people benefit from being in nature, but this benefit can be difficult to quantify
Nature Connections
People Need Nature believes in the importance of using results from research to underpin our work. One particular area of research that we are interested in is the psychology of nature value, and the benefits of connections with nature. We have recently joined the Nature Connections Research Network and look forward to working with researchers in this field. Two leading research groups which we are keen to work with are at the University of Derby and Shefield Hallam University.
Dr Miles Richardson leads the nature connectedness research group at the University of Derby. Miles is organising the second conference on Nature Connections which takes place in June 2016. For more information go to this page. You can also read more about Miles’ research on his blog here.
Framing
The way we view nature and whether we value it or not, depends on the psychological frames through which we view it. People Need Nature is very interested in the framing used when different organisations and individuals think about, and talk about nature. We are especially interested in how the current Natural Capital debate is creating a new frame to view nature and the benefits it provides to people. We believe that viewing nature through a purely economic frame is likely to deepen the problems people face and also hasten the decline in species, habitats and ecosystems.
For more information about framing, please take a look at the various reports produced by Common Cause and the research and writings of Professor Sian Sullivan.
Professor Clive Spash is a leading economist critic of Natural Capital and you can read a recent paper by him on this subject, Bulldozing Biodiversity, here.
Our CEO Miles King, in a personal capacity, has also written copiously on Natural Capital and framing on his blog, here.