Protected areas are often seen as refuges for plants and animals – yet they are also places where people live, work and relax. A new study led by the University of Göttingen in Germany, in collaboration with the Universities of Kassel in Germany, Jyväskylä in Finland, and Stockholm in Sweden, shows how deeply people are connected to these landscapes. The research team analyzed personal stories from residents, land managers, and visitors in protected areas of the district of Göttingen. Their findings reveal that protected areas foster local identity, support learning about nature, and provide spaces for recreation, working together and community engagement. The study was published in the journal People and Nature.
To explore these connections, the researchers conducted 38 interviews with farmers, foresters, hunters, conservationists, visitors and more across five areas in southern Lower Saxony. "We wanted to understand how people perceive their personal relationships with nature and how protected areas shape these bonds," explains lead author Marion Jay at Göttingen University's Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development. "The interviews revealed multiple dimensions of connection – from knowledge and learning to emotions and institutional relationships." Based on these accounts, the team identified five central narratives: learning, regional heritage, care, multifunctional use, and collaboration.
These stories show that experiences in nature are closely tied to feelings of responsibility and belonging. Interviewees spoke of how walks through meadows and forests encourage mindfulness, how community forests shape local identity, and how farmers and foresters see themselves as "caretakers" of the landscape. Some activities such as some forms of livestock farming support biodiversity conservation but also farmers' livelihoods in protected areas, shaping identities and a sense of responsibility towards nature. "Understanding these complex relationships is of particular importance in protected areas where human activities shape landscapes and biodiversity conservation," says Jay. "If we take people's stories and perspectives seriously, protected areas can become spaces where ecological and social goals go hand in hand."
The research team sees strong potential in using narrative approaches – methods that collect and analyze the stories people tell about their lived experiences. In conservation, narratives can help make local experiences visible, improve understanding of conflicts, and identify opportunities for joint landscape stewardship. The researchers recommend supporting dialogue platforms and long-term collaborations to strengthen protected areas as vibrant parts of cultural and living landscapes.
Original publication: Jay, M., et al. Exploring narratives of human-nature connections in protected areas. People and Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1002/pan3.70195
