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Abstract

Nature connectedness is often studied in relation to the interaction and contact with nature of individuals. In this study, we evaluate volunteers (n = 24) who conformed a group of excursionists in the Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve (PGDABR), who are residents of Hermosillo (ages 18–62), in northwestern Mexico. The excursion consisted of a 2-day weekend visit to the Sonoran Desert region in which participants hiked, watched native species, stargazed, and enjoyed the crater's scenery, among other activities in nature. Volunteers were evaluated with an adapted 32-item questionnaire before and after their excursion. The instrument was comprising the Nature Connectedness (NC), Nature Relatedness, and Love and Care for Nature scales (LCNSs) to measure the sample level of feeling oneself as a part of nature and within it. This study aims to estimate if regions such as the Sonoran Desert, which presents extreme climate conditions, contribute to an enhancement on individuals' NC level. Findings indicate that participants displayed significant increasement levels on the NC and LCNSs after excursioning in PGDABR.

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Effects of Being in Contact with Nature on Individuals' Nature Connectedness: Excursion on the “Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar” Biosphere Reserve

Abstract

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