Environmental identity/development

Storytelling can alter one's place-based connection and feelings towards those experiences. Narratives and stories are deeply embedded into the practices of hunting and fishing. In some cases, the author noted, hunters and anglers spend more time talking about the hunting and fishing experiences than actually hunting or fishing. This article is a perspective piece in which the author explored how narratives can shape people's views of hunting and fishing.

As the climate crisis continues, universities are uniquely positioned to effectively prepare future alumni to engage in sustainable behaviors and create a resilient future. Despite the steps to develop sustainability efforts and curricula in higher education, it is imperative to acknowledge the influences on a students' understanding about environmental issues and solutions.

Spending time in natural settings has proven to be physically and psychologically beneficial for humans, and environmental education aims to reconnect youth to nature. However, it has become a reality that children and young people spend less time outdoors, which has been dubbed, nature-deficit disorder. The London-based Green Spaces, Learning Places (GSLP) creates opportunities for children to engage with their environment through interactive learning sessions in the United Kingdom's parks, heaths, and forests.

Environmental education has traditionally focused on increasing knowledge and encouraging pro-environmental behavior but has paid little attention to the emotional needs of its audience. Research shows that climate change disasters can cause lasting mental health impacts in children, and merely learning about climate change may harm a child's mental health. In addition, children are affected by adults' emotional states when experiencing or learning about climate change. Media articles indicate that parents and teachers seek advice on ways to speak to children about climate change.

In general, humans tend to place themselves on a higher pedestal than animals and other living organisms. Because of this anthropocentric view, humans justify certain animal exploitative practices for their benefit, which has contributed to the ongoing environmental crisis. To better combat this crisis, it is crucial that focus is given to a new ethical framework grounded in environmental principles in which the responsibilities humans have to themselves, their success, and the abundance of wildlife is center.

People-nature interactions have steadily declined over the years due to a number of reasons, including industrialization and mass consumption of natural resources. This disconnect can be attributed to anthropocentrism. Anthropocentrism is the belief that humans are the center of the natural world, and because of it, natural resources exist solely for them. On the other hand, ecocentrism is the belief that although humans are considered a part of the natural world, they are not at the center.

Dominant cultural norms in the Western world include anthropocentrism, or valuing human life above non-human life, and a dependence on capitalism and fossil fuels. These cultural norms have contributed to a lack of respect for environmental health, which has led to environmental degradation and a slow response to the current climate crisis and sixth mass extinction. Art is a tool that can question, shift, and recreate cultural norms. Artmaking can therefore be a powerful force in reorienting cultural norms to value ecological health and sustainability.

As the world faces increased impacts from climate change, it is crucial to help young children connect with and value protecting the more-than-human (MtH) world. The term MtH is meant to be used as an inclusive view of the natural world, which embraces animals, plants, water, fungi, land, and more. Researchers have proposed that many nature-related problems the world faces now due in part to a larger disconnect between humans and the MtH world as compared to the past.

There are many benefits associated with outdoor field trips for students, including: increased ecological knowledge, connection to nature, cognitive skills, and student interest and motivation. Field trips are conducive for discovering information and exploring concepts outside of the classroom. However, educators may resist field trips for a variety of reasons, such as lack of funding, liability concerns, curriculum inflexibility due to focus on standardized testing, fear of poor student behavior, logistical challenges, and lack of time or training.

Education for sustainable development (ESD) complements traditional environmental education. It takes a three-pronged approach by looking at the ecological, social, and economic sectors, their context across time, and how they affect the world at every scale. This teaching technique encourages students to think and open discussions using a pluralistic approach – bringing together diverse perspectives – and act for sustainable development. The purpose of any educational pedagogy or topic is to affect change and realize an outcome.