"That Was the Happiest Time of My Life": Understanding Childhood Eco-Connections in Appalachian Communities

Sherry Hamby; Katherine M Montgomery; Heather L Storer; Victoria Banyard

doi:10.3390/ijerph192416661

"That Was the Happiest Time of My Life": Understanding Childhood Eco-Connections in Appalachian Communities

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Dec 11;19(24):16661. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192416661.

Authors

Sherry Hamby^{1

2}, Katherine M Montgomery^{1

2}, Heather L Storer³, Victoria Banyard⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, The University of the South, Sewanee, TN 37383, USA.
² Life Paths Research Center, Sewanee, TN 37375, USA.
³ Kent School of Social Work, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.
⁴ School of Social Work, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.

Abstract

The goal of this study was to explore facets of childhood eco-connections, using retrospective qualitative data from adults. One hundred and forty-five adults from predominantly rural and small-town communities in southern Appalachia (71.7% female), average age 36.23 years (SD = 12.08) participated in semi-structured qualitative interviews on key life experiences and the places they grew up. Mentions about place-related childhood memories or interactions were grouped into four themes based on exploratory thematic content analysis: nature nostalgia (positive reminiscences about nature experiences); nature immersion (extensive contact with the natural world during childhood); formative experiences with nature (nature interactions that taught a skill or life lesson); and rhythms of nature (appreciation of seasonal or cyclical patterns). Childhood eco-connections are multifaceted and often emerge from early impactful or intense experiences. Pro-environmentalism messages to youth may benefit from more references to childhood eco-connections.

Keywords: Appalachia; connection to nature; ecopsychology; place attachment; sense of place.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Appalachian Region
Female
Happiness*
Humans
Life Change Events*
Male
Retrospective Studies

Grants and funding

This project was made possible through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, grant number 40965. The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.