Exploring conceptualisations of ‘connections to nature’ from an environmental management perspective: a case study in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand

ABSTRACT Disconnect between humans and nature has been considered a driver of contemporary environmental crises. This has resulted in environmental managers calling for society to ‘re-connect’ with nature for future sustainability. However, conceptualisations of ‘connections to nature’ are fragmented in theoretical terms and practical application, as empirical research in environmental management literature exploring lay people’s conceptualisations of their personal ‘connections to nature’ is scarce. This raises a key issue: if environmental managers do not know what they are aiming for, how can it be effective? This study responds to the empirical gap by exploring what a ‘connection to nature’ means to lay individuals. Just under 1,000 respondents from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand engaged in the study. Results suggest that lay conceptualisations of ‘connections to nature’ range across nine dimensions – cognitive, affective, experiential, philosophical, spiritual, material, well-being, cultural or that it is a ‘hippie term’. Diversity of conceptualisations among the respondent group suggests that empirical exploration of the way that people conceptualise their ‘connections to nature’ is beneficial. These understandings could prove vital for more efficient sustainability actions to achieve more effective outcomes. The findings advance discourse on human-nature connections in environmental management literature.