The Power of Narrative to Bring People and Nature Together

Abstract

The author argues that culture and nature have become separated, and that museums can use narrative to enhance the connections between people and their place as part of the natural world. She suggests that the concept of <i>wilderness</i> without story is too abstract. She asserts that encouraging a respect for wild places necessitates connecting those places with their human history. As a teacher and environmentalist, who for years has led students on trips to natural places, the author advocates the use of stories and forms of narrative to connect individuals to nature by showing the inherent connections between human and natural history.