New research from the University of Derby delivers a stark warning:
Our collective connection to nature (the sense that we are part of the natural world, not separate from it) has fallen by almost 60% since the 1800s. And unless we act, this downward spiral is set to continue until at least 2050.
The study shows that once green space falls below 23% of an area, a vicious cycle of disconnection takes hold, passed from parents to children: When each generation feels less connected to nature than the last, it becomes harder for people to care for the environment or take action to protect it.
This matters because without reconnection, efforts to solve climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution will remain incremental. These crises are, at their core, crises of relationship.
But there is hope.
The research highlights that childhood experiences and family culture are pivotal, and that systemic solutions (community initiatives, environmental education and “multi-stakeholder forums”) are essential to reversing the trend.
That’s exactly what our GLAS community gardens are already doing.
In our GLAS community gardens:
- Families learn together. Parents and children plant, harvest and rediscover wonder in nature. Together, they build the intergenerational bonds the research calls for.
- We restore urban green space. By creating accessible gardens in cities, GLAS helps prevent the “23% threshold” of disconnect, showing that more greenery creates more connection.
- We put inclusion at the centre. Our community gardens welcome everyone. Many of our regular volunteers are asylum seekers, people with disabilities, people experiencing social isolation, or people simply interested in working together with other people.
- Confidence and action. In the GLAS gardens, visitors can see composting, horticulture and rainwater harvesting in action, and learn how to do it themselves. Together, they discover that local action matters, and can be fun!
The message is clear: community gardens like our GLAS gardens are powerful tools to reverse nature disconnect.
As Professor Richardson’s research makes clear, healing our broken relationship with nature is not optional, but it is the foundation for solving the ecological crises of our time. Our GLAS gardens show how that healing can begin right here, in our own communities.
Research shows that a shared garden can make you more democratic, and happier.
At GAP, we know that community gardens are about more than growing food: they’re about growing connection.
In the GLAS gardens, we cultivate plants, we grow communities and we harvest hope.
Research shows that when people come together to plant, dig and share, they’re also shaping their neighbourhoods and building stronger, more inclusive communities.
Community gardens give everyone a voice, from long-time residents to new arrivals, and turn unused plots into places of life, learning and belonging. Community gardens change people, and they change cities. And research also proves that gardening side by side can lift people’s moods, ease stress, and help us feel part of something bigger.
With support from our local authorities (Dublin City and Fingal County Council), these gardens can become lasting parts of city life, as essential as any park or library.
If you’d like to get involved or just see what’s growing, visit the GLAS gardens or get in touch with the GAP Ireland team.
Everyone is welcome. No green thumb required.