Rotterdam is a city of soaring skyscrapers and ambitious plans. Yet for many children growing up here, a city farm is one of the few places where they can experience animals and nature firsthand. That opportunity is now under threat. Funding from the Municipality of Rotterdam for Natuurstad remains uncertain, raising the possibility that school visits to city farms may no longer be offered free of charge next year. At the same time, new research conducted in collaboration with Erasmus University Rotterdam highlights just how valuable this kind of educational experience can be.
A connection with nature starts early, and lasts
Under the supervision of Associate Professor Kees Vink of Erasmus University College (EUC) and the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, EUC student Tamar Kramer reviewed international scientific literature on nature and sustainability education. The resulting study, Growing Green Minds, reaches a clear conclusion: developing a strong emotional connection with nature plays a significant role in shaping environmentally responsible behaviour later in life.
The younger children are when they have these experiences, ideally before the age of eleven, the greater the likelihood that the impact will endure. Even relatively brief encounters with nature can leave a lasting impression.
The research also shows that meaningful experiences in nature contribute not only to sustainable behaviour but also to children's wellbeing and overall development. Direct, hands-on experiences appear particularly important: seeing food grow, caring for animals, or discovering how ecosystems function.
This sense of connection cannot be cultivated through a screen. It develops when a child touches an animal for the first time, watches something grow, or discovers that nature can be muddy, messy and unpredictable. These experiences often leave lasting memories and are difficult to replicate in other ways.
An essential resource in a highly urbanised city
For many children in Rotterdam, such experiences are far from guaranteed. Across the city, Natuurstad manages eight urban farms, fourteen educational gardens and several learning centres, reaching thousands of children and families every year. In doing so, the organisation provides vital access to nature for children who may otherwise have little contact with the natural world in their immediate surroundings.
The social value of this work is measurable. In 2025, Natuurstad's social impact was estimated at more than €10 million. Research further suggests that nature and sustainability education can contribute to wellbeing, community engagement and a healthier, more liveable city.
Scientific evidence at a time of uncertainty
Ironically, just as scientific research is reinforcing the importance of nature and sustainability education, funding for these programmes is coming under increasing pressure. Documents from the Municipality of Rotterdam indicate that spending on nature education is being reduced in stages from 2025 onwards. As a result, lessons and educational activities that were previously provided to schools free of charge may no longer be guaranteed.
The findings of Growing Green Minds therefore resonate with a broader societal question: what place will nature still have in the lives of children growing up in an increasingly built-up urban environment? And what are the consequences if access to these experiences becomes more limited?
Science cannot provide a single definitive answer to what happens when a child never sees a cow. What the evidence does show, however, is that children who have positive experiences in nature from an early age are more likely to develop a lasting connection with the world around them, a factor consistently associated with environmentally responsible behaviour later in life.
“Protecting nature ultimately means protecting people. Our wellbeing, our health and our future are inseparable from biodiversity. When children are introduced to nature from an early age - both through environmental education and direct experiences outdoors - they gain not only knowledge, but also a sense of connection. And from that connection grows the desire to protect.” - Kees Vink
In the end, the question of what happens when a child has never seen a cow is not really about cows at all. It is about the opportunities children are given to build a relationship with nature, and with the world around them.
More information about the Growing Green Minds study is available through Natuurstad.
- More information
Contact: Julia Wetsteijn via wetsteijn@essb.eur.nl or Marjolein Kooistra via kooistra@essb.eur.nl
