Society & Culture

  We have always shared our cities with nature—from magpies and remnant bushland to the fish in urban rivers. Yet in spite of this, and a long tradition of nature study and environmental education in Australia, fears that city children are alienated from nature have intensified in recent years. Using interviews and works from environmental advocates, Associate Professor Andrea Gaynor explores the changing role of urban nature in Australian children's experiences and education from the mid-1960s to the 1990s. Andrea Gaynor is the 2019 National Library of Australia Fellow supported in memory of Averill Edwards. Image: Andrea Gaynor