Nature experience and its importance for environmental knowledge, values and action: recent German empirical contributions

Abstract

This article illustrates the importance of nature experience for environmental knowledge, values and action. Recent empirical German research on the importance of nature experience will be analysed with regard to research foci, innovative research contributions and selected research results. Research deficits and challenges will be identified. Recommendations for improving nature experience research will be given. The paper argues that nature experience is one central foundation for the development of knowledge and values in relation to the environment. Nature experience has frequently been shown to influence environmental action in everyday situations with low task complexity. The full challenge for education for sustainable development is posed, however, by situations of high factual and ethical complexity. In this regard, nature experience is also essential because of its role in fostering assessment and judgement competences.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Jan Barkmann for fruitful discussions, Claudia Maiss and Johanna Meyercordt for helping me with the English version of this paper, and two anonymous reviewers for most appreciated comments.

Notes

The quotations in this article from reference works in German are the translation of the author of the article and/or the Editors, unless otherwise indicated.