Type:UN Sustainable Development, Installation, Art
About
The aim of this research on ‘Our Planet: Engagement with Climate Action through Interactive Experiences with Nature’ is to explore interactive experiences in natural city settings to foster a greater appreciation and sense of care for Nature. Literature has supported the importance of experiences in Nature to building the closer Human-Nature relationship necessary for appreciation (Kahn, 2018). User studies show that childhood experiences in Nature provide the building blocks for a strong appreciation for the natural environment in adulthood indicating the potential of experiences in Nature. The Tree Whispers Trail was created to facilitate interactive tree based experiences in a natural setting in Limerick city with the aim of fostering a greater appreciation of Nature. The trail explores the potential of participatory interactive art to open a conversation on our relationship with Nature (Galafassi et al. 2020). Participant testing and evaluation of the Tree Whispers Trail experience indicated that the concept has potential to encourage participants to spend time in Nature and through the interactions have enjoyable experiences that foster a greater appreciation of the trees in their local green spaces. As presented in literature to save Nature we need to spend time in it (Kahn, 2018). The Tree Whispers Trail offers a template for building appreciation and care for Nature as a foundation to engagement with Climate Action.
