Rethinking nature connectedness through emotions

Abstract

Understanding the disconnection between people and nature represents one of the most important challenges for humanity. The scientific contribution of Fernando González Bernáldez, a Spanish naturalist by vocation and dedication, was built on the need to experience and understand conservation through the affective relationships that people develop in and with nature. However, research from conservation biology that has given continuity to the emotional responses associated with nature is scarce, in part because the lack of consideration of emotions as a source of objective knowledge. This scientific dynamic seems to be changing, and recent research has begun to integrate  emotions in order to unravel the processes involved in human-nature connectedness. The research conducted by Bernáldez is nowadays crucial for promoting social transformation that will help us to achieve sustainability in human-nature relations and facilitate the transition to a more just and sustainable future.