Chang and colleagues determined that our orientation to natural spaces is, at least to some extent, inherited from family members. The researchers determined that “using a twin design (TwinsUK, number of individuals = 2,306), we investigate the genetic and environmental contributions to a person’s nature orientation, opportunity (living in less urbanized areas), and different dimensions of nature experience (frequency and duration of public nature space visits and frequency and duration of garden visits). We estimate moderate heritability of nature orientation (46%) and nature experiences (48% for frequency of public nature space visits, 34% for frequency of garden visits, and 38% for duration of garden visits) and show their genetic components partially overlap. We also find that the environmental influences on nature experiences are moderated by the level of urbanization of the home district. Our study demonstrates genetic contributions to individuals’ nature experiences.”
Chai-chen Chang, Daniel Cox, Qiao Fan, Thi Nghiem, Claudia Tan, Rachel Oh, Brenda Lin, Danielle Shanahan, Richard Fuller, Kevin Gaston, L. Carrasco. 2022. “People’s Desire to Be in Nature and How They Experience It Are Partially Heritable.” PLoS Biology, vol. 20, no 2, e3001500, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001500