Today I had a very thought-provoking conversation with biophilic expert Heidi Lenaertz. We primarily discussed different ways to approach targeting thes senses in applying biophilic principles to hospitality venues, alongside touching on technobiophilia. The main points I took from the discussion can be found below, as well as the audio recording of the discussion.
Discussion:
Opening up the senses – start with scents to target the smell, as this is attached the the oldest part of the brain in evolution meaning once smell is evoked it is easier to open up the other senses.
Take into consideration that some people can’t smell
See the impact of this on the other senses and compare against evoking a different sense to smell first
Could begin with scents that are familiar eg: mint or lavender so people recognise them and compare against less familir or recognisable scents
Measuring
Ask people what they think/feel/ see when they smell certain things eg; vanilla, pine or coffee
Body metrics – blood pressure/ pulse
Perspiration of skin – could compare against research with introvert vs extrovert as one’s skin has been found to perspire more than the other – can help to determine how at ease they are
Record/ observe facial expresssions eg: smiles/ relaxed/ tense – video reactions and evaluate them
Asking participants to choose a colour to represent their feelings – can analyse what meanings can be found behind different colours
Could reveal what change or mindsets have occured before and after the experience
Self awareness revealed if you ask why they chose that colour
Be aware some may be colour blind – could instead chose a texture, possibly of a plant eg: round leaves or spikey
Diffusers for smells in technobiophilic experience
Blind fold people to heighten their sense of smell?
Compare the smells from real herbs vs diffusers – see which people like the most/ what is more agreeable to them
See the extent to which people are comfertable with technology/ processed scents eg: if the plants are unable to be utilsied do they feel artifical scents can provide the same benefits?
Testing biophilic elements around the experience of having a cup of coffee – low threshold ways to test out biophilic elements
Coffee corner – ask people to try the coffee from different tables 1/2/3 and compare – to determine which lighting and visual positioning is best
Could even test visuals from the shape of the milk eg: leaf/ heart/ circle
Coffee plant – testing real vs plastic plants
Vision of coffee beans – either in person or on a poster or even showcasing a video of their production – allows opportunity to showcase any sustainbel actions they are taking eg: transportation
Test differnet beans for changes in scent
Pour coffee in different cups – modern vs more natural/ leaf shaped or wooden
Artificial vs natural light – how to position things within the light
Reflection
I think this disucssion rasied some very interesting differing concepts and ideas. Especially aorund how to measure changes in connection such as recording reactions or asking feelings to be expressed through colours. I also thought targeting senses in differing orders was a concept to look at further the future.
Testing differnet elements in such a simple format in around how people enjoy a cup of coffee could allow for a path/ modle of how to best implement these biophilic elements into hospitality spaces. I think the small scale of this idea to test around the coffee is a very clever one. However, I think the exact details of this type of intervention would need to be refined for the context of my work. This is because at present the ideas around the coffee relate quite heavily to all encompassing upheavals of hospitality spaces if to be scaled up as they resemble testing elemnets of more common biophilic schemes, which is a key factor I am looking to overcome with this project.
My project aims to re-connect people to nature by bringing the outside indoors, focusing on hospitality venues. The project challenges convention through developing natural events, experiences and designs that develop 1-1 personal connections to nature by evoking the senses and allowing individuals to experience the health benefits of interacting with nature1. Hospitality is the focus due to the popularity of the spaces2, the current lack of biophilic design3, the rise in sustainably conscious venues4 and the lifting of covid restrictions creating an opportunity to reattract customers in innovative and dynamic ways.
Question
Through the journey of my research, my question has evolved to become:
How can connections to nature be improved through visiting hospitality businesses that serve food and drink in cities?
Research Methodology
To explore the aims of my project I have deployed a plethora of research methods. Including, consulting books, academic texts, meeting with experts and stakeholders; visiting hospitality and natural spaces for inspiration and observing applications of nature. The knowledge gathered from this research has been utilised to develop the most suitable and impactful interventions to generate change amongst my stakeholders.
Research
The foundation of my project has been derived from academic texts and books. Reading ‘Design a Healthy Home’5 provided the details of how to apply biophilic concepts into physical spaces. Exploring the academic iterations of scales, such as the Inclusion of Nature in Self Scale6 to measure connections to nature deciphered the appropriate format to measure changes in connection with my Herb Event. The springboard for my most recent creative ideas regarding future iterations of my interventions has been reading ‘Rewild Yourself’7. The book offered alternative perspectives on barriers to nature alongside the vastness of nature, which led to considering unique areas of and ways to access nature in future interventions. Additional knowledge has been obtained from visits to different hospitality venues to assess their uses of nature, as demonstrated on the Instagram page @nature.i.n.8. Inspiration and market awareness were gained from discovering sustainability campaigns such as ‘Good Nature’ at Selfridges9.
Furthermore, I have consulted with biophilic experts including Kristina Libby10 and Hedi Leneartz11 to discuss directions for my work, its impacts, outcomes, and iterations. I have spoken with hospitality business12 and customers13 to establish their different desires towards incorporating nature. Valuable feedback in these meetings were the catalyst for developing the online sharing group, to gather greater data of this type.
My first panel discussion14 was ultimately utilised for research, rather than an intervention, because there was no live audience as intended. Biophilic and biomimetic experts discussed the most effective and innovative applications of nature that could be introduced into hospitality spaces. Discussion provided insightful ideas regarding how to target the senses and technobiophilia. Such conversations contributed to developing the Herb Event, playing off the herb’s scents, textures, and tastes.
A key discovery in my research process has been Technobiophilia. Research led to the work of Sue Thomas, a pioneer in the field whose work I have analysed15, which directed questioning of how technology and nature can be fused together to develop unique methods for connecting to nature. Subsequently, a technobiophilic event is set to occur around 22nd September at Chelsea College of Arts once the canteen space has reopened16.
Interventions
Chelsea College of Arts – Herb Event 20th – 21st July I have developed a contact in the head of catering at Chelsea College of Arts, which has provided the opportunity to hold interventions in their hospitality spaces17. The event involved an array of herbs being presented for customers to come and pick to go with their food or to take home with them18. Upon arrival, I asked customers to complete a series of 4 questions based upon the measure of Inclusion of Nature in Self to rate their connection to nature17. Before participants left, I re-asked the questions to assess if there had been any change in their connection to nature. I provided customers with herb cuttings of their choice to take home and a card explaining different ways to utilise the herbs, alongside a QR code to an online survey form for added feedback.
Results determined that there was a slight increase in connection to nature from this event of 2.5%19 among the 40 participants, but this could be increased if participants had longer to engage with the herbs. A stunning 85% of participants stated that they would actively visit a hospitality venue if it was offering a natural event or experience, suggesting a large market for this work. Throughout the event, many customers stated they felt disconnected from nature living in London, which led to defining cities in my question as an area where many people lack but are ready to receive nature20.
Online Sharing Group
I have developed a sharing group via Facebook where customers of hospitality spaces post applications of nature that they like, or dislike accompanied by short comments as to why they hold this opinion21. Change was to be created utilising the data to develop to applications of nature that are attractive to customers. Results from the group have been limited in user posts, but the group has gained members and likes22. It appeared there was an audience for this idea, but the platform was wrong to engage people. The Nature.In Instagram page has instead been utilised to promote hospitality spaces showcasing nature, to encourage customers to visit such spaces and connect with nature in this way. This page is also helping to form a conversation and community in the comments section, through the page’s growing following which is currently at over 70 followers22.
2nd Panel Discussion – 26th August via Stream Yard
My second panel included 4 biophilic experts and a live audience to learn how they can apply nature in spaces and ask questions23. The panel aimed to establish pioneering adaptations of the interventions I have been conducting. Discussion flowed through a series of question prompts encouraging analysis of each intervention and ideas for future events24. Measuring connection via blood pressure changes, utilising unusual spaces for events, exploring alternative media options for sharing groups and technobiophilia were readily discussed25.
Audience
My stakeholders are split into three key groups: biophilic experts, hospitality professionals and hospitality customers. My interventions have been derived to ensure all stakeholder groups are part of the research.
Intervention
Stakeholders Targeted
1st Panel Discussion
Experts in biophilic and biomimetic design
Herb Event
Hospitality business and customers
Online Sharing Group
Hospitality business and customers
2nd Panel Discussion
Experts in biophilic and biomimetic design Hospitality business and customers invited as an audience to online live stream
Conclusion
I feel my communication with stakeholders in analysing what aspects of natural experiences are ground-breaking and beneficial to all parties has led to the success my project has seen so far. This is something I look to continue and grow my network into Unit 3. Alternatively, a weakness in my process was around the start of July when I spent a long time in May–July securing a hospitality site to test my natural concepts in. Perseverance here led to a key breakthrough in securing the opportunity to run interventions at Chelsea College of Arts and later a meeting with The Marylebone hotel. However, in reflection placing so much emphasis on the importance of securing a testing venue was a slight oversight in my research process.
Looking forward, I feel to push this project further I need to move past my current standing further into the unknown. I believe this new angle may lie around technobiophilia26. I look forward to meeting with Sue Thomas and Hedi Leneartz over the coming week to explore this avenue further and continue to develop original iterations of my interventions building upon the most effective aspects so far.
Kleespies, M.W., Braun, T., Dierkes, P.W. and Wenzel, V., 2021. “Measuring connection to nature—a illustrated extension of the inclusion of nature in self scale.” Sustainability, 13(4), p.1761.
Martin, C. and Czellar, S. (2016) “The extended inclusion of nature in self scale.” Journal of Environmental Psychology, 47, pp.181-194.
Schultz, P.W., (2002). “Inclusion with nature: The psychology of human-nature relations.” In Psychology of sustainable development (pp. 61-78). Springer, Boston, MA.
Below I have included images of my ideas notebook, which showcase the journey of my current thinking to iterate the interventions I have conducted. The pages at the bottom are my most recent thoughts, to try and demonstrate the evolution of my thinking. Further on in the blog post I demonstrate synthesising some of these ideas into next step progressions for my project.
Ideas Journey for Iterations of Interventions:
From these ideas, I see future iterations of my work being split into almost 2 tracts to achieve the goals of improving connections to nature through hospitality venues (see below).
I am still going to pursue interventions with Chelsea College of Arts and The Marylebone Hotel, which offers amazing sites to test my interventions in. However, they may have slight restrictions on the extent to which I can experiment in technological events. Chelsea is more open to trying out an experimental idea and so I will begin trying to implement new ideas there over Marylebone. However, I am interested in exploring whether any unusual/ unused spaces may be available to test out the more experimental and risky technological interventions. For instance, cafes that are otherwise closed in the evenings or an unused backroom in a venue. I am also interested in exploring an experiment whereby participants blood pressure is measured before and after the event in a fun way. Possibly this smaller unusual space idea is better suited to that type of experiment, which can yield strong empirical evidence on the power of these events to increase connection to nature.
Experimenting with Nature and AR
I have recently been researching and explore further into the world of AR and projections in technology, as I have no current experience in the field but have a keen interest in technological advancements. I have begun experimenting with Abode Aero software and created this very rough initial mock-up to consider how nature can be utilised in a virtual AR experience (see below).
Reflection
I feel full of new streams of thought at the moment and a multitude of different ideas to explore and build upon further, especially after the recent conversations with Kristina Libby and in my 2nd Panel discussion. I am very excited to get stuck into exploring what is possible in the realms of technophilia over the coming weeks and gain added insights into the field after my scheduled conversation with Sue Thomas who is a pioneer in the field. I need to look to bring together the many strands of ideas I now have running around in my head into some actionable adaptions of interventions that I can introduce into venues to test out the effectiveness of the concepts in improving connections to nature.
The panellists provided great insights into how they would expand upon and alter the methodologies I have so far employed in my interventions. This was very interesting to witness alternative points of view, many of which were very insightful and can be adapted in looking to future iterations of my events. However, some feedback was possibly less suitable for the niches of my project, with some such as designing full rooms, all be it small rooms, possibly out of the scope for what can be achieved under the timescale of the masters.
Some panellists also felt stronger towards the concept of nature and technology being combined than others. Some panellists felt that nature is the inspiration for parts of technology (not wrong look at ‘I’m saving this to the cloud’ in the tech terminology). Also views that if you are to utilise technology in this way that it may need to be hidden or disguised from the consumer, were raised. However, I felt in parts that this mindset might close you off from future possibilities of how tech can aid the future of human’s relationships and differing experiences of nature. Almost adding another link to the chain with it starting:
nature inspiring tech – tech mimicking aspects of nature – nature and tech together to create new ways to experience nature
Only a couple of panellists felt they were positioned more of the viewpoint towards nature needing to be recognised as the superior as it were, and feeling that to create natural connections perhaps technology needs to take a back seat. However, even this group were not 100% against the idea. But, the other panellists did provide positive ideas and contributions around how technology can be utilised in this way, which is something I definitely want to explore further. Especially after seeing the ideas and support this way of thinking can have amongst experts.
The key interesting points discussed are as follows:
Utilising special natural papers for items such a menus
eg: flower paper or paper made from herbs
these papers could also have their natural scent and will have differing textures, providing greater connections to nature in very small and simple ways
Nature inspired hospital rooms
They utilise heart rate monitoring to assess impact of biophilic space – proved 60% reduction in stress and anxiety
Spent 15/30 mins in the room
Also utilsie measuring blood pressure
Future events
Focus on ensuirng there is a loop or very clear before and after measure Could assess which sense has been stimulated the most?
Reduce randomness – exploit opportunity as student to conduct academic mini experiment to create strong imperical eveidence to presnet to hospitality businesess
More functionalty – eg: maybe blood pressure measuring
Looking at different spaces within hospiality venues
Create a destress room? – maybe out the scope of the masters
Utilsiing unusual spaces – storage closet bar event in New York – repurposing of the space once the venue has cosed for its usual businesses
Storage spaces or unutilsied rooms
Utilsing platforms to share the information around biophilia
Instead of facebook now the focus is on instagram but can push it further
Look also at pintrest – position with biophilia and hospitality but also look at other industires that you can tie into it eg: florists and floral installs in hospitality spaces
Look at LinkedIn – creating a company page, helps to reach professionals in the industries and great for sharing roles
Look at Clubhouse – stream audio and people listen to it
Look at what platforms large assocaitions are utilsing to share their messages eg: international facility management
Idea of utilsie what spaces alreayd have and seeing what can be done with that to link in biophilia
Idea – if something on the menu is unknown and you are ordering through QR code, why can’t the items be hyperlinked to explain extra info of what it is and where it is from – linking to sustainability
Idea – getting rewarded for choosing to not take disposabel cutlery when ordering takeout eg: flower added to their virtual projection wall or phsyical natural artwork piece. Helps to build relationship with customers as they can come back and see their imapct and contribution to the space
Or, utilise the small money saved from cutlery to plant a seed
Could also reward for other sustainable decsions eg: ordering veggie or vegan? – have to be careful that the resturnat would want this however as they may be making more money off meat dishes or the meat being more locally sourced, and so they may want to encourage customers to order meat instead.
Ideas in current spaces:
Living light – concept that utilises photosynthesis to create light – when you touch the leaves lights go on
Digital vegetables – art glass house in Tokyo, similar principle to living light – touch and differnet coloured lights and sounds fill the greenhouse
Hotel group – kids spaces to make kids connect with nature – kids plant seeds and with a QR code they can watch that seed grow even when they are no longer staying at the hotel – could apply to butterfiles as they could grow and be able in a 7 day stay in the hotel
Emotional attachment and caring for sometging gives a greater sense of connection
Idea – full ecosystem spaces – similar to the book/ film DUNE
Idea – hopsitality spaces with historical significance – utilise tech to provide info on this/ its environment or different garden sections etc.
Idea – restaurants with local supplies and herb gardens – organise events to see how they grow the herbs and how the utilsie local producers
Block chain – this tech can allow us to track where food is from – play on this to demonstrate sustainability
Consider the plate that the food is on – what is it made of? – plates made of egg shells or bamboo straws etc – just small actions
Recording:
Unfortunately, there were a few technical problems in saving the video of the panel recording to the Nature.In YouTube channel. However, I did manage to record the audio of the majority of the conversation (minus the first 5 minutes) which I have uploaded to the YouTube channel with a still image of the panellists so that the conversation can be referred back to at a later stage.
The prompt slides utilised in the discussion can be viewed below:
Reflection
The panel was incredibly useful to gain feedback from a key group of stakeholders. Their feedback was honest and insightful into the positives to take from my work and perhaps the shortfalls of parts of my interventions so far and how to push them further now. The panellists also provided information on projects they have currently been working on such as kids rooms in hotels offering plants to plant and they can watch it grown over their stay and even come back to see it in the future. I feel that the audience members enjoyed these insights into other ways nature is being utilised in the hospitality industry. However, unfortunately, the live audience didn’t ask any questions.
A vital angle that was discussed was around the utilisation of different online platforms to educate around biophilia, especially the power of LinkedIn, Pinterest and clubhouse. Subsequently, I will look to utilise these platforms in the future to create real change and reach a lot of people with my work.
The key point brought up to make my research process more robust was that I should consider developing a control experiment where I don’t rely on the chance of passersby and their arent so many random variables in my events. Although, for the purpose of my Herb Event, I did wish to utilise passersby as I wanted it to replicate normal customers coming into a hospitality space who had no prior knowledge of me or my work so that I could gather fair and reliable data on whether there is an audience for such events in the wider public. However, now I have conducted that event and gained that assurance in my data, I think it could be interesting to try and develop a form of controlled intervention whereby a fully imperial measuring tool is employed such as measuring blood pressure, as was suggested in the panel. This could then provide undeniable hard data to present to other hospitality businesses that adding these types of natural events and experiences into their spaces positively impacts their customers and that people would be keen to come to their space if they offered it. Something like this could be set up in a smaller context of perhaps a small pop up bar in a space that might have otherwise been closed eg: a cafe that only sells lunch and gathering a sample of 10 or more people to take part and visit the event. Their blood pressure would be taken upon arrival and as they left to measure the change.
At present these are all just in the ideas phase but I feel there are strong ways that these ideas can be applied to hospitality settings, as now that I have a site such as Chelsea where I can get experimenting, I feel there is a very interesting future ahead for this project.
The online sharing group I have developed via Facebook aimed to provide a space for customers of hospitality spaces to post applications of nature that they like or dislike accompanied by short comments as to why they hold this opinion. The change was to be created by this intervention utilising the data to develop applications of nature that are attractive to customers.
However, recent results from the group have been limited in regards to user posts as it has predominately involved posts just from myself that people have then liked or reacted to. This may be due to people being fearful to post in a new group or it may be a factor of people moving away from utilising Facebook as a key channel of social media. The group has gained a few members suggesting that there is an audience for this type of space/ community or conversation but perhaps Facebook isn’t the best way to access this audience. Therefore I review forming this Facebook community as a FAILURE.
Subsequently, I have adapted the Nature In Instagram page to move away from the initial idea of using the page to post a curated version of the posts from the sharing group. Instead, I have moved the Instagram to focus more upon the aspect of promoting hospitality spaces that are showcasing nature and improving connections to nature through directing people to spaces that incorporate nature already. This page is gathering a steady following which is currently at nearly 70 followers. However, no one has truly engaged conversation in the comments section so far meaning this type of content may be gauged towards one sided sharing of spaces rather than a community engagement in people sharing if they visit the spaces I display.
Posts
Below is a link to the Instagram page, as well as links to different posts on there showcasing different venues utilising nature:
In this below post I actually received a like and comment from the hospitality venue I was promoting. Suggesting that in the future, venues may wish to be featured on the page and it could add to the business’s aims to meeting sustainability targets if there were featured on a page promoting unison with nature.
I have also been utilising the page to post natural images and videos (see below) asking questions in the caption, like how do you get your inspiration? and informing people that connecting with nature aids creativity.
As the next step and iteration of this intervention, I will continue to spread the word and raise awareness for hospitality venues showcasing nature in innovative ways, to hopefully attract customers to chose to visit these spaces and improve their connection to nature. I will also post short facts on this page of the benefits of connecting to nature to add to the persuasion that it is vital to health to have connections to the natural world.
Furthermore, I will also look to other forms of social media and websites to get people engaged in the conversation around biophilic designs in hospitality and change the messaging that it is simply just about adding plants into spaces. This will also aim to make biophilic design more engaging, fun and novel for the customers, consequently aiding businesses through added customers. This intends to create a buzz around the use of Biophilic design in hospitality spaces which will, in turn, provide greater reception for the natural events and experiences I plan as iterations of the herb intervention I conducted at Chelsea.
I stumbled across the Selfridges Good Nature campaign by chance the other day and immediately felt their goals have a strong symbiosis with the aims of my project in connecting people to nature (less of the hospitality focus however).
The campaign is a part of Selfridges’ wider ‘project earth’ campaign which is Selfridges’ 5 year sustainability plan. Good Nature represents Selfridges move away from seasonal campaigns to demonstrates their focus upon reducing waste and encouraging their customers to embrace nature, throughout 2021. Good Nature instigates a return to nature through promoting different ways to enjoy the outdoors, one of these ways includes the garden centre exhibits I came across in the Selfridges store which hosts its range of ‘horti-coture’ fashion items and outdoor wear. The garden centre exhibits technical outdoor accessories and clothing, as well as collaborations with big brands such as North Face and Hunter.
After further research I discovered Good Nature began through a series of nature inspired images from artistic collaborators. This mood-board of images can be found on Selfridges website. The subsequent rest of the campaign includes online blog posts, guides to sustainable shopping, a podcast; as well as the physical ‘garden centre’ spaces I saw in the shop.
The podcast, named the Pleasure Series, aims to showcase ways of gaining the pleasures of nature. For instance, there is an episode on ‘the pleasure of gardening’ , ‘the pleasure of growth’ , ‘the pleasure of rituals’, ‘ the pleasure of sound’ and the list goes on. The podcast is intended to be listened to outdoors to provide a guiding force for experiencing nature by focusing upon encapsulating the healing powers and escapism that can be achieved from nature.
Good Nature ultimately showcases Selfridges’ suitability pledge, alongside the demand for an awareness and appreciation of nature by Selfridges client base; that has been heightened after the pandemic; which highlighted the importance of the outdoors in all of our lives.
My Action From The Discovery of Good Nature:
Due to resonating strongly with this campaign, I have since being trying to contact the people behind it to see if they would be interested in collaborating in any way. But, it has proven rather difficult to track down these individuals. I asked the people working in Selfridges at the time of my visit, but they weren’t sure who I should contact as they were only staff on the clothing counters. I have also rang Selfridges, but this was just a general number and they too were unsure who I should contact. So, I began a deep dive on the internet and discovered who styled the window display for the Good Nature campaign, Emily Outhwaite. I have emailed her and connected with her on LinkedIn in the hope that she will be able to point me in the direction towards the creators of Good Nature, or potentially even be able to directly help to see if any form of collaboration may be possible.
Reflection:
The seed packet given out by Selfridges as part of their Good Nature display inspired an idea. This being that possibly a similar intervention could be conducted by myself to provide seeds or a space where people could even grow their own piece of nature and progressively watch it grow. For instance, if there was the opportunity to plant your own seeds at a hospitality venue and it is as though you have left a part of you in that space and you can go back and watch it grow, develop and flourish. This could also inspire repeat customers to the spaces. This may work well in an informal cafe setting, but it would require upkeep form the venue owners to nurture the plants into growing. This is just a very preliminary idea at present, but I thought it to be an interesting train of thought.
Also in relation to the seed packets, they symbolise taking nature from the event further into the lives of the customers. This is something I have tried to include in my interventions so far with offering customers the opportunity to take herb cuttings home from my herb event, for instance. Re-connecting people to nature not only in the events themselves but further into their daily lives is something I will continue to try and achieve in later iterations of my interventions. The online sharing group I have recently developed also helps to benefit this strengthening of personal connection to nature beyond the scope of events. This is due to the group promoting not only good and bad applications of nature but also what spaces are displaying these aspects of nature, so that people can learn of more ways and places in which they can interact with nature.
Over the past week I have developed an online sharing group. This group aims to target customers of hospitality spaces and provide a space where they can post applications of nature that they like or dislike accompanied by short comments as to why they hold this opinion. This data can then be utilised to develop upon what people are liking, to create the most effective applications of nature to attract customers and get them engaged in nature.
Further advancements of the group, include developing a community whereby the group can be utilised to direct people to events which bring nature to people that I am developing as well as being a space to share other events and venues that are promoting natural design; so that people are able to get the knowledge of where to visit to build their connection to nature.
Facebook
The group has been created on Facebook, as this platform allows for members of the group to share their own images and add captions to it. This group also allows people to comment on the posts, which should help to spark conversation between members and begin the formation of a community.
I am the admin of the group and so I can approve people wanting to join. This process helps to ensure that everyone in the group is there for the right reasons.
I will attract people to the Facebook group by posting about in on the multitude of Facebook groups around natural design and also hospitality that I am a part of already (see below). I will also share about the group in the LinkedIn groups around these subject areas, that I am a member of to promote it further and get people engaged in it. Finally, I will share the group amongst my stakeholders that I have been in contact with the get them involved in the group. Once, people have joined the group they can share the link to their friends to join, I will just need to approve them and then they can get posting!
An example of a post can be seen in my first post below for inspiration for members.
Instagram
I am going to utilise the @nature.i.n instagram page to upload curated images from the Facebook group to showcase the best examples of natural design and events. I will also upload images of spaces and events that I come across so that it provides a specific and intriguing feed into the best places and events to go to experience nature (alongside those that I will be hosting myself).
I will also share this instagram page via the Facebook group and I will gain extra followers of similar such content by following accounts looking at nature, natural design or connecting with nature; as well as those accounts looking at hospitality and interacting with these accounts. I aim to grow a steady following on this account, so that in the future I can utilise this platform to promote the natural events and experiences I am running over the coming months. I will also post about these events in the Facebook groups and the community I nurture in this space will hopefully aid the success of my other ventures in the natural experiences and events, as the other part of my project.
Reflection
I am excited to see how this group can grow and evolve as it gathers members to create real change in how nature can be brought into spaces through utilising the direct feedback from customers of hospitality spaces. I am also intrigued to see how the group can form a space that directs people to applications of nature in spaces and encourages them to visit these spaces and absorb nature in anyway they can. This can also help to gain traction for attending natural events and experiences in hospitality spaces that can aid the entirety of my goal to re-connect people to nature in hospitality spaces. Even if people aren’t attending specifically just the natural events, experiences and designs that I am trialling, the group can help people to visit others promoting nature, which still aids their connection to nature.
Over the coming weeks I will continue to attract members to this group. I will also start to post some images in it myself to set an example of the types of things members might post. Additionally, I will begin too curate and add to the @nature.i.n instagram feed and direct people in the Facebook group to there.
I will unpack the following results gained from the 1st google forms which has collated data across both the Tuesday and the Wednesday of the event.
The data for rating connections to nature after interacting with herbs was only collated on the Wednesday and this is why there are only 22 respondents to those questions rather than 40. This was due to on the Tuesday I deemed the interactions with the herbs from people only passing through the cafe for a quick coffee etc to be too short to impact their connection to nature. So, I was relying on people completing the questions on the second google form once they were home to achieve an ‘after herbs’ result. This is because passersby of this sort were the main people I interacted with through the event, as they were the predominate customers of the cafe. However, after getting home on the Tuesday evening and reviewing the answers submitted in the 2nd google forms from the 19 people I had spoken to that day, only 1 had completed the form. Therefore, I realised on the Wednesday it was necessary to ask everyone the before and after questions then and there, in the hope of achieving some form of comparable data between before and after the herb interactions. Even up to this day only 3 people have given any answers on the 2nd google form, but only 1 has completed the majority of questions, the other two have only answered the first three questions!
The 1st Google Forms
The vast majority of participants in my event were females, although tis was predominately over the first day, with the Wednesday being more balanced between males and females. Across the 2 day event I managed to reached the majority of age ranges in some proportion, which I was happy with in gaining a sample of the public in relation to customers of hospitality spaces, as under 18s are less likely to visit hospitality spaces of their own accord.
Inclusion of Nature in Self Scale
Here we observe the top 3 most connected options (E, F, G) to hold 47.5% of the responses when asked at the start of the event. This almost being half of the participants, in this sample, means that the customers were already feeling fairly strongly connected to nature on the whole. The least connected option of A and B held the least amount of responses with only 7.5% of the vote.
When the question was asked again after taking part and engaging in the herb event, 50% of responses were the top 3 most connected options. This slight change (2.5%) in reported connectedness to nature suggests that there is strength in the event to impact connection to nature, which is very promising as it also had high engagement with 40 participants. To increase the rate of the change in connectedness, options such as lengthening the interaction with nature, creating more immersive interactions and transferring knowledge through the interaction may be beneficial. Consequently, these ideas will be interwoven into future iterations of the event.
However, I must be aware that the change in connection observed here between the two sections may partly reflect bias in answers from participants that think I want their answers to go up between asking the question before and after. Therefore, they may have reported a higher score after the event, even though I did assure participants I wanted truly honest answering throughout and there was no judgment in any answers given.
Rating Connection to Nature 1-10
Overall, the responses to the rankings of connectedness mimic that of the answers given to the inclusion of nature in self scale. The majority of answers are 7-10 on the scale and there is a slight increase in the scores given after the event. Subsequently, I feel that asking participants to rank their connection 1-10 may not be necessary next time, when also using the inclusion of nature in self scale. I only included this answer to gain greater detail into peoples connection by giving it a numerical value, but I realise the answers are rather similar to that of the scale and I feel that the scale is more accurate in targeting the relationship to nature I am trying to assess.
Rating Concern for Nature 1-10
The results for this question are skewed very much towards the higher end of the scale, with no responses for 1-4 on either the before or after questioning. This suggests concern for nature to be something rooted very highly amongst customers of this space. Therefore, concern for nature itself could be something worked into further interventions. For instance, creating sustainable events, or providing people with information of easy ways that they can assist nature; even helping them to assist nature through taking part in an intervention, however that may be achieved. This is something I will look into developing into future interventions.
With all of these answers scoring so highly, I am aware that there could be social biases taking rule here whereby there is so much coverage in modern news around the worries for the planet and nature and how much we should all care for it, that this may have been reflected in the answers of participants. People may feel that they should be concerned for nature even if they aren’t, which may have created some dishonest answering.
Rating Motivations to Help Nature 1-10
There is slightly more variation in answering here than with the concern question, suggesting that although people are worried for nature, they may not feel they can or want to act in its best interests. This could be interesting to try and create interventions that do actively aid nature, but that are also very easy for customers to get involved in, for instance having herbs as table decorations or edible flowers, which people can pick, eat and learn about . This could then make people want to grow, use and interact with these parts of nature once again; thus aiding nature. However, the answers were again predominately high scoring, suggesting that the majority of customers do feel strongly to act for nature and so this can be a clear way to attract people to events and experiences, that are in the interest of nature.
Just as with the concern answers, motivation also scored highly across everyone, suggesting again people may have answered this way because they feel they should. Of Course, there is the other side of the argument that suggests maybe everyone is very concerned for nature with the effects of climate change becoming evermore present on the planet and so it could be their honest answering.
The majority of interactions over the entirety of the event were rather short, as hardly anyone actually sat and ate at the cafe, most just passed through for a quick coffee. Therefore, it was hard to make a big impact on people’s connection to nature. So, in the next iterations of the event I aim to make the interaction with nature more impactful through being slightly longer where possible.
The 2nd Google Forms
Sadly, there is very little knowledge to be gained from the 2nd google forms, which asked additional questions for feedback about the event, as well as repeating the 4 questions above but asking them about after having taken cuttings of the herbs home, if there had been any impact to connection to nature. Only 3 out of the 40 participants who were all given the QR code to the forms have completed any answering, but no one has fully completed it and so there is little to evaluate from this forms. The only clear take away is this people are very unlikely to complete forms in their own time through this methodology, and so gaining responses then and there is vastly a better option.
If anymore responses are posted on the 2nd google forms over the coming days I will be sure to do an analysis of the findings.
Take Aways:
Having studied the results from the google forms and the feedback I recorded during the event, I have established the following parameters need to be incorporated into future iterations. There was a strong uptake in the event and a small change in connection (2.5%) despite interaction with the event begging short for most participants, which shows promise in the event and means that it can definitely be built upon to create even greater change in strength of connection to nature, see below ways for how to consider doing this:
The interaction with the natural elements needs to be longer to evoke a change in people’s connection to nature. Making events more immersive, or transferring knowledge may also be tested out to achieve this goal.
85% of 40 people asked said that they would be attracted to a venue specifically if it was offering an experience with nature. The others would said that they wouldn’t be strictly attracted to visit the space, but many said they would still enjoy the natural elements once there but it wouldn’t draw them to the venue on their own. Suggesting there is a big market for natural events, experiences and designs.
Needs to collate guaranteed before and after answers to the questions surrounding connection, as people rarely fill in forms after the event.
Utilise inclusion of Nature in Self Scale as predominate measure, ask to rate concern and motivations to act for nature 1-10 if possible, but not as essential.
The questions asked around connection need to be kept short to ensure engagement remains high.
The event needs to bring nature to the people, as they feel far removed from it in the city.
Create events to aid people’s concern for nature, which will also attract these people to the events. For instance, sustainable events, or providing people with information of easy ways that they can assist nature, or assisting nature through taking part in the event itself
To get people motivated to act in the interest of nature create interventions that do actively aid nature, but that are also very easy for customers to get involved in. These events can then also attract those already motivated to help nature, as they will be aiding it even further.
The biggest breakthrough here is demonstrating that events like this can improve people’s connection to nature, even in a small way.
Over the course of Tuesday the 20th and Wednesday the 21st July I ran a Herb Event at the Chelsea Collage of Arts cafe and courtyard area, which is opposite the Tate Britain. The event aimed to connect customers of the cafe to nature by offering the opportunity to interact with the herbs, add them to their food and take cuttings of the herbs home with them. I asked the customers a series of 4 questions including the Inclusion of Nature in Self scale and 3 other questions based around the scale. The questions were asked before interacting with the herbs and again afterwards, with bookmark cards given out to everyone including a QR code on it to complete further questions about the event at home or reflect on whether taking herbs home impacted their connection to nature. Further details on the event can be found in my previous blog posts.
I will now unpack the outcomes of the event and a blog post of detailed analysis of the results from the google forms will follow in the coming days.
Overall
The small and open nature of the outdoor cafe courtyard area at Chelsea worked very well in being able to manage who had interacted with the herbs, who to go to to ask greater qs for feedback. This meant that I was able to ensure that almost everyone who utilised the cafe or passed by, was asked about whether they wished to participate in the event, which the vast majority did. It was also a good venue to talk to lots of people, as many people walk past; which was much better than a small cafe with limited customers.
Often I approached people who were sat, but I didn’t disturb people who were obviously busy eg: on the phone or typing. I did this to ensure I didn’t reply on people just coming up to me and being interested in what I was doing, as that rarely happened, maybe 5/6 times over the whole 2 days. I often said hi to people walking past and then got them talking to spark conversation and then often they would get involved.
Attracting people to the event
In hindsight it may have been beneficial to attract people to the event through advertising through social media postings, rather than just relying alone on the normal customers of the cafe to take part. However, the event already attracted a large amount of attention, with 40 participants over the two days and as I was running it myself without assistance if there was a lot more customers I may not have been able to talk and interact with all participants as I did.
Additionally, not bringing in outsider customers did provide for accurate testimony of typical customers to the cafe to see if they, as a representative of customers of hospitality spaces, were interesting in interacting with nature through the herb event. Whereas, if people had come to the event through social media postings they would already be interesting in connecting to nature through the event as that would have been what brought them to the space.
However, a medium between these two ways of attracting customers could have been putting posters of some sort around the local areas so that people nearby knew it was happening and to see whether this effected who attended the event and they engagement in it.
Set Up
I set up a table with a cloth I brought to make it stand out from the others, accompanied by my tray of herbs, some string to tie up cuttings of the herbs, scissors, some pre-made bundles of rosemary that I made in the morning of the Tuesday as well as the bookmark cards I had printed with my design featuring the QR code for the second google forms which include questions about taking the herbs home and extra detailed questions; as well as tips for how to utilise the herbs on the other side. I also brought a notebook to take notes of conversations I had and people I interacted with throughout the day.
Outcomes of Tuesday 19th July
Observation:
At the start of the event, I observed after talking to the first few participants that it was difficult to record before and after responses to the 4 connection to nature questions on the spot, as many people were only walking past the cafe or grabbing a to-go coffee. Therefore, these participants were mainly responding to the 4 initial ‘before herb interaction’ questions and then taking home some of the herbs; thus, gaining an ‘after interacting with herbs’ response to the connection to nature qs relied on people completing the 2nd google forms at home via the bookmark card handed to them. This is risky in relying on the participants completing the questions in their own time, but with peoples interactions with there herbs in this take away nature being so brief, it initially seemed one of the only ways to hopefully gain accurate information on whether their had been a change in their connection to nature.
Reflection:
For tomorrow’s event, I will try to get people to cut some of the herbs themselves and then ask the after qs straight away regardless of if the interaction has been short. I will just add that it was a short interaction in the added information box at the bottom of the first google forms, so that I know for future reference when analysing the results. This way at least then I will definitely get some guide of whether the event has changed their connection to nature even in the slightest way, as relying on people to complete questions at home on their own time is slightly worrying as it is unlikely to occur.
Observation:
I also observed that giving participants the QR code to complete the second half of the questioning at home initially meant that I didn’t know which participant gave which answers to the 1st and then the 2nd google forms, as there wasn’t a way to link the two.
Idea/ Reflection:
However, after my 5th participant I thought to start handing out participant numbers and added this section into both google forms, so I would be able to correlate the participant numbers between the two forms and so I can compare the answers. I quickly cut out squares of paper and wrote up to 26 participant numbers on them so I could hand them out to people with the herbs and bookmark cards. Hopefully this meant that everyone was able to remember their number and then they can add this information to the top of the 2nd google form when they come to fill it in, allowing for the comparison of their answers before and after herb events.
I felt this idea worked well and all the participants seemed to take to it and take their paper with the number on it with the same care as their bookmark and herbs. I was happy I was able to think and implement a solution to the issue on the spot and test it out whilst the event was on going.
Extra Observations:
Lots of people taking herbs home
Reflection: positive of the event meaning people like the herbs and that there is a want for people to take them into their lives and build a connection to nature.
Some people asking to take whole plants or if I was selling them.
Reflection: Maybe on a bigger budget events taking this concept could allow people to take whole herb plants home at the end.
People saying no to taking part as they were ‘too busy’, some said they ‘have enough plants already’, without actually realising what the event was about; also some people thinking I’m selling herbs and then them being disappointed.
Reflection: People who said they already have enough plants generally felt they already have a reasonable connection to nature and so maybe in future ways to connect people to nature without just physical plants may appeal more to these people.
Conversations with Participants:
Lady and Baby
This participant was conscious of nature, as she was a veggie with no car and rarely flies, however she said she felt disconnected from nature due t o being in the city(3/10 or B on Inclusion of Nature in Self scale), but she was trying her best to get involved in nature so her kids felt the benefits.
Very Keen Gardening Lady
Stated that she felt interacting with real plants and nature, such as herbs in the event is better than other natural design techniques she had witness due to the touch, relationship and interaction you get from real plants.
She also stated that she struggles with how connected to nature she feels in London as she is lucky to have a garden but it is only small.
Ex Geography Teacher lady
Very keen gardener, loves herbs especially the smell and would be very keen to visit other places hosting similar events maybe on a larger scale.
Lovely Old Couple
She is a keen gardener, they took basil home to have with a tomato salad they were making that evening.
Reflection on Tuesday’s Event:
I noted the vast majority of participants in the event happened to be female today. I wonder if this is because women are more attracted to the way I was showcasing nature in the event or whether it was simply chance of who was walking by at the time of the event? Perhaps it was what was being shown at the Tate at the time attracting a more female crowd? These are all only speculations as I don’t have the answers to this questions, we will have to see if the results are similar on the Wednesday event to attempt to draw any type of conclusion on this matter.
Additionally, lots of participants were middle aged, this could be due to it being mid week and mid day. Other iterations of this intervention and events may look to be held at different point throughout the week to attract different crowds of participants.
Notes Taken During Tuesday Event:
Outcomes Wednesday 20th July
Today I made all participants answer the before and after questions, no matter the length of their interaction. But, I recorded the length of the interaction at the bottom of the form so this can be factored in when analysing the data. This allows for comparison of before and after connections to nature, rather than relying on people to complete this information on their own at home, which is unlikely to occur as at the end of Tuesday evening only 1 participant had completed the further questions out o the 19 I had spoken to that day.
I took notes through the day once again, from which the following observations and notes from conversations are resultant.
I also set up in a slightly different spot to hopefully reach more people walking past both around the collage and to the Tate, as my position yesterday was slightly more towards the Tate. This spot also help to give myself slightly more shade from the extreme sun as Tuesday was overwhelmingly hot.
Observations:
Observations:
Received lots of comments on how fresh the herbs were and how they looked.
Reflection: I think this is important to maintain throughout other events utilising plants/ herbs.
People really liked the idea of the event, but felt it was a little short to impact their connection to nature, as they were only passing through. They wanted to spend a longer time with the herbs.
Reflection: Maybe this greater connection could be achieved if the herb plants were enjoyed over a meal – I may suggest this at my meeting with Simon at The Marylebone Hotel to integrate physical herb plants with the enjoyment of meal, to elongate the interacting with nature.
Lots of people interested in future events and especially in adding their own herbs to meals.
Reflection: I could make a website adding a page showing events that I am running which I could send out to people. The webpage could include: my blog, what’s on/ events, online sharing group, about us, contact us. For now though, I could add an events section to my blog in the meantime.
Problem in going back to people’s answers once they had completed the ‘before herbs’ questions and then utilised the herbs on their food and I tried to return to the same form to finish the ‘after herbs’ questions but it refreshed and initial answers were lost.
Reflection: I then started to write down the initial answers to the before questions if I knew the participant was going to utilise the herbs on their food and then revisit the questions later on, so that their answers weren’t lost again.
Problem in some herb cuttings beginning to wilt in the sun for those who took them then stayed a while due to the extreme heat out today.
Reflection: This shows it might be best to utilise cuttings straight from the plant to add to food, as in a restaurant setting to also ensure maximum freshness; rather than any ideas of giving out her bubbles at the end of meal for people to take home with them.
Conservations with Participants:
Lady in Finance
Really liked the event, wants to see other events like it in the future and get involved.
Man from Gloucestershire
He spoke how he felt connected to nature due to living in the countryside. He said he would visit an event involving herbs on the table of restaurants or immersive natural experiences.
Man
Took basil home, felt reasonably connected to nature already and so he said that he wouldn’t be attracted to natural events as he already feels close to nature; but said he would enjoy the event if it happened to be in a space he was in.
Girl Londoner
Said she hasn’t been programmed to be with nature having grown up in London, but as the environmental awareness movement grows, so does her interest in nature and events like this she really likes to help do that.
2 Girls Eating at the Cafe
Very few people ate at the acfe today, but 2 girls did and took part in the event adding the herbs to their food. One added parsley and chives to her beef tacos and the other chives to her salad (see below). They said they really enjoyed the experience of picking and eating the herbs and that it was a very unique event.
Man With No Garden
Said he likes nature but doesn’t often get to spend time in it, said the event made him want to go for a walk and spend time in nature. He took home some rosemary for his potatoes later.
Basil Girl
Took home basil to utilise for her salad, really liked the idea.
Lady With All The Herbs Already
She said she felt fully connected to nature, she lives in Richmond by the park and so spends lots of time by nature, so she felt the event had little impact as she was already at one with the natural world.
3 Girls, all friends
1 felt rather unconnected and they didn’t want to take any herbs with them as they were ‘a bad cook’ and the ‘ plants would die’. However, the other two took herbs home, one basil for her pasta and the other rosemary for her dinner. They also said that the short length of the event meant there was little impact to their connection.
Lady
Took basil home and loved the idea of being able to cook with it.
Technical Man at Chelsea
He had a severe allergic reaction to a plant recently which he surprisingly said made him feel more connected to nature than ever, as it was to him like nature was fighting back. He said he also got rid of his car recently for environmental reasons and that he would be interested in attending future natural events to help grow his connection even further.
Man Lecturer at Chelsea
Really liked the event and the idea of herbs being implemented alongside certain dishes in restaurants, to give that more personal connection.
Reflection on Wednesday’s Event:
Great day today, so happy to have reached out to 40 participants over the 2 days! It was a quicker start today and got slightly slower towards the end. I really enjoyed talking to all the participants and getting their take on and experiences with nature.
Some people of course didn’t want to get involved, but out of those I directly asked I only received 3 ‘no’ s today and everyone else I asked took part. I was careful to ensure my questions were short and easy to answer which I feel was a big key to my success in gaining so many participants.
I also noticed a more balanced uptake in the event between women and men today, as well as more younger participants; suggesting yesterdays result may have bene a slight fluke.
OverallReflection on Events:
The event did very well to attract people in and get them to take the herbs home. Therefore, the vent was successful in getting people to interact and think about nature. But, it was less effective in impacting their connection to nature due to the short time spent at the event by most participants. This also meant there was limited impact upon participants hospitality experience, as most people were passers-by as the cafe wasn’t overly busy, especially on the Tuesday it was quite quiet. Most of the cafes customers were to-go coffee and snacks, so it was hard to get talking to anyone who was staying in the area longer for food and get them to add herbs into that food. The small impact on hospitality experiences however, clarified that the aim of this project is to connect people to nature, with hospitality venues being the setting rather than impacting the hospitality experience being the focus pf the project.
In trying to get people involved in the event and wanting to connect with nature I think it may be beneficial to promote the benefits of interacting with nature. This may especially help to attract those that are less connected to nature to begin with as they may be unaware of the impacts nature could have on them, something many people have discovered over the lockdowns. This promotion of benefits may be done through internet promotion or signage, which needs greater attention to be paid to it in the next iterations of this event.
I am hoping to get feedback from the 2nd google forms over the coming days as participants have had time to reflect on the event, as at present only 3 out of the 40 people involved in the event have responded via the QR code to the 2nd google forms for added feedback and reflections on taking herbs home. Hopefully people feel slightly obliged to take part after talking to me at the event as well as taking herbs and my bookmarks home with them.
The use of the QR codes on the bookmark cards was reasonably well received, I think this is especially due to the mass implementation of QR codes for ordering at hospitality venues over covid times.
Overall, I’m very proud of how the event went over the past few days having put lots of work into the set up for it and running it all myself. I felt it produced a great start for the future testing of interventions in hospitality spaces as part of my project and provided lots of insights to work on to develop stronger iterations of such events into the future.
Evaluation of Self Report Method:
The majority of people reported that they felt reasonably connected to nature, but this could be due to the feedback being self report. Therefore, participants may be answering in a way that they feel I want them to answer, or that they should answer which may result in inaccurate testimony. Or, maybe it was just that people attracted to the event are those that already have a relationship with nature, and so they already felt reasonably connected making them want to grow this connection as they enjoy this natural relationship and want it to flourish.
Talking to 2 girls that participated demonstrated the limitations of utilising this type of self report measure, as the second girl to participate tried to ‘one up’ the answers of the first participant as so to appear better by being better connected to nature.
This could potentially be rectified through anonymous feedback forms. For instance, at another event a form could be given out at the start and filled in and then redistributed before then end (if everyone was to take part at the same time). Or, if the event was to occur at the same time as a meal an anonymous feedback form could be given out with the menus and then another with the bill to ensure there isn’t pressure on the answers given. However, there is always the risk here that people may not actually complete the forms. So, there is the trade off, possibly slightly bias results from self report or possibly no results from incomplete feedback forms.
Themes Taken From Feedback of Event:
People liking nature, but being in London feeling disconnected from it. Many people very keen to grow their relationships wit nature, just don’t know how they can do so in the city. Therefore, future events should try to reach people in this space through bringing nature to spaces they already occupy eg: hospitality spaces in accessible and meaningful ways.
Short nature of just talking then taking herbs home, for the passerby meant there could be little impact on they overall connection to nature.
People were very receptive to seeing plants and herbs and wanting to get involved with them, especially in hospitality setting like this as people commented it was unique and unusual, which always grabs people’s attention.
Participants are very keen to attend future natural events and experiences that help them to connect to nature and many wanted to know how they could be updated as to when they would be.
Below outlines my plans with the Chelsea Collage of Arts for my Herb Event running next Tuesday and Wednesday, as agreed to by Dashnor the head of catering.
On Tuesday and Wednesday next week (20th and 21st July) between the hours of 11am- 4pm I will be running a Herb Event. This will involve me bringing an array of herbs to the site and setting up a stand in the middle of the outdoor cafe seating area with these herbs.
I will be present during all of this time and will ask customers if they would like to come and pick some of the herbs to add to their food or to take home with them. This will be done to measure whether this interaction with nature in the hospitality setting improves their connection to nature. Consequently, I will ask customers to complete a very short series of 4 questions utilising the academic measure of the inclusion of nature in self (Schultz, 2002: Kleespies et al., 2021) to rank their connection to nature on a scale of 1-10 initially, before providing them with the herbs. Then, before they leave I will re-ask the questions and see if their answers have changed at all, to determine if there has been a change in their connection to nature.
I will also provide customers who wish to take some of the herbs home with a card that explains different ways to utilise the herbs, as well as a link to an online survey form where they can provide added information as to whether taking this herb home and utilising it has aided their connection to nature. Throughout the event I will also talk with customers to discover more about their views of nature and how they feel their connection to nature could be best improved.
Acquiring the Herbs
I secured a basket from my neighbours who I spotted were throwing it out, which was highly convenient as it made the perfect herb carrier.
I visited 6 florists that were selling herbs, after the meeting at Chelsea on Tuesday, I tried to visit places close to the campus so there could be a shorter journey to transport the herbs. I asked if they would be able to secure a selection of herbs at wholesale cost from the flower market. I sadly discovered it has been very hard to get herbs recently as there is a shortage in Holland, but I left my phone number with them all to get in contact if they were able to secure any. However, after a few days I hadn’t heard anything back from the florists and so I took to the only other place I knew I could find potted herbs, the supermarket. So, on Thursday I went to my local supermarket and bought pretty much all of the potted herbs they had. I also got some smaller pots and compost from my local hardware store and took my new purchases home. I then repotted all of the herbs to make more smaller plants so they could grow and settle into their new pots in time for my first herb event on Tuesday. You can see the finished herb basket with my repotted herbs below.
Creating a Report Method for Measuring Connection to Nature
To record the impacts of the herb event I am going to utilise google forms. And there will be two separate google forms utilised in the event.
1st Google Forms
I will be the only one with access to this google forms, as I am going to utilise it as a quick and efficient method to record customers responses to my initial questions regarding their connection to nature, and then again once they have interacted with the herbs. I can then easily view all the inputted answers digitally, after the event and analyse whether interacting with the herbs during the event impacted their connection to nature at all.
The three questions asked in this form are related to the academic scale of the inclusion of nature in self, which was originally developed by Schultz in 2002. The inclusion of nature in self scale has 3 key components, these being:
Cognitive Component – nature as part of self?
Behavioural Component – motivation to act in the interest of nature?
Affective Component – concern for nature?
Schultz’s (2002) original inclusion of nature in self scale kept it very simple in asking 1 question which asks what diagram fits the person’s relationship with nature best (see below).
Scultz’s measure has been developed upon through an extension of the inclusion of nature in self scale by Kleespies et al. (2021). This extended scale looks to create a version of the scale for people with lowered abstraction and imagination, such as younger people or those in need of support. Additionally, there is another extended scale developed by Martin and Czellar (2016). This scale proposes a 4 item development of the inclusion of nature in self to explore spatial metaphors in relation to self assessment of connection to nature. However, Martin and Czellar’s (2016) scale although may provide a greater validity of results, it is rather complicated and so I think this may put off the general public responding accurately in my event.
Subsequently, due to my unknown customer range at the Herb Event, as it is at a cafe open to the public, I am going to employ the extended inclusion of nature in self scale developed by Kleespies et al. (2021) (see below). This is because the scale includes younger people as well as those that may require assistance in imagination or abstraction, while still catering for the original target audience of the inclusion of nature in self scale. This is an academically rigorous scale which is still simple enough for the public too quickly and accurately respond too.
To create added depth in my feedback, I will also ask three questions before and after interacting with the herbs, each addressing one of the three components outlined in the inclusion of nature in self; to assess the customers connection to nature.
Questions to be asked before and after interaction with herb event (1st google forms):
Which picture best describes you relationship with the natural environment? How interconnected are you with nature?
How do you rate your current connection to nature? On a scale 1-10 (1 being little connection)
How do you rate the strength of your motivations to act in the interest of nature? On a scale 1-10 (1 being little motivation)
How concerned are you for nature? On a scale 1-10 (1 being little concern)
link to 1st google forms: https://forms.gle/bkRc8U7kJDf8PZgs5
2nd Google Forms
The QR code which links to this forms is included in the cards I will be giving out at the event alongside the herbs. The first 3 questions are aimed at people who take herbs home with them from the event and aim to address the inclusion of nature in self scale by again targeting the 3 components. This google forms can also be completed by people during the event if they are willing to provided added details in their feedback and reflections on their personal connection to nature, as the later questions are more general about the event and their relationship with nature.
The questions include (2nd google forms):
(If herbs were taken home) How has the continuation of the event through taking the herbs into your daily lives, influenced you connection to nature? eg: are you inspired to grow your own herbs or plants or spend more time in spaces incorporating nature? Please also give your connection to nature a rating out of 1-10 (1 being little connection).
(If herbs were taken home) How has interacting with the herbs in your daily life impacted your concern for nature? Please also give your concern for nature a rating out of 1-10 (1 being little concern).
(If herbs were taken home) How has utilising the herbs at home effected your motivations to act in the interest of nature? Please also give your motivations a rating out of 1-10 (1 being little motivation).
How has interacting with the herbs during the herb event impacted you connection to nature?
Was it the physical presence of the herbs at the event that you enjoyed or specifically your interaction with them? and why?
Would you be attracted to visit a hospitality space if they were hosting events to incorporate nature and why?
What would you like to see from hospitality spaces to bring you closer to nature whilst visiting them?
Do you feel hospitality spaces make a conscious effort to bring nature to their customers? what examples do you like or dislike of this?
What attracts you to nature or spaces including nature and why? eg: planting for their health benefits, or natural colours as they are exhilarating
Which senses are most important to you to emulate an experience with nature, eg: smells, sounds, visuals, touch or tastes? Please give examples
Are you keen to strengthen your relationship to nature? and why?
How do you attempt to connect with nature in your daily life?
link to 2nd google forms: https://forms.gle/9tBK7NudHZtTWm3V6
Hand Out Cards
I have designed and then found a printer to create physical copies of these cards to compliment the Herb Event (see below). The cards are designed to accompany taking some of there herbs home whether this be a small plant or a bunch of picked herbs. The cards feature some tips of how to utilise the herbs as well as the QR code to the 2nd google forms.
I am aware that once customers take the cards and herbs home they are possibly less likely to complete the google forms, as there will be no physical presence asking them to do so. However, I hope after interacting with them at the event and also in giving them something for nothing, in letting them take herbs home, that they will provide some useful feedback.
Once the event is completed I will review all feedback gained and look as to how I can build from this in future iterations of the intervention.
Bibliography
Kleespies, M.W., Braun, T., Dierkes, P.W. and Wenzel, V., 2021. “Measuring connection to nature—a illustrated extension of the inclusion of nature in self scale.” Sustainability, 13(4), p.1761.
Martin, C. and Czellar, S. (2016) “The extended inclusion of nature in self scale.” Journal of Environmental Psychology, 47, pp.181-194.
Schultz, P.W., (2002). “Inclusion with nature: The psychology of human-nature relations.” In Psychology of sustainable development (pp. 61-78). Springer, Boston, MA.
