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Does a 4wd get you closer to nature?

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didiman:
Hi
I was wondering whether driving a 4 wheel drive in the countryside makes you feel closer to nature. I must admit that when I used to get out, driving either for fun or for work, I enjoyed the feeling it gave me and I certainly appreciated the environment and noticed what was going on around me.

I'm doing a pilot study for my degree about what is termed Nature Relatedness and I'm trying to get people's opinions so I can include them in the report and what you say will help to shape the way the study goes forward. 

Here's the blurb if you can fill out the survey I'd appreciate it and if you're interested I'll send you a summary of what I found out.

Do vegetarians differ significantly to carnivores in how they feel about nature, do BMX enthusiasts get the same things from being in the environment as naturalists, and does a Snowboarder feel the same way as someone who’s into surfing!

Recent studies in psychology show that spending time in nature is good for mental health as well as physical health, simply looking at pictures of the environment has been shown to change peoples behaviour . 

So if looking at pictures, of trees say, can influence people to be more generous I wonder if there are different things that people get from the ‘natural’ environment.

I’m posting this as I think this is something that may interest people. I’m carrying out a pilot study for my BSc that takes around 3-4 minutes to complete online and I’ll let anyone who’s interested know what I found out at the end http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Closeness_to_Nature

It’s a matter of clicking choices there is no writing or hard thinking questions

Disco Matt:
I'd say it does. See, my approach to laning generally involves leaping out to take photos of impressive bits of scenery on a regular basis, and you definitely notice the effects of weather on the landscape (the socking great washouts left by heavy rain during the alleged summers of the past couple of years, for example). If you're planning to drive Strata Florida then you need to be able to read the weather, for example - if it's pelting down then it's probably not a good idea to start now, and also it's a good idea to leave it for a day or two after heavy rain to give the river levels a chance to drop.

What I suspect you will find is that 4x4 enthusiasts do appreciate nature but aren't sentimental about it, and realise that it's a living landscape.

didiman:

--- Quote from: Disco Matt on March 19, 2010, 16:42:20 ---I'd say it does. See, my approach to laning generally involves leaping out to take photos of impressive bits of scenery on a regular basis, and you definitely notice the effects of weather on the landscape (the socking great washouts left by heavy rain during the alleged summers of the past couple of years, for example). If you're planning to drive Strata Florida then you need to be able to read the weather, for example - if it's pelting down then it's probably not a good idea to start now, and also it's a good idea to leave it for a day or two after heavy rain to give the river levels a chance to drop.

What I suspect you will find is that 4x4 enthusiasts do appreciate nature but aren't sentimental about it, and realise that it's a living landscape.

--- End quote ---

I appreciate the point,although I must point out my survey has nothing to do with sentiment, there is no moral judgement or angle, all views are equal. As I've found out so far, what one persons closeness to nature is can be completely different anothers  for some of us its simply some pot plants for others its a massive wilderness.

The current theory would say that simply going into nature and having a positive experience means that you should feel closer to it. Therefore in theory a vegetarian who lives in a city and gets little contact should be less connected than a confirmed fieldsportsman who 'blasts bunnies' every weekend.

Again in theory we should all be connected with it as its in our own best interests. What they call the biophila hypothesis if I remember correctly.

lambert:
as a farmer i need both nature and 4x4's to get on with my life, an abscence of either makes the job impossible. without nature i would have to work in a call centre and drive a eurobox. without a 4x4 i would not be able to maintain the countryside that townies love to visit so much, nor could i sympathetically produce the meat they love to eat. in this job if you are not working closely with nature and it's rythms, then you are fighting a loosing battle against an enemy you will never defeat.

Mangaroth:
Survey taken.


Im sure there are many people who drive a 4x4 and "feel closer to nature", as im sure that many people who go "camping" in a caravan also feel the same way.

Whats more important is that more people should "respect" the countryside, as many 4x4 enthusiasts do, probably more so than said "campers".

I live in a city, but try to escape from it as often as possible, im only a 10 minute drive from some of Leicestershires beautiful countryside and enjoy it. This was the main reason for buying a 4x4 for me. As others have said, laning is a great way to explore some of the beauty this country has to offer, and so long as we all have "respect" for it, it will be here for a long time yet.

(not sure that ive managed to get across my point, but hey.)

Jay

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