In modern society, ignorance of the value of nature and its processes is widespread. This lack of knowledge may be a product of the increasing disconnection between people and the natural environments due to technological changes and rampant urbanisation of the countryside. Remedies to this may include public information campaigns and the use of virtual reality technologies to bring people and nature closer together again, and thereby increase learning opportunities.

Technological progress has seen people rely less directly on nature for survival, so they do not learn about it. Whereas their ancestors worked the land to produce food, and necessarily sought knowledge about natural processes to ensure their own success, many individuals in the modern age of mass-produced food never grow a single food item in their entire lives. For this reason, most consumers give no thought to the natural origins of their sources of nutrition, and therefore fail to value nature.

The reduction in knowledge of nature is also related to the decline of natural areas. With population growth, cities have developed ever-widening urban margins that encroach on farmlands and wilderness areas. Therefore, access to nature is increasingly inconvenient for the average urban dweller whose daily life is spent within built environments, and who must travel across multiple suburbs to reach wilderness.

In order to improve people’s appreciation of nature, it is suggested that people should first of all be lifted out of ignorance. Solutions to this end could include virtual reality experiences through which participants can relax in and learn about nature without the inconvenience of actually getting out of their cities. Furthermore, government advertising campaigns to increase participation in nature-based activities would be justified by the public health and environmental benefits that these achieve.

In conclusion, while it is the individual’s responsibility to learn about the importance of nature, government health care and environmental protection programs may see cost savings if they reallocate spending toward encouraging people to spend time away from typically stressful built environments or enter nature through simulations. When constituents value nature as a resource for relaxation and restoration of mental health they will then care enough to protect it.