about the project
a global project exploring human-nature relationships
What is your nature? Nature is all around us and in many forms. Depending on where you are in the world, nature looks different, feels different, sounds different and is within a different proximity of human activity. People have their own personal relationship with nature, which is often based on their shared culture, but also on personal memories and experiences. Everyone has their own motives to go into nature or bring nature close to them, be it for a calm walk or for work. We all live with our own nature in the local space of our living environment and beyond. This research project wants to understand the multiplicity and plurality of human-nature relationships in the world.
Nature is always changing. Part of humanity has not always been treating nature well, as exploitative patterns cause degradation and loss of nature both globally and locally. While we change and adapt to new realities, natures change with us based on how we use and respect nature. Climate change, policy change and value change all have their impact on nature. Humanity protects nature, destroys nature, brings nature to the city, transforms nature into food systems. How do we relate to this change of the human-nature relationship? What emotions are experienced? How do we relate to the future of human-natures? These kind of questions are crucial in a time where nature is increasingly further away from more and more people.
Walking opens up space to experience nature. Walking is a natural way in which people relate to the world. We do not experience our surroundings sitting, we move through them. The slow pace of walking allows us to observe through all our senses, whether consciously or not. As we walk through the world, we encounter society, we see others, nature, human-made structures, triggering associations and thoughts. We make our world, our natures, while or even by walking. This research project centres around walking for exactly those reasons. Walking as a research method can capture embodied lived human-nature relationships and removes the formality and power imbalances that limit more traditional research methodologies.
We invite you to join our research project by walking your own nature, either alone or together. We have written instructions for a walk in nature that opens up interactions with nature, brings you closer to nature, and helps you reflect on your role in nature. We were inspired by the methodology of Shared Walks, which can be found here. You can walk in an area of choice: where you more often go for a walk, to have a calming break, where you feel comfortable, or that is in any other way meaningful to you. The instructions include a card set with question that can guide your experience. Using WhatsApp, you can share your experiences with us. Click here to download the instructions and card set. The download file is mobile friendly, so can be used directly from your phone without the need of printing.