Human Activity and Unintended Impacts on Nature

Nottingham Trent University is hosting a one day event at Southwell Racecourse examining the opportunities and threats that arise from  human activity and its unintended impacts on nature.

Nature Connected, Nature Positive?

Nature connectedness, the feeling of belonging to a wider community of nature taps into humanity’s propensity to form meaningful social bonds with others. Seen as a key driver for transformative change by IPBES and other bodies, it is becoming a priority for policy and practice given the benefits it has for human wellbeing and our actions towards the rest of nature. While nature connectedness has the potential for good within society and for the natural world, it represents a shift in our relationship opening up the potential for problems through unintended harm that strong relationships with place and other species could create. This talk focuses on what nature connectedness is, its importance and how we can meaningfully reconnect through the pathways to nature connectedness framework before highlighting the need for informed and considered approaches to reconnection to avoid unintended harm to the more than human world to which we belong.

This programme explores how even well‑intentioned human actions, driven by a love of the natural world, can produce unforeseen ecological consequences—illustrated by the Victorian introduction of grey squirrels to estates, which ultimately displaced native species. Similar patterns can be seen in more recent practices, from the widespread feeding of garden birds, with associate risk of disease transmission to well‑meaning but inappropriate feeding of hedgehogs, where widely circulated advice (such as offering bread, milk, or mealworms) can cause malnutrition and serious health problems.

It will consider how everyday interactions with the countryside, including increasing visitor presence, can shape and sometimes disrupt fragile environments.

Why it matters

As more people seek out and value time in the countryside, our collective presence plays an increasing role in shaping the environments we enjoy. Actions motivated by appreciation can have lasting and sometimes unintended ecological effects. Understanding these impacts helps us to engage more thoughtfully with the natural world, balancing enjoyment with responsibility and ensuring that the landscapes and species we value are sustained for the future.

Purpose

1. Consider the posed challenges and other key issues to clarify and prioritise

• Identify the most pressing challenges in balancing nature and human interactions, informed by external stakeholders and specialist researchers.

2. Align interdisciplinary expertise and partners around Human Activity and the Unintended impacts on nature

• Bring together stakeholders to converge on common challenges and establish the foundations for longer term collaboration through a Roadmap.

3. Develop coherent, evidence-based solutions and delivery plans to address priority challenges

• Co-design structured, multi-partner research programmes with clear workstreams, research leadership, and a Roadmap toward major external funding success within two years