Take a moment to recognise the lenses shaping the way you see things
How do you envision nature?
Do you see it as a resource, a living being, or a place?

The way we perceive nature determines how we relate to and act upon it. Studies have shown that in places where people view nature as a living entity, land, biodiversity, and ecosystems tend to be well preserved (Garnett et al., 2018; IPBES, 2019a). Conversely, in contexts where nature is seen merely as a resource, there is a greater tendency to exploit it, leading to more threatened ecosystems. 

If we change the way you perceive nature, the practices you engage in will also change.

What you will achieve with this tool?

Valuing relational phihlosophies toward nature and mapping initial steps to embody them.

Explore how to take action

Remember, this is an inspiration guide (not a recipe) to help you decide what will be most transformative for your context. Every context is unique!

1
STEP 1 Identify ways of valuing nature using the Nature Futures Framework (NFF). Read more
2
STEP 2 Explore further the relational values supporting the One with Nature approach to nature: Read more
3
STEP 3 Reflect on how these values are experienced in your context Read more
4
STEP 4 Co-create a list of actions and expressions that bring these core domains to life in the intervention, policy, or law that you are supporting Read more
5
STEP 5 Co-design a plan integrating these actipns in a specific time frame. Consider nature cycles when structuring the intervention.

With whom and for whom are you transforming?

local communities and Indigenous peoples
private sector actors
scientists and educators
non-human beings and ecosystems

What small daily practices could transform your relationship with nature from instrumental to relational?

Which cultural or community traditions could your intervention be based on to strengthen  human-nature connection in a relational way?

Nature-driven decision-making is not only about ecological sustainability, it is about embracing relational values: 

embedding regeneration, reciprocity, and stewardship into governance and everyday practices. 

Transformative change happens when we shift from seeing nature as a resource to reconnecting to it, ensuring that social and ecological well-being advance together.

Bulgaria

References

Pereira, L. M., Davies, K. K., Belder, E. D., Ferrier, S., Karlsson‐Vinkhuyzen, S., Kim, H., Kuiper, J. J., Okayasu, S., Palomo, M. G., Pereira, H. M., Peterson, G., Sathyapalan, J., Schoolenberg, M., Alkemade, R., Ribeiro, S. C., Greenaway, A., Hauck, J., King, N., Lazarova, T., . . . Lundquist, C. J. (2020). Developing multiscale and integrative nature–people scenarios using the Nature Futures Framework. People and Nature, 2(4), 1172–1195. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10146

Buckton, S. J., Fazey, I., Doherty, B., Bryant, M., Banwart, S. A., Carmen, E., Connolly, A., Denby, K., Kendrick, I., Sharpe, B., Wade, R. N., Ball, P., Bridle, S., Gardner, G., James, A., Morris, B., Stewart, S., Bremner, M., Chapman, P. J., . . . Wilson, J. (2024). Transformative action towards regenerative food systems: A large-scale case study. PLOS Sustainability and Transformation, 3(11), e0000134. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000134

O’Brien, K., Garibaldi, L. A., Agrawal, A., Bennett, E., Biggs, R., Rafael, C. C., Carr, E. R., Frantzeskaki, N., Gosnell, H., Gurung, J., Lambertucci, S. A., Leventon, J., Chuan, L., Victoria, R. G., Shannon, L., Villasante, S., Wickson, F., Zinngrebe, Y., & Périanin, L. (2025). IPBES Transformative Change Assessment: Summary for Policymakers. In Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17099400

Robin Wall Kimmerer (2013)

Kimmerer, R. W. (2013). Braiding sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the teachings of plants. Milkweed Editions.

Tàbara, J. D. 2023. Regenerative sustainability. Towards a relational model of possibilities 

for the emergence of positive tipping points. Environmental Sociology. 

https://doi.org/10.1080/23251042.2023.2239538