19th August 2025
We’re Forgetting Nature: Why Our Connection to the Wild Has Dropped 60% and How to Reclaim It
A Quiet Crisis Is Unfolding Outdoors
In a world of always-on screens, climate anxiety, and daily distractions, something deeply human is slipping away.
A new global study led by Professor Miles Richardson from the University of Derby has confirmed what many of us intuitively feel:
We’re losing our connection to nature… fast.
Published in the scientific journal Earth (2025), the study reveals that our connection to nature has declined by 60% over the past 200 years.
That’s not a minor shift. It’s a generational rupture.
And while the climate emergency gets louder, there’s a quieter crisis playing out:
We are no longer seeing, naming, loving, or protecting the natural world like we used to.
What the Study Actually Found
This peer-reviewed meta-analysis, the first of its kind, examined global data on nature connectedness over two centuries.
Key findings include:
A 60% global decline in human–nature connection
Decreased emotional, cognitive, and experiential connection to the natural world
Strongest declines found in industrialised and urbanised nations
The sharpest drop has occurred in the last 50 years
Declines affect all age groups, including children
The study, led by Professor Richardson, coined this phenomenon as a kind of “extinction of experience”, where people no longer have meaningful, regular interactions with the natural world.
“Connection to nature is key for human and planetary health, but it’s in long-term decline,” Richardson writes.
“Without major social and policy changes, this trend will continue.”
Why This Disconnection Matters
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just about walking in the bush more often.
It’s about what happens when we stop seeing ourselves as part of nature.
This disconnection shows up everywhere:
Children who can name Pokémon better than native birds
Adults who spend 90% of their time indoors
People who walk through forests without noticing them
A collective rise in eco-anxiety, burnout, and a deep sense of loss
Nature connection isn’t just a “nice to have.” It directly impacts:
- Mental health and emotional regulation
- Pro-environmental behaviour (we protect what we feel part of)
- Physical wellbeing through movement, fresh air, and sun exposure
- Community connection and shared values
In short: when we disconnect from nature, we disconnect from ourselves.
Rewilding Ourselves
Here’s the hopeful part: while nature connection has declined, it is not lost.
It’s something we can nurture. One step, one breath, one hike at a time.
At The Hike Collective, our entire ethos is built around this:
Creating mindful, local, outdoor experiences that help people feel part of nature again, not just walk through it.
Based on the study’s recommendations (and our experience on trail), here’s what helps rebuild that vital connection:
1. Regular Exposure to Natural Environments
Nature connection starts with access, and it doesn’t have to be epic.
A local bush trail. A coastal hike. A moment beneath the trees after work. Repetition breeds familiarity, and familiarity builds connection.
2. Intentional, Mindful Presence
It’s not just about being outdoors, it’s about being present.
Professor Richardson’s research emphasises mindful, embodied experiences in nature as key to restoring connection. Slow hiking. Quiet observation. Deep breaths.
3. Learning the Language of the Land
Naming matters. When you learn the name of a native tree or the call of a local bird, it stops being “just nature”, it becomes someone you know.
4. Experiencing Nature With Others
Nature becomes more meaningful when it’s shared. Whether you’re on a guided hike or a nature retreat, community amplifies connection. We mirror each other’s awe. We remember more when we explore together.
5. Digital Decluttering Outdoors
The study points to screen time and digital saturation as major culprits in our disconnection.
You don’t need to give up tech entirely, but even a 90-minute phone-free walk can regulate your nervous system and heighten sensory awareness.
The Land Hasn’t Forgotten Us
Yes, we’ve lost 60% of our connection to nature, but we haven’t lost the ability to reconnect.
Nature hasn’t gone anywhere.
The eucalyptus still whispers.
The trails still lead somewhere sacred.
The sunrise still shows up, whether we do or not.
Every time you pause to listen.
Every time you slow your steps and look up.
Every time you walk without needing to get anywhere, you return to something ancient.
This study isn’t just a wake-up call.
It’s a reminder:
We are nature.
And we are capable of remembering.
What We’re Doing at The Hike Collective
We created The Hike Collective because we saw this disconnection happening in real time, and we knew the solution wasn’t more content or climate stats.
It was connection. Through experience. On foot.
Our guided hikes are built to help people:
✔️ Reconnect with nature
✔️ Move mindfully
✔️ Learn about native flora and fauna
✔️ Feel grounded, calm, and present
No pressure. No rush. No gear obsession.
Just walking, noticing, and being.
Want to see what it feels like? Explore our upcoming Guided Hikes.
Or DM us. Tell us how this study made you feel. Let’s start a conversation about reconnection.
A Step Towards the Sacred
You don’t need to “fix” your relationship with nature.
You just need to show up.
Let yourself wonder. Let yourself wander. Let yourself feel awe again.
Because yes, our connection has faded. But it hasn’t disappeared.
And every time your boots touch the earth,
every time the wind brushes your cheek,
every time you hear birdsong and pause to listen..
you remember what’s real.
