bullying, the jealousy;
I can just be myself,
without being judged.
Nature’s a safe place for me.
I escape from my busy life
into a different world.
I’m in a meditation moment,
place of peace, love and harmony.
A better place
Time outdoors
keeps kids out of trouble;
it keeps us from
doing bad things.
It’s a better place
where we can learn,
not a place of
gangsters and drugs.
The Nature of God
In nature it's just so beautiful
I find myself and God.
I feel relaxed and positive
seeing goodness in the world.
I care about nature and respect it
because it is special to God.
I feel happy about nature
because it’s the nature of God.
Access to nature by youth
I don’t go out much
I love nature
but I don't go out
much
(and that means
almost never)
and when
Schools
and I do
it’sareas
just
natural
to the
mall.
in Cape
Town
Access & socio-economic status
Percentage
Visits to natural areas
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Infrequent (<1/yr)
Occasional (1-4/yr)
Frequent (>12/yr)
F
G
N
Very low
O
C
D
Low
E
A
H
I
M
Middle
B
J
K
L
High
School & Socio-economic status
Frequency of nature visits by youth attending schools in different
socio-economic areas
‘Home ranges’
of 8-year olds
Sheffield, UK
Dr William Bird
Natural England
www.dailymail.co.uk/
news/article-46209/Howchildren -lost-right-toroam-generations.html
What teens valued about nature
140
a place
to learn
120
*
100
Number
a place
to care
80
a place
to play
*
a place
of refuge
*
*
60
40
an inspiring
place
*
20
Aspects
Number of responses from all groups to Q8 (n = 587):
Do you think nature is relevant to teenagers in general?
Beauty
Reflection / spiritual
Escape / acceptance
Recreation
Socialising / fun
Next generation
Need to conserve
Heritage
Ecology / creatures
Human survival
Skills / interests
Learning
Generally positive
Strong affinity
0
Possibilities
a place to learn
Life Orientation: Personal wellbeing, citizenship, physical
activity, career awareness
a place of refuge
Time-out in nature is therapeutic
Nature gives us perspective
… beyond senior science
a place to play
Combine nature experiences
with other things youth enjoy
a place to care
Without ‘embodied implacement’
our concepts become abstractions
(O’Loughlin 2006)
Teens &
Nature
Retrieve poetic ways of engaging
with nature. Receptive sensing,
not just cognitive ordering.
(Bonnett 2002, 2007)
a place
of inspiration
Learning to care
Spending time in Nature as a
child or youth, particularly with
a trusted adult mentor, helps to
develop adults who care about
the environment.
Chawla 1998, Kellert & Derr 1998
We come to identify with and
care about things because of
close contact and involvement
with them, rather than through a
distant, cognitive act of choosing.
Dirk Postma 2006
Nature is good for us!
Green nature [can] reduce crime, foster psychological wellbeing,
reduce stress, boost immunity, enhance productivity, and
promote healing.
Cecily Maller et al, 2002: 1
Pennsylvania: patients in wards with a view
of trees recovered more quickly and
needed less medication than patients with
a view of a brick wall.
Ulrich 1984
London: the higher the biodiversity in
urban parks the greater the sense of wellbeing experienced by visitors.
Fuller et al 2007
Nature & physical health
Green spaces impact directly on
some of the largest areas of
National Health Service
expenditure in the UK.
A brisk walk every day in Nature
can reduce the risk of:
> heart attacks, strokes &
diabetes by 50%
> fracture of the femur, colon
cancer & breast cancer by 30%
> Alzheimer’s disease by 25%.
Blue Sky Green Space: GreenLINK, UK
Nature & community health
Parks are at the heart of our
communities, helping to make
them stronger, safer, more
sustainable and attractive.
Blue Sky Green Space, UK
In Chicago a study showed
that the presence of trees
reduced levels of crime in
inner city neighbourhoods.
Kuo & Sullivan 2001
Nature care & human well-being
Involvement in voluntary conservation work in natural areas
has a positive impact on the mental, physical and emotional
health of people suffering from stress, anxiety and depression,
or social isolation.
Townsend & Ebden, 2006
Human wellbeing is enhanced by:
• satisfactory human
relationships
• meaningful occupation
• contact with nature
• creative expression
• making a positive
contribution to society.
Furnass, in Maller 2002: 39
Reflections
Nature is very relevant to teenagers.
When we spend time
with nature we get some
time to think of things
that we care of.
G-GQ 8.86
Teens value opportunities to experience nature, reflect on their
lives, and develop personally.
Caring mentors are needed to support adolescent development.
Nature provides an ideal context for identity development and
identification of our ultimate concerns.
Cape Town’s ‘biodiversity network’
has potential to be a nurturing
‘eco-social network’ for youth.
To break the cycle of inaccessibility /
lack of identification with nature,
urban nature spaces need to be
safe and accessible.
Today’s teens ... tomorrow’s parents
Listening to nature
Listening to nature
I experienced its value,
listening to the ocean
made me soft.
Hearing every little sound
it was beautiful
but we never have the chance
anymore.
Gazing at the stars
in absolute silence,
listening to the birds
we closed our eyes.
The quietness of nature,
sound, air and smell
came together
perfectly.
Taking in the sounds
breathing fresh air,
trust me, it’s so different
where I come from.
It was quiet
I felt like I'm in heaven
I was relieved –
all bad feelings
gone.