Human–Animal Interactions: Expressions of Wellbeing through a “Nature Language”

SIMPLE SUMMARY: This article is an exploration of human–animal interactions (HAIs) in nature (in the wild). It explores how animal encounters may have positive mental health benefits for people and also considers the potential role of humans giving back to nature and wildlife. This idea is examined in terms of people’s connectedness to nature through an Interaction Pattern approach. The Interaction Pattern approach provides a means through which people can express the meaningful ways they interact with animals and nature and the psychological outcomes that result. This study listens to the responses of more than three hundred people who explain how an encounter with a wild marine animal affected their connection to nature. The findings suggest that when people encounter and interact with animals in their natural environment, their mental health and wellbeing is enhanced; feelings of love, belonging, positive feelings, fulfillment and the gaining of perspective, are articulated. It is suggested that human wellbeing from HAIs needs to include the wellbeing and perspective of nature and animals to promote two-way benefits. ABSTRACT: Human–animal interactions (HAIs) can be beneficial for humans in a number of ways, and interactions with wild animals may contribute to human mental wellbeing, partly through nature connectedness. This study applies the “Nature Interaction Pattern” approach (proposed by Kahn and colleagues) to characterize the structure of meaningful human engagement with nature and animals, and to consider the wellbeing outcomes. This qualitative, retrospective study uses open responses from 359 participants who describe how their wild animal encounters affected their nature connectedness. Thematic analysis explores five nature Interaction Patterns and four resulting Psychological Descriptions that occur in the portrayals of the marine animal encounters and these are described using representative quotes. Feelings of love, belonging, positive feelings, fulfillment and the gaining of perspective, were linked with the human–animal experience and the Interaction Patterns. These findings suggest that when people encounter and interact with animals in their natural environment, their mental health and wellbeing may be enhanced. Further, through connecting with nature and animals, reciprocity may occur, that is, when people connect with nature and animals, they can also give back. Within this interaction there becomes an entanglement of experiences thereby encouraging caring for nature and animals.