BOOK
RECONNECTION
BY MILES RICHARDSON, PELAGIC PUBLISHING, £17.99 (HB)
A 2021 survey found that just 10% of us feel that we are part of nature. In this compelling book, Miles Richardson asks how our relationship with nature became so broken, why it matters and how we can fix it.
There have been numerous books in recent years extolling how good nature is for us. It’s true, but Richardson is concerned that promoting nature as “a pill to pop when things are not so good” perpetuates the human-nature divide; continuing to portray the natural world as a resource or service provider, or at best, a pleasant backdrop. He argues that this separation is at the root of the climate and ecological crises we face.
Richardson is a scientist, and his research at the University of Derby focuses on ‘nature connectedness’ – our emotional responses, beliefs and attitudes towards nature. This isn’t about time spent in nature, it’s about what you do there. He – and others – haveconnectedness, human wellbeing and pro-environmental behaviour, which offers a path to healing the relationship with nature in a way that’s not just good for us, but for nature, too. “There’s a need to spend time with nature,” he writes. He offers practical, evidence-based ways to do this.
