How to increase connection to nature? A quasi-experimental test of two environmental education projects.

Connection to nature is associated with better health and the adoption of pro-environmental behaviors (Martin et al., 2020). However, most studies on the subject are cross-sectional. We do not know very well how to encourage this connection, and the exact role of contact with nature in the development of this connection remains debated (DeVille et al., 2021). Furthermore, there is a lack of studies showing that an increase in connection to nature has a positive effect on pro-environmental behaviors. Our aim was to assess if environmental education projects promoting time spent in and contact with nature can increase connection to nature and thereby encourage pro-environmental behaviors among 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. Study 1 - Greening the playground: involving pupils in redesigning their school playground to make it more natural (planting, creating a pond, insect hotel, etc.). 683 pupils from schools taking part in the project and 335 pupils from other schools completed a questionnaire at the beginning and end of the 2022-23 school year. Study 2 - Outdoor school: organizing lessons outdoors, in a natural environment, with pupils and their teachers. 114 pupils from classes participating in the project and 225 pupils from other classes completed a questionnaire at the beginning and end of the 2023-24 school year. The results were similar in both studies: attending a class taking part in the project had no detectable effect on changes in pupils' connection to nature or their pro-environmental behaviors. The implications of these results will be discussed.