Scientists Concerned About Declining Interest in Nature

First posted on 08-06-2008

A study released by The Nature Conservancy shows that interest in the outdoors is dropping in the United States as well as in developing countries around the world.

Some researchers are saying this trend could have far reaching affects for human health as well as for the environment. In fact, those researchers are already drawing similarities to previous studies which showed a decline in attendance at U.S. national parks.

Oliver Pergrams, an assistant professor for biological sciences at the University of Chicago and the lead author of the Conservancy study, said the results were “almost terrifying.”

The study Pergrams conducted found that participation in nature based recreation dropped 18 to 25 percent since 1991, and has declined between 1 and 1.3 percent annually. Other studies by Pergrams have indicated a correlation between the decline in interest for nature experiences and an increase in Internet surfing, video game playing and watching movies.

What concerns scientists is that most people who feel a connection to nature and the environment developed that sense in their formative years. With researchers predicting that only a small portion of the population will be living in non-urban areas within the next 50 years, the disconnect with nature could have dire consequences for the planet.