A Guide to Nature interpretation: Connecting people with nature
Nature interpreters help visitors and participants in activities develop their own personal relationships with nature and the cultural landscape. They can help participants catch sight of the landscape and its values of all dimensions and, not least, to convey a dialogue of how the landscape can be managed in a sustainable way for the future. This guide explains why more nature interpreters need to do this, and what the procedures can involve.
The guide linked below was created by The Swedish Centre for Nature Interpretation.
To encourage more responsbile production and consumption, consumers must be reconnected with the nature and its resources. Nature interpretation is a creative and needed form of connecting modern people with the surrounding environment.
The official term used for this activity in Sweden is nature interpretation (“naturvägledning” in Swedish), although in English it is known as heritage interpretation.
Nature interpretation aims to create a connection between humans and their surrounding nature by increasing knowledge about it and evoking feelings for it. Ultimately, an individual consumer should be able to develop a personal relationship with their surrounding environment. Nature interpreters are active in places such as government authorities, visitor centres, tourism companies, museums and non-profit organisations.
Heritage interpretation functions through increasing positive experiences in nature. Through the process, participants' own reflections should also be stimulated to ultimately impact the attitudes and/or behaviours of the consumer. The Centre has arranged education days, workshops, tests and education programs in the Nordic region to increase nature interpretation importance in the society. There are also publications both in Swedish and English to familiarize more people with the idea of nature interpretation and its mission.
SDG 12 Targets
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