The relational value of childhood nature experience and the importance of reciprocity.

Introduction: People depend on functioning ecosystems to meet human needs and support well-being across the life span. One aspect of the human role in functioning ecosystems is our responsibility to these systems’ health and well-being. This call for increased human responsibility is at the foundation of environmental education. This conceptual presentation aims to explore the ecosystem services idea from the vantage point of children in nature and draw attention to the need for greater recognition of children within the broad ecosystem service discourse—from Ecosystems Services to Nature’s Contribution to People. Considering the physical and multisensory experiences that intertwine child and nature, affective, cognitive, and physical childhood nature experiences are of great interest to environmental educators. This environmental education review attempts to link interest in ecosystem service valuation, the growing interest in the benefits of nature experience for children, and ways to bridge these perspectives.

Research Question: What is the relationship between ecosystem service valuation and the benefits of nature experience for children (affective, cognitive, and physical)?

Methods: A literature review was used as a method to explore these ideas in this conceptual study.

Results: Results highlight the reciprocal quality of nature and child experience as an example of how this relationship goes beyond the instrumental and demonstrates relational value. Results also support the idea that children need to be better represented in the perception and action of ecosystem valuation in environmental policy. We need to broaden our conception of ecosystem services to capture value in ways that can guide education, infrastructure design/development, and policy.