New Research about Youth Gardening

A recent study about Youth Gardening and Environmental Attitudes in Adulthood affirms the importance of youth gardening programs. The study, from Washington State University, discovered that childhood experiences with nature are strongly linked to adult attitudes towards plants.

Researchers also found that participation in active gardening during childhood was the most important influence in explaining adult environmental attitudes and actions, and concluded that, even in urban areas where green spaces are limited, kids’ gardening programs serve to instill appreciation and respect for nature into adulthood (Lohr, V.I. and C.H. Pearson-Mims. 2005. Children’s active and passive interactions with plants influence their attitudes and actions toward trees and gardening as adults.)

View the abstract here.