A national initiative to collect stories about how each of us connects with nature has kicked off in Hobart, as researchers seek to understand how we can encourage more positive relationships with the environment around the country.
The project is co-led by two researchers from the national Sustainable Communities and Waste Hub based at the University of Tasmania: Dr Pauline Marsh from the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre and Dr Emily Flies from the School of Geography, Planning and Spatial Sciences.
The Nature Connection Storytelling Project will be piloted initially in Tasmania, and will gather written, oral and visual stories from many people across a variety of communities.
“We know that storytelling is a powerful tool for understanding how people make meaning of the world around them, and this project allows us to hear diverse voices and share them in a meaningful way,” Dr Marsh said.
The team aims to also find out what kinds of barriers get in the way of the potential benefits of connecting with nature, and how relationships between humans and nature vary across locations and communities.
Dr Flies said they also hoped to improve strategies and policies used in the field, to enable more people to enjoy the benefits of nature into the future.
“Through this work we will be able to understand the positive impacts nature has on the health and wellbeing, social connections and pro-environmental behaviours of people right around the country,” Dr Flies said.
The stories will be collected through a new interactive website, and in-person through a mobile storytelling pod. The pod will travel across the state, attending community events and festivals. The pod’s next stop is Health Fest at the University of Tasmania’s Cradle Coast Campus on Saturday 18 November 2023.
The collected stories will then be shared on the website, which will also host resources about storytelling and nature connection.
This project is co-funded by the National Environmental Science Program through the Sustainable Communities and Waste Hub and the University of Tasmania.
To share your story about nature, please visit the new website or for more information about the Project please contact the Project Coordinator, Jen Sharman: jenni.sharman@utas.edu.au, 0409 592 424