Childhood Outdoor Recreation and Environmental Education Shape Pro-Environmental Behavior Among Adults: A Study of Residents in Illinois, USA

Childhood nature experiences are instrumental in shaping environmental dispositions, yet there is limited empirical evidence of the mechanism of how childhood experiences may impact adulthood. We examined how childhood experiences explained adults’ intentions to engage in pro-environmental behavior. Using survey data from an online panel of respondents in Illinois, USA (n = 617), we observed from an exploratory factor analysis that childhood experiences were comprised of outdoor recreation and environmental education. We then tested a latent variable path model and found that engagement in childhood outdoor recreation positively influenced adulthood connection to nature, which in turn bolstered environmental values as guiding principles in life. Childhood environmental education experiences did not predict adulthood connection to nature but did positively influence environmental values. As predicted, intentions to engage in pro-environmental behavior were positively correlated with environmental values. Implications for research and practice in environmental education and experiential learning are discussed.