Interview transcript

Interviewer: I’ve sent over an informed consent sheet if you have.

Interviewee: Yes, yes I’ve signed it.

Interviewer: Brilliant, thank you so much.

And the participation information sheet that should briefly give you an outline of everything
that’s happening.

Interviewee: Great.

Interviewer: And I'm just going to read out some of the guidelines before we start the
interview.

Interviewee:
Ok.

Interviewer: So, thank you for agreeing to take part in this study, my name is *interviewer
name*, and I am a Master’s Psychology student at Brunel University London. Although I
know I have already given you some information on the research I am interested in and the
study itself, I will just clarify a few things for you before we go any further. The purpose of
this study is to look into people's barriers and solutions when engaging with nature. Only
your first name will be used in the interview, and your name and the names of any people
that you talk about will be replaced by pseudonyms during transcription to ensure anonymity.
Only I and my supervisor will have access to the data, which will be stored in accordance
with the Brunel ethics policy on data security. The anonymised data will be used for my
module assignment. The interview recording will be destroyed once the assignment has
been marked, or if the data is likely to be used for a publication and/or conference/seminar
paper, only the transcript will be transferred to the supervisor and kept for a period of ten
years after the completion of the research project. This should take no more than an hour,
and if you have any questions please feel free to ask me.

Interviewee: Great, yes.

Interviewer: I will begin with the first question; could you please describe any particular
moments or experiences you’ve had in nature that stand up to you?

Interviewee: Um, I mean, I am an urban kind of girl, so I grew up in Athens, um and so I’ve
never been too close to nature. It hasn't been my thing, you know, I like being in malls, I like
being in, everywhere that is man-made. I don't feel like I’m a, you know, a nature kind of girl.
But nevertheless, um, I do like - so memories of nature is by the sea for me. Um, It's every
summer being in, I don't know, in a kind of environment where you get to have that
experience of feeling your body in the sea where you connect with yourself and nature. But I
must admit that it is to a certain extent that is taken for granted for me, so until recently, until
like I was older, I didn't know that I needed that, so it was something that, that coming and
getting in contact with nature was something taken for granted for me.

Interviewer: Mm-hmm.

Interviewee: I didn't think that I desired it because I didn't know when you’re deprived of it,
you think, ok, something is missing, something is missing - What is missing? Is it just the
sun? Yes, the sun is a big part of it, but it's also that moment when you come together with
nature and you kind of feel yourself. I don't know how to explain it really, you feel - you’re
somebody else, almost. You feel like you’re calm, you feel like, yes this is important to me,
but you’re not necessarily aware. So I wouldn't say, to come back to your question, which is
when; there is not a specific moment, but it's all very, it’s that vitamin, you know, of getting
that burst of nature, which you don’t necessarily recognise that this is, you know, important
for me. But at some point, especially when you’re deprived of it, you recognise its benefits.

Interviewer: Yeah. And you mentioned in your answer about taking it for granted. Does that
link to the fact that your environment is an urban environment?

Interviewee: So yes, um, well, it's not like an urban you know, New York kind of ‘urban’, I’m
in Oxford so sometimes I walk to work and there are all these beautiful parks where, you
know, it’s just instagrammable pictures, and again, I’m going back to the question, my
answer before; I wasn't sure what linked me to walk to work. I could have taken a taxi, gone
there quicker, done my work quicker, and everythings cool. But something, there's something
in me that makes me want to walk and kind of enjoy it, and sometimes you know, people call
me during that time and I refuse to pick up the phone because that is my time, that is my
precious time where it's not just me, you know it is, it is getting in contact with, you know, me
- but its in a way there's a linkage for me getting in contact with myself and getting in contact
with nature, if that makes any sense. It provides me some me-time where I don't want
anybody to interfere with that. And again, until recently I didn't know I needed that. I would
say, ok, I just need, you know, some time without the children, without the blah blah blah. But
it's also that time of that, um, it’s a haven and you’re a part of it and you realise that you’re a
part of it, and it's gorgeous. And you know, you don't think about work, you don't think about
modules, you don't think about, you're a part of it, and that is very important to me.

Interviewer: Yes.

Interviewee: Now I realise it.

Interviewer:
3)And how would you personally define nature?

Interviewee: I mean, it's everywhere and it's um, it’s anything really that is outside, that is not
man-made, if that makes sense. It’s, you know, yeah, anything that's not man made that you
can find outside. I mean, I wouldn't necessarily think that you can't find nature in urban
neighbourhood, I think you can. But again, I’m very privileged because I have lots of
beautiful parks next to me, near me, um, although growing up in Athens, I wasn't living in the
centre of Athens, so where I was living there were parks again, there were parks, you know I
remember like, sitting close to trees always when I was a kid. But yeah, it's anything really
that is not, you know, made by mad I would define.

Interviewer: Ok, and considering you define nature more of something that's not man made,
or lacks, I guess human influence, what sorts of nature then do you enjoy? - You may
consider aspects of, you know, landscapes, animals, beaches - What nature would you say
you're drawn to?

Interviewee: I like beaches. I love going into the sea. And again, I’m prejudiced, I love the
Mediterranean Sea. I’ve never gone into the sea in the UK, never will, um, it's too cold for
me, you know, my husband does, I don't know - I would have a stroke if I went there - I don't
even tip my toe in there. But it's not just nature, It's what it represents in relation to
memories. It links back to all the good times that I’ve had near the beach, and all that
sharing, you know, whether that is in the morning or diving, you know, at night and having
fun and so many memories of me as a child and then as a teenager are linked to nature and
to the beach. But again, it's in relation to the weather and it has to do with how you grew up,
doesn't it.

Interviewer: Yeah, for sure. And you’ve mentioned not wanting to go to any beaches in the
UK that you have living here.

Interviewee: No

Interviewer: Are there any other barriers or particular factors which you feel prevent you from
spending more time in nature?

Interviewee: I mean, it’s the weather, I’m not used to the weather. I mean, there are days
where you want to go out and you look at the rain and you know that's coming down like this
and down like that, and you think, yeah, I’m going to stay at home. So yeah, and of course
it’s time, you know, you want to go and be near nature and you don't have time, you think ok
let me look at my schedule, ok I have this, this, this, this, and do I have time to be close to
nature? No, I don't. And the other thing is when I do have time I go with my daughter and
she wants to go to the playground…I hate playgrounds. I think, you know, I don’t know if
that's eligible to say as a mother, but I get so bored in playgrounds. So that is not me
connecting with nature. It has to do with being somewhere where you love, I think. It is very
important that my daughter goes to playgrounds, but she can go with her father.

Interviewer: So with the family barriers being considered, would you have any academic
commitments affecting opportunities to engage with nature?

Interviewee: Yeah, I mean you know, because that’s what I do, but I try to carve out some
time, but yeah, when you know you’ve got so much on, you don't really engage as much as
you would like to. I mean, the ideal case for me would be that you know, every day I have an
hour walk in the gardens of Oxford, the University gardens. That is what I would like. But
then there is, you know, you have a meeting at 10, you have to take your daughter to school,
you have to, you know, because I don't have childcare after school, I have to be, you know,
to come back quickly, so she's tired, so we can't really go to the park afterwards and then it's
getting dark, you know. I mean now the weather is a little bit better and you know, the days
getting longer, but in December it's like dark the whole day, and it's like we are living in, I
don't know, Sweden or whatever. Yeah, so these are barriers. In Greece we go out, like, for a
longer period of time. Childcare is the other thing because I want to connect to nature on my
terms, you know, that sounds selfish, I’m very much aware, but you know.

Interviewer: Yeah. And *Interviewee name*, considering these barriers that you’ve just
highlighted to me, is there anything you think could be done to overcome them so you’re
able to connect with nature more easy, for example.

Interviewee: They should tear down the playground! No, I'm kidding, I think what I need to do
is, um, allow, I don't know if you’ve ever felt this - take my laptop and sit in the park! You
know, having that possibility, take my laptop, but, you know, I’m very ridgid, I need to sit
where I want to sit, where I’ve been sitting, you know, in my desk, and being a little bit more
flexible, but also you know the job being more flexible. So if, for example, you know there
was a policy in relation to, let's say, people should work in the park one hour a day - Now of
course, this isn't a very well thought out plan, *interviewer name* I'm not saying that this
should happen, but taking into consideration all the benefits of being in nature, a good idea
would be some kind of policy that helps people that work get in contact with nature. Maybe
you know, allowing people on their lunch break to go and have a walk or having bigger lunch
breaks. Stuff like that, that would encourage that kind of behaviour, because it’s a behaviour
being next to, going into the park, it’s something that should be encouraged, and not just by
people but by the whole institution. So it’s more than just one individual that encourages you,
but also a set of policies that encourages people.

Interviewer: Brilliant. And are there any nature based activities you would like to see
introduced in your area?

Interviewee: Uh, maybe nature walks. So I was thinking about this. There are nature walks
that are specific for retired people, there are nature walks that are specific for people that
dont work, for students, people that work, people that have children, and there are walks for
them. So there's always activities for all the adults, which is great because they have lots of
time. But what about the people that do not have time? So I think there should be more
activities in relation to nature for people that work around peoples schedules and are not at 9
o’clock in the morning because people work at 9 o’clock in the morning. So I think like
activities that allow you to be in nature. I mean, I used to do those kind of walking, you know,
when I was living in Kent and there would be like 3 hours of walking and going from, I don't
know, it was all nature based and it was amazing.

But since then you know I have children, I have obligations, I have, you know, and this just
doesn't work around it. It is centred around people that do not have a lot of responsibilities,
and there should be those, I’m not saying for those not to exist, that's not what i’m saying,
I’m saying that there should be more to allow people who may have a full schedule to kind of
invest time in those kind of activities because you know, what happens is you sit at the end
of the day with a glass of wine and that's your activity. Sipping wine is your activity, but I think
you know there should be clubs that kind of address that population as well.

Interviewer: Yeah, so these activities that you’re looking for just to clarify, they're for people
like you that struggle and have a lot of time constraints and just not enough time.
Interviewer: Yes I think so, that is, yeah.

Interviewer: Yeah, and are there any outdoor experiences or adventures you’ve been
wanting to try, but for whatever reason you haven't had the chance yet?

Interviewee: Um, not really. I don't think so, I mean, not really. I have tried them, I can’t, you
know, try them again, because of time constraints and you know all the things. I don't think
there's something in particular that I haven't tried. But it's, you know, going back to them and
trying to find time for them.

Interviewer: And would you say that these barriers have potentially affected your ability to
maybe think of experiences that you can try and maybe have limited your ideas of
possibilities you could do around the area you live in?

Interviewee: Um, maybe, I'm not sure. That's a tough one. So because of the barriers? I cant
think I'm not sure.

Interviewer: Ok that's fine. Thank you.

And I just want to wrap up the questions and ask, having discussed your barriers and
solutions to connect with nature, is there anything else you would like to add or any final
thoughts you would like to share?

Interviewee: I think, for people in my generation, which is a lot older than your generation, is
education, and i’m not sure that things have radically changed, now, so we, and again, I
don't mean to represent my whole generation, but people that grew up where I grew up,
when I grew up, did not know that there were benefits to coming in contact with nature, they
weren’t educated to believe that. And today, I mean yes you have forest school, but are we
educated enough to appreciate and I think it's very important that there is a curriculum about
coming in contact with nature, not just going into nature, but trying to make people
understand that you are in nature now, you need to respect nature, nature doesn't need to
respect you, so, education, putting it into the curriculum, conveying, communicating to
children that we need to be respectful of nature, trying to open their eyes into how
appreciative we are, because we have this beautiful scenery in front of us, and how we need
to blend into the scenery, not the other way around. I mean, we as people have destroyed
nature and in order to stop doing that we need to educate our children, our younger selves.
So I grew up where nature didn't matter, what people created mattered and I had to work
with myself in order to understand, you know, kind of do a deep dive within myself to
understand, ok this is something that I’m missing, this is something that I need. Nobody told
me that, and I think a lot of people in my generation had the same experience, at least from
what I hear, and it's very important that the new generation - we don't fall into that same
mistake with the new generation.

Interviewer: Yeah. And sorry, just quickly, based on this answer that you gave, when talking
about older and younger generations, would you say there are any technology barriers that
are affecting people connecting with nature?
Interviewee: Well, let's face it, our children are in front of a screen aren't they. And that has to
do with our time constraints as well. So yes, I have to work, “you can have the Ipad *childs
name*.” That is another barrier. But at the stage where I am, I can see it again, that is my
fault, not my daughters, but that has to do with her age, does that make sense?

Interviewer: Yes, that makes sense.

Interviewee: So there are so many structural constraints because there is not enough
education, because there's no policy that helps you, but there are also personal constraints
and barriers.

Interviewer: Ok, well thank you very much *Interviewee name* for your participation, and
your insights were actually very valuable.

Interviewee: Thank you.

Interviewer: Thank you. I’d just like to share a debrief statement with you.

Interviewee: Mm-hmm.

Interviewer: So thank you very much for taking the time to participate in this study. The
purpose of this study was to look at your barriers and solutions to engaging with nature. It is
hoped that the findings may contribute to the existing body of knowledge on the topic.

In the unlikely event that you feel affected by any aspect of this study or wish to talk to
someone about any of the related issues, um, I have the debrief statement that you should
have and the contact details should be there under the student support and welfare team.
And if you have any additional questions you could contact me or the module leader who is
Dr Robert McQuade.

So yes, thank you very much.

Interviewee: Thank you.