The environmental connected ness perspective posits that direct encounter with generalized, or nonspecific
“nature,” leads to environmental connectness and subsequent pro-environmental behavior.
This article examines this perspective and proposes a place-based application of the nature encounterenvironmental
behavior relation. An empirical study using data from a national survey on outdoor
recreation and nature-based tourism is presented. Results show a minimal relationship between measures
of environmental connectedness and self-reports of environmental behavior. The following examination
of the environmental connectedness perspective reveals that environmental connectedness is
rooted in a material/objective perspective, neglecting the human domain of perceptions, values, and
representations. The environment as “nature” is portrayed as a geographically undefined agent with the
inherent power to change human attitudes and behavior. Based on this, the article concludes with a
proposed replacement of the elusive concept of nature for the relational concept of place.