An analysis of 15 years of trends in children’s connection with nature and its relationship with residential environment

ABSTRACTIntruduction: We assessed recent trends in children’s connection with nature over the period of 2000–2015, using indices of wildlife awareness that focus on changes in wildlife abundance and the level of apathy among children. We used data from a survey conducted in 63 junior high school districts in the city of Sendai in Japan. In these surveys, children were asked whether they had seen 12 species groups within the past year. To examine changes in children’s connection with nature, we used observed frequencies as an indicator of both the abundance of the species and children’s apathy toward it.Results and Discussions: Results indicated an increase in children’s apathy toward species that had low popularity regardless of residential environment. Our results suggest that regular exposure to wildlife would be effective in preventing the loss of children’s connection with nature, particularly by reducing children’s apathy toward less-popular species.