What Social Media Can Teach Us About Human-Environment Relationships

Aastha Uprety · State of the Planet · August 25, 2020

Featuring Spencer Wood, Nature and Health researcher

Recent ecological research used Instagram posts to analyze the preferences of visitors to natural areas around the world. Researchers deduced the activities and feelings that people associated with different environments, including Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. The study explores the potential of using social media data to understand cultural ecosystem services—the intangible benefits that people receive from nature—and interactions between people and their environments.