Impact of ecological disturbance on awareness of urban nature and sense of environmental stewardship in residential neighborhoods

Experience with nature contributes to human wellbeing and environmental stewardship. Both may be affected when people experience local environmental disturbances. I test the hypothesis that relatively gradual ecological disturbance in urban areas increases awareness and appreciation of urban nature and environmental stewardship. In recent years the Emerald Ash Borer killed 10,000 street trees in AnnArbor, Michigan. Information on residents’ attitudes and behavior regarding urban nature and street trees was collected from a mailed survey returned by 594 homeowners. Residential properties in the sample were distributed across the city as 24 pairs of nearest neighbor streets, including a “treatment street” (>70% street trees lost) and a “control street” (<30% street trees lost). Findings indicate that those experiencing tree loss were significantly more engaged with nature and more willing to participate in stewardship. The degree of increased engagement was directly related to