Active engagement with green space can shift children's view of nature from being abstract and inaccessible to a place where, even children with disabilities, can feel connected to the natural environment

This paper explores the conflict between academic and societal views of the nature/culture divide through the perceptions and experiences of children with learning disabilities. A concern framing the discussion is the tendency to make clear distinctions between what is “natural” and “non-natural.” These distinctions tend to favor – or “privilege” -- particular spaces, products and practices, including practices surrounding children's access to nature. This can be especially true for children with disabilities.

Approximately 100 children with mild-moderate learning impairments participated in a study focusing on their perceptions of and experiences with nature. The study took place over the span of a year with the children (age 11-16) participating in a variety of creative and active ways. Not all the children participated in the same activities. Some research activities engaged an entire class of students during science lessons. Related activities included map making, group discussions, and drama. Other activities took place during horticulture classes and involved visits to local parks and nature reserves. Still other research-related activities took place during school-organized residential camps. The researcher assumed a participant observer role during all the research-related activities. She also conducted semi-structured interviews with some of the students. Data analysis utilized information gathered from interview transcripts, student video diaries, researcher field notes, digital photographs, and photographs of products such as collages.

Results indicated that the students viewed nature broadly as unspoiled, wild and rural. Most of them did not feel a relationship with nature, beyond something vague and/or imagined. For them, nature was not a useful concept in relation to their lived environmental experiences. The students described their lived experiences in terms of opportunities for adventurous play or for independence versus engagement with nature. These descriptions highlight the role of affordances in terms of children's relationship with nature. Affordances, in this context, refers to the practical uses of a particular environment or item within an environment. The appeal of the environment for the children in this study was not on the environment itself, but rather the affordances presented by the physical environment.

These findings highlight the importance of giving young people with disabilities the opportunity for active engagement in natural spaces. It was through active engagement that the students were able to shift their understandings about nature from something abstract and “out there” to a space where they can play or relax and where they can have some of their immediate needs and desires met. This research, therefore, calls for consideration of the precise types of spaces and activities that can promote children's health and wellbeing, rather than focusing on the value of nature itself as an object reality.