Experiences in nature benefit humans in a variety of ways, including increasing health and well-being, reducing stress, inspiring creativity, enhancing learning, and fostering environmental stewardship values. These experiences help define the relationship people have with nature which is often correlated with a person’s level of environmental concern as well as their engagement in pro-environmental behaviors. A more informed understanding of the ways in which interactions with the natural environment can foster connection to nature requires that we are able to measure our perceived relationship to the environment. Dozens of tools measure people’s connection to nature—the strength of those perceived relationships with the natural world. Although the tools have been primarily developed to answer research questions, practitioners are increasingly interested in understanding whether and in what ways their work—in areas including environmental education, urban planning, and park management, for example—influences people’s connection to nature. In 2018, we launched a participatory process involving researchers and practitioners in a review of existing connection to nature assessment tools with the intention of identifying tools that would be useful to practitioners, as well as defining needs in research. This paper chronicles the process’s outcomes, including a discussion of opportunities for future research.

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改进与自然联系的评估：一种参与式方法

大自然中的体验以多种方式使人类受益，包括提高健康和福祉、减轻压力、激发创造力、增强学习和培养环境管理价值观。这些经历有助于定义人与自然的关系，这通常与一个人对环境的关注程度以及他们参与环保行为的程度相关。对与自然环境的互动可以促进与自然的联系的方式有更深入的了解，需要我们能够衡量我们与环境的感知关系。有数十种工具可以衡量人们与自然的联系——人们感知到的与自然世界的关系的强度。虽然这些工具主要是为了回答研究问题而开发的，从业者越来越有兴趣了解他们的工作是否以及以何种方式——例如在环境教育、城市规划和公园管理等领域——影响人们与自然的联系。2018 年，我们启动了一个让研究人员和从业者参与的参与式流程，审查与自然评估工具的现有联系，目的是确定对从业者有用的工具，并确定研究需求。本文记录了该过程的结果，包括对未来研究机会的讨论。我们启动了一个让研究人员和从业者参与的参与过程，以审查与自然评估工具的现有联系，目的是确定对从业者有用的工具，并确定研究需求。本文记录了该过程的结果，包括对未来研究机会的讨论。我们启动了一个让研究人员和从业者参与的参与过程，以审查与自然评估工具的现有联系，目的是确定对从业者有用的工具，并确定研究需求。本文记录了该过程的结果，包括对未来研究机会的讨论。