Awe and wonder with urban nature: fostering care with Country
Exploring how experiences of awe and wonder in urban nature can deepen human-nature connections and foster ecological care and custodianship.
Cluster
Healthy Country, Healthy Communities, Healthy People
Research partners
Melbourne Centre for Cities and Industry partners
Project team
Dr Melissa Pineda Pinto (Lead CI, Melbourne Centre for Cities), Maddison Miller (Co-Investigator, School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystems Science), Dr Judy Bush (Mentor), with Project Associates: A/Prof Cathy Oke (Melbourne Centre for Cities), Dr Rachel Morgain (School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystems Science), Dr Kylie Soanes (School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystems Science), Lara Skerratt (School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystems Science), Professor Dianne Vella-Brodrick (Faculty of Education), Professor Kathryn Williams (School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Science), Dr Jodie Valpied (Faculty of Science)
Contact
Project summary
This research will explore how experiences of awe and wonder in urban nature can deepen human-nature connections and foster ecological care and custodianship. Using a mixed-methods storytelling approach that integrates Indigenous and Western perspectives, the project will address critical gaps in understanding how awe translates into tangible ecological action within urban environments.
What are we interested in?
In cities, people are often disconnected from nature and face environmental disengagement and 'eco-anxiety.' Awe - a powerful, self-transcendent emotion - can deepen human-nature connections, yet research gaps exist around diverse cultural perspectives on awe, how it translates into ecological action, and its role specifically within urban environments.
The goals of our project
To understand how awe and wonder experienced in urban nature can foster environmental stewardship and custodianship, integrating diverse knowledge systems, including Indigenous cosmologies that connect to Country.
Outcomes / activities
Storytelling workshops with diverse urban communities; contributing to the development of mini podcast series, "Awe for caring with Country", a temporary mini-exhibition/installation incorporating audio and artistic artifacts, and an academic publication.