Human Connection to Nature Has Declined 60% in 200 Years, Study Finds

Two hundred years ago, a walk to school might have meant crossing a meadow alive with the hum of bees, skirting a brook that shimmered in the morning light, or pausing under the blossom-heavy branches of an old fruit tree. Today, for many of us, that same walk is more likely to follow a pavement lined with parked cars, past shopfronts and bus stops, accompanied by the thrum of engines.

What might look like nostalgia on the surface shows up in measurable ways. Researchers estimate that humanity’s “nature connectedness” has fallen by more than 60% since the early 1800s, a decline so steep it’s been called the “extinction of experience.” In some cities, people spend less than five minutes a day in truly natural spaces. That’s less time than it takes to boil a kettle.

The implications ripple far beyond missed scenery. Our mental health, cultural memory, and even our willingness to protect the living world are entwined with how closely we remain connected to it. But what forces have pushed us so far from the wild places and rhythms that once shaped our daily lives and is it still possible to turn back toward them?

The Scale of the Decline

The transformation has been slow enough to escape daily notice yet vast enough to be traced across centuries. In a study led by Professor Miles Richardson at the University of Derby, researchers estimated that our collective “nature connectedness” the emotional, cultural, and experiential bond we share with the living world has dropped by more than 60% since 1800. They describe this as the “extinction of experience,” a generational withering of familiarity with wild places, species, and seasonal cycles.

To reach this figure, Richardson’s team built an agent-based computer model spanning over two centuries of social and environmental change. They combined historical records of urbanisation and biodiversity loss with a surprising cultural metric: the frequency of nature-related words in books and other cultural works. Words like brook, willow, blossom, and meadow once appeared commonly in literature and everyday conversation. By 1990, their presence had dropped by 60.6%, mirroring the decline in lived contact with the natural world. In recent decades, this linguistic slide has eased slightly, with a small rebound to a 52.4% decline a flicker of hope that cultural interest may be stirring again.

The correlation is not coincidental. As towns swelled into cities, daily exposure to biodiverse landscapes diminished. In 1810, just 7% of the world’s population lived in urban areas; today, more than 80% do. The model revealed a critical threshold: when urban greenspace falls below roughly 23% of an area, disconnection accelerates sharply and becomes difficult to reverse.

What makes this decline especially troubling is its self-perpetuating nature. The research found that parents’ own level of nature connectedness is one of the strongest predictors of whether their children will inherit that bond. If a generation grows up with limited exposure, the next is likely to start even further removed from the natural world. This intergenerational feedback loop means that without deliberate intervention, the downward trend could continue for centuries.

From 1800 to today, the world has gained technologies, cities, and comforts our ancestors could scarcely imagine yet it has shed much of the everyday intimacy with nature that was once an unquestioned part of life. Understanding how deep and long this separation has grown is the first step toward deciding whether we accept it as inevitable or act to change the trajectory.

Why We’re Losing Our Connection

The 60% decline in humanity’s bond with nature is not the result of a single shift, but the convergence of several deep, reinforcing changes in how we live, work, and relate to our surroundings. The study led by Professor Miles Richardson highlights four intertwined drivers that have reshaped both our landscapes and our inner orientation toward the natural world.

1. Urbanisation and Habitat Loss

Two centuries ago, most people lived within walking distance of wild or semi-wild spaces meadows, rivers, hedgerows, or woodlands. In 1810, only about 7% of the world’s population lived in cities. Today, more than 80% do, with urban areas steadily replacing forests, wetlands, and fields. This expansion fragments what remains of natural habitats, creating smaller, more isolated green spaces with lower biodiversity. The research identifies a tipping point: when urban greenspace availability dips below roughly 23%, disconnection accelerates and becomes harder to reverse. In many modern cities, this threshold has already been crossed.

2. Cultural Shifts in Language and Storytelling

Our cultural mirrors literature, music, film, and even everyday conversation once reflected a rich vocabulary of natural elements. Words like blossom, stream, or heath carried not just meaning, but lived familiarity. As direct experience with nature faded, these words began to disappear from our shared vocabulary. This loss of language reinforces the absence of nature in our lives; if we no longer name the wild things around us, we are less likely to notice or value them. Between 1800 and 1990, the shrinking presence of nature words in literature serves as a cultural fingerprint of estrangement, one that can be tracked in measurable terms.

3. Technology and Lifestyle Changes

For much of human history, work, play, and travel happened outdoors. The past century has shifted that balance dramatically: in developed nations, people now spend more than 90% of their time indoors or in vehicles. Digital technology has deepened this trend, with leisure increasingly absorbed by screens rather than physical exploration. Even in cities with accessible parks, “time poverty,” the feeling of having no spare time keeps many people away from them. The result is fewer opportunities for unstructured, sensory-rich encounters with nature.

4. Intergenerational Transmission

Perhaps the most influential and least visible driver is what the study calls intergenerational transmission. A parent’s own connection to nature strongly predicts whether their child will develop one. Families that rarely spend time outdoors or engage with the living world pass along not just habits, but a worldview in which nature feels peripheral. Once this link is broken, it’s difficult to restore; increasing the number of parks or green roofs won’t automatically rebuild the instinct to explore them. Without early-life exposure, the cycle of disconnection continues, each generation starting further from nature than the last.

Why It Matters Human and Planetary Wellbeing

The fading bond between people and nature goes far beyond wistful nostalgia, leaving measurable marks on our health, our cultures, and the planet’s very survival. As the University of Derby study underscores, nature connectedness is more than a pleasant pastime; it is a root condition for both ecological stewardship and human flourishing.

Research consistently shows that spending time in natural environments lowers stress, improves mood, sharpens focus, and supports cardiovascular and immune health. Even short, regular exposure to a 20-minute walk in a park, for instance, can reduce cortisol levels and enhance cognitive performance. But the benefits are amplified when there is a deep sense of connection: people who feel emotionally linked to nature report greater mental health gains than those who simply spend time outdoors without that bond. When connectedness declines, green spaces risk becoming little more than background scenery, reducing their restorative potential.

• Environmental Stewardship: A simple truth emerges from decades of environmental psychology: people are far more likely to protect what they feel connected to. Declining orientation toward nature weakens public support for conservation policies, biodiversity protection, and climate action. Without a personal stake, environmental issues can feel abstract, remote, or someone else’s responsibility. As Professor Richardson puts it, nature connectedness is “a key root cause of the environmental crisis.”
• Economic Implications: Nature underpins human life through what scientists call “ecosystem services” clean air, water filtration, soil fertility, pollination, and climate regulation. The Boston Consulting Group estimates that biodiversity loss already costs the global economy more than $5 trillion annually. When societies undervalue and underprotect these systems, economic costs mount: crop failures, rising healthcare expenses linked to pollution and stress-related illnesses, and increased spending on disaster recovery in the face of more extreme weather.
• Cultural and Generational Memory: One of the subtler consequences of disconnection is the erosion of cultural memory. Skills and traditions once passed down through families recognising bird calls, knowing edible plants, reading seasonal changes can vanish within a generation. Each generation’s “normal” becomes slightly more urban, more indoors, and further removed from the living systems that sustain life. Over time, this shifting baseline risks creating a society that no longer recognises what has been lost, or why it matters.

Barriers to Reconnection

If the benefits of nature are so clear, why aren’t we rushing back to green spaces? The answer lies in a complex web of practical, cultural, and psychological barriers that make reconnection harder than simply planting more trees or opening a park. The University of Derby study, along with related research, shows that without addressing these obstacles, efforts to restore our bond with nature risk falling short.

Safety Concerns

One of the most immediate deterrents is safety. Survey data from the UK, analysed by Professor Richardson, found that fear of crime in green spaces rose by 27% after the COVID-19 pandemic. Fear of dogs increased even more sharply by over 50% with more than 13% of adults reporting that it discouraged them from visiting parks or countryside. Although certain policy measures, such as the 2024 UK ban on specific aggressive dog breeds, briefly reduced these fears, the trend appears to be rising again. For many, nature cannot be restorative if it doesn’t feel safe.

Accessibility Gaps

Green space is not distributed equally. Low-income neighbourhoods are often located farther from biodiverse, well-maintained parks and natural areas, or have access only to small, degraded spaces with limited ecological value. In some urban areas, these parks are poorly lit, lack basic amenities, or feel socially unwelcoming. This disparity means that the very communities who could most benefit from the health and social rewards of nature often face the steepest barriers to experiencing them.

Time and Lifestyle Pressures

Modern work schedules, long commutes, and domestic responsibilities have given rise to what researchers call “time poverty” the perception that there’s no free time left to spend outdoors. Even when green spaces are nearby, the competing pull of digital entertainment and the convenience of indoor leisure can quietly edge out time in nature. For children, extracurricular activities and screen-based entertainment often take precedence over unstructured outdoor play.

Psychological Distance

Perhaps one of the most insidious barriers is the sense that nature is somehow “elsewhere” a destination requiring a trip, planning, or special equipment. In dense urban areas, where daily surroundings are dominated by concrete and glass, residents may stop seeing nature as part of their everyday life. A quick scroll through social media might deliver images of pristine landscapes, giving the illusion of connection, but without the sensory, embodied experiences that build lasting bonds.

Cultural Perceptions

In some societies, outdoor time is increasingly framed as recreational rather than essential. This shift changes how people value and prioritise it. If time in nature is seen only as leisure, it competes with other discretionary activities and loses ground to the ease and immediacy of indoor options. Without cultural narratives that frame nature as a vital part of personal and community wellbeing, even well-designed green spaces may go underused.

What the Future Could Hold

Looking ahead, the University of Derby study offers both a warning and a roadmap. By running long-term simulations based on historical data, Professor Miles Richardson’s team explored how different interventions might influence humanity’s connection to nature in the decades to come. The results are sobering: reversing two centuries of decline is possible, but only with early, sustained, and systemic action.

The modelling outlines three distinct trajectories:

1. Continued Decline – Modest improvements in access or awareness fail to halt the downward slide. Without strong interventions, the cycle of disconnection deepens, and each generation begins life further from nature than the last.
2. Holding Steady – Efforts prevent further loss but do not spark significant recovery. Nature connectedness remains low, and while some individuals benefit from local initiatives, the broader cultural shift toward reconnection never takes hold.
3. Transformative Change – Large-scale environmental restoration paired with robust intergenerational programs dramatically raises children’s nature connectedness. In this scenario, recovery becomes self-sustaining but the payoff is delayed, with noticeable gains emerging decades after the interventions begin, often well past 2050.

One of the model’s most striking findings is the presence of thresholds that, once crossed, make recovery much harder. For example, when urban greenspace falls below roughly 23% of an area, disconnection accelerates sharply. Many urban regions are already well below that level. This means that even significant greening projects may need to go far beyond typical targets to have a lasting impact, potentially increasing accessible, biodiverse green space tenfold.

Because intergenerational transmission is such a powerful driver, the model shows that the most effective interventions begin in early childhood. Forest schools, outdoor learning integrated into curricula, and nature-rich family activities create a foundation that persists into adulthood. When parents participate alongside children, the effect is magnified, ensuring that nature connection becomes a shared family norm rather than a fleeting childhood phase.

Simple, Everyday Ways to Reconnect

Systemic change is essential, but personal action is where many journeys back to nature begin. Small, intentional choices can bring the living world into sharper focus, even in the busiest urban life. Here are some accessible practices that can be adapted to almost any location or schedule.

1. Take Mindful Walks Outdoors

Whether in a city park, along a river, or through your own neighbourhood, set aside 10–20 minutes to walk without headphones or screens. Notice the colours, textures, and scents around you. Research shows that even short, mindful walks can lower stress and increase feelings of connection to nature.

2. Grow Something Anywhere

A full garden isn’t required to experience the joy of growing. Herbs in a windowsill pot, a tomato plant on a balcony, or pollinator-friendly flowers in a small yard all bring you into a cycle of care and observation. Watching something sprout, bloom, and ripen offers a tangible sense of connection to the earth’s rhythms.

3. Learn the Names Around You

Start with five local species: a tree, a bird, a flowering plant, an insect, and a cloud type. Knowing their names deepens awareness and encourages you to notice them more often. As author Robin Wall Kimmerer writes, “When we name the world, we begin to know our place in it.”

4. Eat Outdoors When You Can

An outdoor meal whether it’s a picnic in a park or breakfast on your doorstep invites you to slow down and engage with your surroundings. The simple act of eating outside can rekindle sensory awareness, from the warmth of sunlight to the sound of wind in the leaves.

5. Observe the Night Sky

Even in light-polluted areas, you can see the moon’s phases, bright planets, and occasional meteor showers. Stepping outside after dark fosters a sense of perspective and wonder that connects you to the wider natural world.

6. Create a Nature Journal

Keep a notebook to record what you notice: the first blossom in spring, a bird’s call you don’t recognise, or the changing colours of the evening sky. Over time, this practice becomes a personal record of your local environment’s subtle changes and your own growing attention to it.

7. Share Nature with Others

Invite a friend or family member to join you for a walk, gardening session, or birdwatching outing. Connection grows stronger when it’s social, reinforcing habits that endure. If you have children in your life, let them lead; sometimes their curiosity often opens up details adults overlook.

A Call Back to the Wild

The story of our disconnection from nature is not finished. While the last two centuries have pulled much of humanity indoors and away from the rhythms of the living world, the next chapters can tell a different story, one of restoration, reciprocity, and renewal. Every choice we make, from how we design our cities to how we spend our lunch break, shapes whether future generations inherit a world rich in birdsong, clean rivers, and wildflowers or one where such wonders exist only in photographs and archives.

Reconnection does not require grand gestures from everyone, but it does demand consistency from all of us. A few extra minutes outdoors each day, planting something and watching it grow, or simply naming the life that surrounds us, can begin to shift the cultural tide. These small acts, multiplied by millions, become a movement that bridges the gap between personal wellbeing and the planet’s health.

We stand at a point in history where reversing the “extinction of experience” is still possible. The window is narrowing, but it has not yet closed. If we choose to act in our homes, communities, and policies the living world will not just recover; it will welcome us back. The question is no longer whether we can reconnect, but whether we will.