Staff profile

Professor Miles Richardson


Professor of Human Factors and Nature Connectedness

Professor Miles Richardson smiling whilst wearing goggles on his head

Subject

Psychology

College

College of Health, Psychology and Social Care

Department

School of Psychology, University of Derby Online Learning

Research centre

Human Sciences Research Centre

ORCiD ID

0000-0002-7223-7053

Campus

Enterprise Centre

Email

m.richardson@derby.ac.uk

About

I am Professor of Human Factors and Nature Connectedness and lead the Nature Connectedness Research Group. The focus of our research is understanding and improving our connection with nature, because of the well-being and environmental benefits. Since launch in 2013 I have worked with a number of conservation NGOs, including the National Trust, RSPB and on 30 Days Wild with The Wildlife Trusts. Recent projects include the £1.3m IWUN project where we continue to develop nature connectedness based interventions to himprove mental health.  I am member of a Natural England research strategy group and working with partners on a national indicator of nature connection, the NCI. I launched the Nature Connections conference series in 2015.

Research interests

Researching our connection with nature and ways to improve it, for the benefit of nature's and human wellbeing. I am founder and coordinator of the Nature Connectedness Research Group and Nature Connections conferences. Find out more at my blog findingnature.org.uk and on Twitter @findingnature.

Membership of professional bodies

Recent publications

McEwan, K., Richardson, M., Brindley, P. Sheffield, D. & Ferguson, F.J.  A Smartphone App for Improving Mental Health through Urban Nature. (2019). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(18), 3373 doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16183373.

Brymer, E., Freeman, E. & Richardson. M. (2019). One Health: The wellbeing impacts of human-nature relationships. Frontiers.

Richardson, M., Hunt, A., Hinds, J., Bragg, R., Fido, D., Petronzi, D., Barbett, L., Clitherow, T.J., and White, M. (2019). An Affective Measure of Nature Connectedness for Children and Adults: Validation, Performance and Insights. Sustainability, 11(12), 3250.

Pritchard, A., Richardson, M., Sheffield, D, & McEwan, K. (2019). The relationship between nature connectedness and eudaimonic wellbeing: a meta-analysis. Journal of Happiness Studies, 1-23.

Richardson, M., Richardson, E., Hallam, J. & Ferguson, F.J. (2019). Opening Doors to Nature: Bringing calm & raising aspirations of vulnerable young people through nature. The Humanistic Psychologist.

Richardson, M. (2019). Beyond Restoration: Considering Emotion Regulation in Natural Well-Being. Ecopsychology.

Fido, D. and Richardson, M. (2019). Empathy mediates the relationship between nature connectedness and both callous and uncaring traits. Ecopsychology.

McEwan, K., Richardson, M., Brindley, P. Sheffield, D. & Ferguson, F.J. (2019). A Smartphone app for Improving Wellbeing Through Urban Nature. Translational Behavioural Medicine.

Richardson, M., & Sheffield, D. (2019). The Negative Impact of a Three Good Things Intervention on Perceived Stress and Psychological Health. 10.31234/osf.io/p463y

Erhan, L., Ndubuaku, M., Ferrara, E., Liotta, A., Richardson, M., Sheffield, D., Ferguson, F., Brindley, P. (2019). Analysing objective and subjective data in social sciences: Implications for Smart Cities. IEEE Access

Charles, Cheryl; Keenleyside, Karen; Chapple, Rosalie; Kilburn, Bill; Salah van der Leest, Pascale; Allen, Diana; Richardson, Miles; Giusti, Matteo; Franklin, Lawrence; Harbrow, Michael; Wilson, Ruth; Moss, Andrew; Metcalf, Louise; Camargo, Luis. (2018). Home to Us All: How Connecting with Nature Helps Us Care for Ourselves and the Earth. Children & Nature Network.

Charles, Cheryl; Keenleyside, Karen; Chapple, Rosalie; Kilburn, Bill; Salah van der Leest, Pascale; Allen, Diana; Richardson, Miles; Giusti, Matteo; Franklin, Lawrence; Harbrow, Michael; Wilson, Ruth; Moss, Andrew; Metcalf, Louise; Camargo, Luis. (2018). Connecting with Nature to Care for Ourselves and the Earth: Recommendations for Decision Makers. Children & Nature Network.

Hughes, J., Richardson, M., & Lumber, R. (2018). Evaluating connection to nature and the relationship with conservation behaviour in children. Journal for Nature Conservation, 45, 11-19.

Richardson, M., & McEwan, K. (2018). 30 Days Wild and the Relationships Between Engagement With Nature’s Beauty, Nature Connectedness and Well-Being. Frontiers in Psychology, 9.

Richardson, M., McEwan, K., & Garip, G. (2018). 30 Days Wild: who benefits most? Journal of Public Mental Health, 17(3), 95-104.

Richardson, M., Hussain, Z. & Griffiths, M.D. (2018). Problematic Smartphone Use, Nature Connectedness, and Anxiety. Journal of Addictive Behaviours.

Van Gordon, W., Shonin, E. & Richardson, M. (2018). Mindfulness and Nature. Mindfulness. doi.org/10.1007/s12671-018-0883-6

Lumber, R., Richardson, M. & Sheffield, D. (2018). The pathways to Nature Connectedness: A focus group exploration. European Journal of Ecopsychology, 6: 47-68.

Richardson, M. (2018). Growing our care for nature. National Trust.

Lumber, R., Richardson, M., & Sheffield, D. (2017). Beyond knowing nature: Contact, emotion, compassion, meaning, and beauty are pathways to nature connection. PLoS One, 12(5).

Richardson, M., Maspero, M., Golightly, D., Sheffield, D., Staples, V. & Lumber, R. (2017). Nature: A new paradigm for wellbeing and ergonomics. Ergonomics, 60(2).

Richardson, M. & Sheffield, D. (2017). Three good things in nature: Noticing nearby nature brings sustained increases in connection with nature. Psyecology, 8(1), 1-32 

Vassie, K. & Richardson, M. (2017). Effect of self-adjustable masking noise on open-plan office worker's concentration, task performance and attitudes. Applied Acoustics.

Hunt, A., Stewart, D., Richardson, M., Hinds J., Bragg, R., White, M. and Burt, J. (2017). Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment: developing a method to measure nature connection across the English population (adults and children). Natural England Commissioned Reports, Number 233. York.

Lumber, R., Hunt, A., Richardson, M. and Harvey, C. (2017). Nature Connections 2016 conference report: Implications for research and practice. Derby: University of Derby

Richardson, M. (2017). An Efficient Approach to Understanding and Predicting the Effects of Multiple Task Characteristics on Performance. Ergonomics, 60(2), 292-305.

Richardson, M., McEwan, K., Maratos, F. & Sheffield, D. (2016). Joy and Calm: How an Evolutionary Functional Model of Affect Regulation Informs Positive Emotions in Nature. Evolutionary Psychological Science. doi:10.1007/s40806-016-0065-5

Richardson, M., Cormack, A., McRobert, L. & Underhill, R. (2016). 30 Days Wild: Development and Evaluation of a Large-Scale Nature Engagement Campaign to Improve Well-Being. PLoS ONE 11(2): e0149777. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0149777

Richardson, M., Sheffield, D., Harvey, C. & Petronzi (2016). A Report for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB): The Impact of Children’s Connection to Nature. Derby: College of Life and Natural Sciences, University of Derby.

Richardson, M., Hallam, J. & Lumber, R. (2015). One thousand good things in nature: The aspects of nature that lead to increased nature connectedness. Environmental Values, 24 (5), 603-619.

Richardson, M., & Sheffield, D. (2015). Reflective self-attention: A more stable predictor of connection to nature than mindful attention. Ecopsychology, 7 (30), 166-175.

Courses

Green Care Code - one man in nature, one surrounded by technology and distractions
The Green Care Code – Good for nature, good for you

Simply, Stop – Look – Listen and Enjoy Nature! Here, Miles Richardson, Professor of Human Factors and Nature Connectedness at Derby, explains why this simple Green Care Code is all it takes to help improve your own and nature’s wellbeing.

Posted: 16 September 2021
By: Professor Miles Richardson
Out of focus bushes frame two Sparrows sat on top of garden fence
Noticing and connecting with nature during the pandemic

Dr Iain Hamlin, Post-Doctoral Researcher, and Professor Miles Richardson, Head of the Nature Connectedness Research Group, examine how noticing, connecting with or spending time in nature during the coronavirus lockdowns has affected the wellbeing of both ourselves and our natural environment.

Posted: 19 January 2021
By: Professor Miles Richardson
A woman riding a bike down a gravel path in a wooded area
The feel-good factor of getting closer to nature

Miles Richardson, Professor of Human Factors and Nature Connectedness at the University of Derby, has been working with The Wildlife Trusts on new research which shows the feel-good factor from simple daily engagement with nature can last for months, once initiated. Here, he discusses the latest research and how to make the most of spending time in nature during the current lockdown.

Posted: 21 May 2020
By: Professor Miles Richardson
A Robbin sitting on a Cherry Blossom twig
In challenging times, nature can lend a hand

Professor Miles Richardson explains the benefit of noticing nature while our mental wellbeing is challenged by the impact of coronavirus.

Posted: 20 March 2020
By: Professor Miles Richardson
Person sitting cross legged and meditating next to a lake
Beyond nature contact to connection: A missing link in a sustainable and worthwhile life

Miles Richardson, Professor of Human Factors and Nature Connectedness at the University of Derby, explains new research has shown that having a close connection with the natural world is a key to us feeling passionate about our environment and better about ourselves too.

Posted: 13 February 2020
By: Professor Miles Richardson
Group walking and hiking through bushes
Nature Connectedness – a new relationship with nature

Miles Richardson, Professor of Human Factors and Nature Connectedness, looks at the importance of building a new relationship with the natural world.

Posted: 21 May 2019
By: Professor Miles Richardson
Climbing
Pathways to a closer connection with nature

Our groundbreaking pathways to nature connectedness research is improving people's wellbeing and conservation behaviours. It has been named by Universities UK as one of the UK’s 100 best breakthroughs, for its significant impact on people’s everyday lives.

Posted: 6 December 2018
By: Professor Miles Richardson
A bee on a flower
5 ways to be closer to nature

Dr Miles Richardson, Director of Core Psychology Programmes for the University of Derby Online Learning, explains how people can become closer to nature.

Posted: 18 May 2017
By: Professor Miles Richardson