Manuela ran a short workshop last week in collaboration with the Scottish Eden Project Communities on Re-connecting our communities with nature.
Here are some of the resources she shared:
1.NATURE FEELS GOOD/ CONECTEDNESS TO NATURE
- Online nature conectedness test Nature connectedness has been researched since the 2000s, it measures our emotional relationship with nature. This online test is based on research by Mayer & McPherson Frantz in 2004.
- Assessing connection to nature A review of different methods by Salazar, G., Kunkle, K. & Monroe, M. C. in 2020.
- People’s engagement with nature Reflective visual analysis of Natural England’s Monitor of Engagement of the Natural Environment (MENE) survey (2009 to 2019). It collected data about outdoor recreation, pro-environmental behaviours, attitudes towards and engagement with the natural environment. It also captures the inequalities that exist in terms of access and enjoyment of nature and highlights the proven benefits of this connection.
2. NATURE IS EVERYWHERE
- Guidance and approaches to use community asset mapping can be found here (Simple guide by Preston City Council), for examples including digital options see here (Glasgow Futurecity project) and a more grassroots and “hands on” approach here from The Commons, Social Change Library.
- Presentation and notes on how the Green Maps concept and tool can support community empowerment by Hannah Clinch for Creative Carbon Scotland.
- Introduction to journey mapping by Dundee-based Open Change Scroll down the videos to find the video on Journey Mapping.
3. MORE CONNECTION, MORE PROTECTION
- A short and sweet National Trust/ University of Derby publication on connecting with nature “Nature and me: Five ways to strengthen the relationship between people and nature”
4. RE-CONNECTING AS A COMMUNITY
- Some useful resources to set up your own community project can be found on Scotland’s Greenspaces page.
- I have also shared 10 tips from my own experience working with communities on the Grow Dundee blog.
- As suggested, becoming part of a wider network is really helpful. Here are some Scottish community networks that I have had good experiences with:
- Scottish Community Alliance promotes the work of local people in their communities and influences national policy in order to reflect the best interests of the sector. They offer learning exchanges through the networks mentioned above
Grow Dundee 