Nature documentaries and saving nature: Reflections on the new Netflix series Our Planet

Julia P. G. Jones,

Laura Thomas-Walters,

Niki A. Rust,

Diogo Veríssimo

Published: Jan. 1, 2019

Netflix recently launched its high-profile nature documentary Our Planet. Voiced by Sir David Attenborough in English (with Salma Hayek, Penelope Cruz and other Hollywood actors voicing versions simultaneously released in 10 other languages), Netflix are making a clear play for core BBC territory. However, they claim that this is a nature documentary with a difference as it puts the threats facing nature front and center to the narrative. We coded the scripts of Our Planet, and those of three recent Attenborough-voiced BBC documentaries, to explore the extent to which threats (and conservation action and success) are discussed. The only other …

Childhood nature connection and constructive hope: A review of research on connecting with nature and coping with environmental loss

Louise Chawla

Published: Jan. 1, 2020

Within a generation, children's lives have largely moved indoors, with the loss of free-ranging exploration of the nearby natural world, even as research indicates that direct experiences of nature in childhood contribute to care for nature across the life span. In response, many conservation organizations advocate connecting children with nature, and there has been rising interest in measuring young people's connectedness with nature, understanding how it relates to their well-being and stewardship behaviour and creating programs to increase connection. This article reviews the literature on these topics, covering both quantitative and qualitative studies. It notes that this research emphasizes positive …

The green care code: How nature connectedness and simple activities help explain pro-nature conservation behaviours

Miles Richardson,

Holli-Anne Passmore,

Lea Barbett,

Ryan Lumber,

Rory Thomas,

Alex Hunt

Published: Jan. 1, 2020

The biodiversity crisis demands greater engagement in pro-nature conservation behaviours. Research has examined factors which account for general pro-environmental behaviour; that is, behaviour geared to minimizing one's impact on the environment. Yet, a dearth of research exists examining factors that account for pro-nature conservation behaviour specifically—behaviour that directly and actively supports conservation of biodiversity. This study is the first of its kind to use a validated scale of pro-nature conservation behaviour. Using online data from a United Kingdom population survey of 1,298 adults (16+ years), we examined factors (composed of nine variable-blocks of items) that accounted for pro-nature conservation behaviour. …