Speaking Welsh is associated with a stronger connection to nature, according to new research examining the relationship between language, cultural identity and the natural environment across Wales.
The study, published in the open-access journal Cogent Arts & Humanities, draws on a nationally representative survey where they sampled 2000 respondents across Wales, with a mix of language abilities.
The findings reveal that people who identify as Welsh speakers report a 15.7% stronger connection to nature than those who do not speak Welsh, even after accounting for factors including age, gender, socioeconomic group and region.
The research examined whether being a Welsh speaker relates to connection with the natural environment and attachment to place, and how people in Wales perceive the relationship between the language and the landscape around them.
The researchers found that, as a minority language, Welsh ties its speakers closely to their local environment, cultural heritage and history, which strengthens their attachment to place. They note that the survey cannot show why the link exists. Shared cultural identity, the concepts carried by the language and by meaning-rich Welsh-language place names, patterns of residence including access to landscape, or other factors could all play a part.
Welsh speakers were 38% more likely than non-Welsh speakers to agree that the Welsh language is related to the natural environment in Wales. They also reported stronger feelings of connection to nature when using Welsh and when encountering Welsh place names.
The study also found that residents of Wales who don’t speak Welsh tend not to see language as significant to their relationship with nature, even though it appears to matter for those who do.
Thora Tenbrink, Professor in Linguistics at Bangor University, who led the research with colleagues from Bangor’s School of Natural Sciences, the University of Reading, and Cambridge University, said:
“This study has confirmed what informal observations and experience suggested – including the work of Public Map, which is where the idea was born. We are very pleased to see such clear results from our representative study.
The findings also have implications for education in Wales, particularly as sustainability becomes an increasingly important part of the curriculum. Connecting Welsh-language learning with the natural environment, local place names and cultural traditions could help make language learning more relevant to young people interested in environmental change.”
The research is embedded in the work of Public Map, a project supporting communities on Anglesey to create shared digital maps that capture what matters to them about their local areas. The project aims to support local planning, regional policy development and transitions towards more sustainable ways of living. Bangor University’s contribution highlights the key role of the Welsh language for local communities in North Wales.
The paper, “How a minority language relates to place attachment and nature connection: the case of Welsh”, is available open access at https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2026.2735719
