Research

“… somewhere in the midst of ‘sustainability’ – a rather uninspiring word – lies an inspiring vision of transformation. But if this journey is simply a practical venture about behaviour change it will not appeal to our imaginations. We need to dig deep, to re-read our own myths as well as find inspiration from the stories of others who are outside the box of western culture, and inside the web of life”.  Mary-Jayne  Rust, Ecopsychologist

Growing evidence shows that many dominant approaches to encouraging sustainable living do not result in long-term, large-scale, social change. This is because they do not address the deep seated social, cultural and psychological structures that hold many unsustainable patterns of behaviour in place.

Research suggests that behaviour change can best be influenced in the long-term through psychological approaches that work with people’s personal values and sense of identity.  

The Natural Change Project draws upon many approaches, including ecopsychology and action research, to create a powerful nature-connected approach to working with people’s personal values and sense of identity. 

The aims of the project are to examine how experiences in wild nature can inspire leadership for more sustainable living and develop a replicable behaviour change programme.

Please see the Useful Links and Books and Reports pages for more information on the theory and research on which the Natural Change Project is based.