'It was a whole other world': The impact of residential outdoor trips on nature connectedness and wellbeing in young people

Why this matters
Outdoor centers often hope a few days away will leave young people feeling closer to nature and better in themselves. Do those changes last once students are back home? And which parts of the trip matter to young people?

What the researchers did
The researchers followed 132 young people aged 6 to 18 (average age about 11) from schools across England. They went on residential trips of two to five days at outdoor centers in national parks and other natural areas.

• The design: courses were built around five ways of connecting with nature. These were noticing nature with the senses, finding meaning in it, expressing feelings about it, caring for it and appreciating its beauty.
• The activities: nature walks, wildlife hunts, shelter building, conservation tasks, tree planting, wildlife art and mindfulness sessions, plus challenges such as gorge walking (scrambling up a stream through a narrow, rocky valley).
• The surveys: young people completed short surveys at the start, at the end and about two months later. On the last day, groups also wrote or drew answers to open questions about their experience.

What they found

1. Connection to nature rose during the trip, then faded. By the last day, young people felt more connected to nature, saw themselves as more a part of it, and rated looking after nature as more important. These increases were small. Two to four months later they had returned to starting levels.
2. Confidence making friends rose briefly. Young people felt more confident about making new friends at the end of the trip, but this too faded. Confidence working in a group and trying new things did not change.
3. Happiness and general well-being did not change. Ratings of how happy they felt and how good their life was stayed the same throughout.
4. Nature felt like "a whole other world." Young people valued the contrast with home. That meant being away from phones, seeing views they couldn't see where they lived, and firsts such as seeing a real fire.
5. Physical challenges with friends built pride. Gorge walking, jumping off a jetty and climbing mountains were often favorite moments. Young people felt proud of pushing past their limits, and many said friends and teamwork helped them succeed.
6. Noticing nature brought calm and closeness. Young people described watching ladybugs, listening to birdsong and hunting for bugs. They said nature felt peaceful, eased stress and made them feel part of something bigger.

What this means for your practice

• Build courses around the five ways of connecting. These courses used noticing, meaning, feelings, care and beauty, and connection to nature rose by the end of the trips. The researchers suggest these five ways are a useful guide for designing residential courses.
• Plan the follow-up as part of the trip. The gains faded within months. The researchers recommend top-up events and regular nature activities after young people return. They suggest these need not always be trips outdoors. Simply noticing everyday nature, such as weather, birds or weeds in pavement cracks, can work at any school.
• Include challenge, and let friends tackle it together. Young people's proudest moments were physical challenges they overcame with help from friends.
• Make space for quiet noticing. Bug hunts, listening to birds and sitting quietly brought calm and a sense of connection. Protect time for these moments in a busy schedule.
• Keep the "different world" feel. Young people valued time away from phones and the chance to see new places. Think about how your program can feel distinct from everyday life.
• Keep evaluation simple. Some younger children found the survey questions hard, and fewer than a quarter of those who could have taken part answered all three surveys. The researchers recommend fewer, easy-to-read questions and following up over time.

RETURN TO RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION EERESEARCH COLLECTION