Generations in conflict: Who else knows our plants and animals?

Generations in conflict: Who else knows our plants and animals?

In a comprehensive study at the Technical University of Berlin, researchers examined how knowledge of native plants, birds and butterflies has changed over generations. The results clearly show that both knowledge of species and connection to nature have decreased significantly among young people compared to older generations. The study was led by Prof. Dr. Tanja Straka and Prof. Dr. Ingo Kowarik and includes 600 participants from Germany, including 252 young people aged 15 to 17, 215 young adults between 18 and 29 and 133 older adults aged 30 to 76.

The researchers identified a worrying phenomenon called “generational amnesia.” This describes the loss of knowledge of nature between generations. Notably, only 73% of young people were able to recognize the blackberry, compared to 84% of older adults. The difference becomes even clearer when you look at the knowledge about the magpie: here only 29% of young people knew the species, compared to 61% of older people. The least known was the small tortoiseshell butterfly, which only 3% of young people knew about, compared to 22% of older adults.

Role of closeness to nature

In addition to declining species knowledge, nature connectedness among youth was also found to have declined, from a score of 3.98 among older adults to just 3.09 among youth. This development affects the willingness to care for nature, which also decreased from 3.76 to 2.82. It is obvious that the changes in the lifestyle of children and young people lead to less contact with and less knowledge about nature.

To reverse this trend, researchers recommend increasing access to knowledge about nature from early childhood through university. In particular, children and young people should be supported to gain positive emotional experiences with nature. According to an analysis of the importance of nature experiences for environmental awareness, this could be crucial. Direct experience of nature is associated with increasing emotional resonance, which deepens the understanding of ecological systems and promotes a sense of responsibility.

Impact on environmental awareness

Another study from the University of Illinois underlines how important nature experiences are for environmental awareness. Students who participate in nature conservation and field trips to protected areas not only learn more about ecological relationships, they also show greater motivation for environmental protection. Practical approaches to integrating such knowledge into educational institutions are therefore essential.

In addition, regular experiences in nature increase environmental awareness. Activities such as observing animals and plants or working in community gardens can strengthen emotional ties to the environment. It also shows that children who grow up in natural environments develop a better understanding of ecological relationships.

Overall, it is clear that promoting nature experiences in education has not only short-term but also long-term effects on individual environmental commitment. Educational program providers and schools have a responsibility to facilitate access to such experiences in order to promote sustainable environmental awareness and strengthen the active engagement of the younger generation in protecting nature.

In conclusion, it is time to reintegrate nature into young people's lives. The study results remind us that a better understanding of our environment is crucial for a sustainable future, both for current and future generations. The TU Berlin provides information on this and other research results support these findings by underlining the importance of practical experiences in nature. We must work quickly and consistently to preserve natural knowledge and a connection to nature in order to prevent the loss of knowledge from continuing.