2025, Shanahan, D., & Stahlmann‐Brown, P. People and Nature, 7(12), 3241–3250.
ABSTRACT
There is compelling evidence that both connection to nature itself and engagement with nature-based activities promote positive physical, mental and social well-being outcomes. Most of this evidence comes from studies of urban residents, overlooking the importance—and opportunity—of nature-based interventions for rural communities.
We use data from two large-scale surveys totalling 7254 New Zealanders to show that (1) there is a positive relationship between Nature Relatedness (a measure of connection to nature) and well-being and current and anticipated future life satisfaction across the urban–rural gradient; (2) the relationship between Nature Relatedness and well-being/life satisfaction is stronger for urban residents; and (3) Nature Relatedness is associated with well-being and current life satisfaction among both commercial farmers and non-commercial rural residents.
Moreover, while people are on average optimistic about their life satisfaction in the future, we find that those with higher Nature Relatedness are disproportionately optimistic.
While our findings are correlational, they suggest that promoting a connection to nature may be a viable strategy for enhancing well-being and life satisfaction outcomes regardless of where people live. We discuss the implications of these findings including the importance of considering context of developing of interventions that are suitable for urban and rural communities.