Re-imagining child-nature relationships in ecotourism: children’s conservation awareness through nature play and nature-based learning

Abstract

Education is an essential part of ecotourism, and first-hand experiences in nature can lead to increased awareness and concern for the environment. Environmental education in ecotourism, however, is generally shaped by anthropocentric views of human-nature relationships which emphasise human exceptionalism and human agency in protecting nature. This paper re-imagines child-nature relationships in ecotourism through a post-humanist lens, based on semi-structured interviews with professionals in ecotourism, conservation and education. We set out to re-imagine how conservation awareness may be promoted among young children by de-constructing the human-nature binaries and stewardship pedagogies upon which environmental education and conservation are founded. The research shows that ecotourism sites can provide an ideal space for nature-based learning with young children. This requires thinking differently when planning outdoor spaces for young children, by inviting them to construct understandings of the interconnectedness of nature, and to learn and intra-act with the more-than-human world.