NATURE CONNECTIONS TO
Connections to Nature LOOK Climate Lab is Open Eye Gallery’s biennial programme exploring how photography can be a relevant and powerful medium for talking about climate change. In 2026, the Lab focused on gardens and how people connect with green spaces. From memorials to places to hang out with friends, from horticultural perfection to an accidental hedge near your house or a tree that brings back memories, we examined the role plants play in our lives, and how our lives shape theirs. We invited the gallery visitors to think of a story that reflects their connection to nature or their plans to connect more. They shared these stories by making collages. We were so impressed that we’ve decided to share them with the wider public through this online zine. You might also want to think about the ways you connect to nature through the five pathways.
1. SENSES Explore, take a closer look and get in touch with the natural world. Look closely at moss, listen to birds, smell the bark on a tree, feel the textures of different leaves. 2. BEAUTY Take time to notice and appreciate the beauty of nature. Celebrate this beauty through arts: take a photo of a beautiful tree, explore the beauty of wildflowers, find a place with a view. 3. MEANING Explore your personal and cultural stories about what nature means to us. This could be getting to know myths and folklore about certain plants or animals, celebrating natural events such as the summer equinox or the first swallows returning. Celebrate the longest day of the year, tell someone about your favourite tree, write about what nature means to you. 4. EMOTION Nature offers moments and experiences that can lead to feelings of awe, wonder, joy, calm, or delight. Seek moments of awe or calm in nature, notice how nature makes you feel, find joy in watching wildlife. 5. COMPASSION It involves a sense of care and love for nature and taking actions that help protect and support the wellbeing of the natural world. This can be creating wildlife friendly gardens, supporting conservation organisations, participating in tree planting, or collecting litter.