Unconventional programmes to promote experiences with urban nature in Berlin.
Abstract
As more people live in cities, there is growing concern about the decline in human-nature interactions, which negatively affect health and engagement with conservation efforts. Experiencing nature in urban green spaces could counteract this trend. However, access to these spaces is often limited due to a decreasing positive orientation of people towards nature and for people in challenging life circumstances-an important aspect of environmental justice. This study examines seven programmes promoted by the Berlin Nature Conservation Foundation to foster interactions between people and nature in Berlin, Germany, while highlighting the importance of urban biodiversity. We identify the targeted groups, the types of green spaces used, participation in the programmes, and the challenges and enablers of their implementation. The programmes target diverse groups, ranging from the general public (Long Day of Urban Nature, Environmental Calendar, Wild Berlin) to green space visitors (Urban Nature Rangers) primary school children (Nemo), children in deprived neighbourhoods (Nature Experience Areas) to people in challenging life circumstances (Nature Companions). The programmes provide access to a wide range of urban nature, from natural remnants to designed green spaces to novel urban ecosystems. Most programmes provide direct access to urban nature, except for the Wild Berlin video clips and the Environmental Calendar as a multiplicator of nature-related activities. In 2023, the number of participants in outdoor programmes ranged from 1400 to 42,000, while website traffic for digital programmes was approximately 10 times higher. Since 2007, 324,000 people have participated in the Long Day of Urban Nature. Policy implications. Biodiversity conservation depends on support from current and future generations, yet this is challenged by the increasing disconnect between citizens and nature, a key environmental justice issue. This study demonstrates that programmes promoting human-nature interactions, run by a public foundation in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, can complement established environmental education by engaging diverse groups, including those facing challenging life circumstances. The multi-stakeholder governance of the Berlin Nature Conservation Foundation, involving representatives from the legislature, executive and environmental organizations, facilitated the co-creation and implementation of these programmes with public institutions and civil society actors.