Children's Connectedness to Nature and Environmental Education in Crete, Greece

Abstract

This study assessed Nature Connectedness in participants aged 10 to 12 in an eight-week Environmental Education outdoor program at five public primary schools in Chania, Crete, in Greece. Nature Connectedness was assessed through surveys adapted from the Connectedness to Nature Index and the Inclusion of Nature in Self Scale. A comparison of baseline and post-intervention scores assessed the impact of the intervention on Nature Connectedness. Nature Exposure was examined in relation to Nature Connectedness, as green spaces within a 600-meter radius of the schools through Normalized Difference Vegetation Index analysis, as well as self-reported frequency of outdoor activities, and distance to the sea. The study explored the relationship of social context and type of activities to Nature Connectedness. The results concluded that Nature Connectedness was positively impacted by Environmental Education, had a stronger correlation with frequency of outdoor activities than with NDVI, as well as with spending time outdoors with family.