Connected Downs

This National Trust-funded research feeds into the wider Changing Chalk: Downs and towns project. It is a shared exploration of teenagers' and children’s relationship with digital technology and the natural world around them, setting out to share and preserve memories of the South Downs with younger generations and asking the question: what kind of interaction do we need to create and engage people on the Downs?

There has been concern from parents and educators about teenagers' and young children's use of digital devices (Ofcom 2023) and this may potentially affect their connection to nature. Despite concern for the environment, both young people and their carers often lack avenues for impactful action. 

Researcher Mark Wells together with the Railway Land Trust is working with young people to explore their journey of discovery of the natural space of the Downs and how they engage with it. The research builds on existing workshops seeking to address these issues of digital use and connections with nature by collaborating with children, teenagers, and adults. As a group they aim to gain an understanding of young people's perception of the natural world and how digital devices can influence this.

By fostering shared experiences and storytelling, the project aims to cultivate a sense of belonging to natural spaces, build confidence and wellbeing, aligning Changing Chalk and Railway Land Trust objectives, including community engagement and youth involvement – creating connections with urban fringe audiences.

It entails four participatory workshops aimed at bringing the Changing Chalk project to young people. These workshops aim to cultivate "digital wisdom" by encouraging participants to reconsider their understanding of time, space, and belonging to place. Focused on the South Downs location of Butts Brow, activities will delve into digital usage to document, explore, share, and reflect connection with the downland landscape and heritage, including wellbeing impacts. Findings will be used to inform delivery of the Downs and Towns art trail and film, produced by young people, aimed at engaging with a wider community,  informing future strategies around wellbeing and engaging diverse communities.

It is the young people’s voices and ideas that are important in this journey and the outcomes will  be shared with project leaders, the local community, and other influential figures. The research seeks to understand young people's perceptions of wellbeing, environment, and digital-technology to create measurable impacts to inform Changing Chalk's initiatives, while reaching a diverse set of communities typically disconnected from nature or unaware of their digital habits.