This diploma thesis "Nature Travels" is divided into two parts - theoretical and practical. It deals with an issue of human nature and reacts at it from the position of author´s creativity which is based on study of philosophy. The theoretical part deals particularly with two concepts, namely nature and physis. It deals with a development of an individual and society within our environment and how it influences us. "Nature Travels" are recorded in three short videos cut from silent films. They show how we can percept nature being part of it. Simultaneously they also show which forces attack us in urban environment and distract us from the essential issues.

Avec l’actuelle crise de la biodiversité, nos modes de vie de plus en plus urbains diminuent nos opportunités d’expériences de nature. Cependant, une relation intime avec la nature a de nombreux bénéfices, que ce soit pour le bien être individuel, la santé ou la restauration de l’attention, mais aussi les enjeux environnementaux. De nombreuses recherches ont exploré le degré auquel les citoyens se sentent faire partie du monde naturel, et se sont ainsi intéressées plus récemment à l’importance de reconnecter les citoyens – en particulier urbains – à la nature et aux enjeux de conservation, à travers les expériences de nature. Au travers de ce travail de thèse, nous avons exploré si les zoos pourraient participer à une telle reconnexion. Pour cela, une approche interdisciplinaire a été adoptée, avec des concepts et méthodes issus de la biologie de la conservation, de l’anthropologie, de la psychologie sociale et psychologie de la conservation, de la psycho acoustique, et de l’économie environnementale. Nous avons tout d’abord exploré si les zoos étaient considérés comme des espaces de nature. Puis, nous nous sommes intéressés plus particulièrement à la perception de la nature dans le zoo, d’un point de vue visuel et sonore. L’analyse comparative entre des visiteurs de zoos et des utilisateurs de parcs urbains nous a permis d’explorer l’impact de la visite au zoo sur le sentiment de connexion à la nature et sur les attitudes envers la conservation. Enfin, nous nous sommes intéressés aux comportements pro-conservation au zoo, au travers de l’analyse du choix de l’animal et du montant de la donation chez des participants à un programme de parrainage d’un animal au zoo.Ce travail démontre que même si le zoo est considéré et utilisé comme un espace de nature, il n’affecte pas le sentiment de connexion à la nature des visiteurs. Cependant, en comparaison à une visite d’un parc urbain, la visite au zoo a le potentiel de promouvoir les attitudes envers la conservation, au travers de la connexion à la nature. De plus, même au zoo, si l’accent est largement mis sur les espèces captives, exotiques, les visiteurs semblent aussi percevoir la biodiversité urbaine. Néanmoins, à l’inverse des attitudes pour la conservation, il reste incertain que le zoo promulgue les comportements pro-conservation. Pour conclure, ce projet de thèse a mis en évidence que dans le processus de reconnexion des citoyens à la nature et aux enjeux de conservation, les zoos offrent indubitablement un type d’expérience de nature aux citoyens urbains, qui devrait être pris en considération au même titre que d’autres types d’expériences de nature (e.g. forêts), notamment puisque les zoos sont des institutions qui accueillent une très large et diverse proportion de la population dans le monde. / With the on-going biodiversity crisis, growing urban lifestyles decrease opportunities to experience nature. However, an intimate relationship with nature has various benefits, for individual well-being, health or attention restoration, but also for environmental issues. Much research effort explored the extent to which people feel being part of the natural world, and thus focused more recently on the importance of reconnecting people – especially urban dwellers – with nature and conservation issues, through experiences of nature. In this work, we investigated whether zoos could participate in such reconnection. We used an interdisciplinary approach, with concepts and methods from conservation biology, anthropology, social and conservation psychology, psychoacoustics, and ecological economics. We first explored whether zoos were considered as natural places. Then, we looked more closely at people’s perception of nature at the zoo, from both visual and auditory perspectives. Comparative analysis between zoo visitors and urban park users allowed us investigate the impact of the zoo visit on sense of connection to nature and conservation attitudes. Finally, we focused on pro-conservation behaviors at the zoo through the analysis of animal choice and amount of donations of participants to an animal adoption program at the zoo. This work demonstrates that although the zoo is considered and used as a natural place, it does not affect sense of connection to nature. However, compared to a visit to an urban green park, the zoo visit has the potential to raise conservation attitudes, through connectedness to nature. Additionally, despite an emphasis on captive, exotic species at the zoo, visitors also seemed to perceive urban wildlife. Nevertheless, unlike conservation attitudes, the contribution of the zoo in enhancing pro-conservation behaviors remains doubtful. To conclude, this PhD project highlighted that in the process of reconnecting people to nature and conservation issues, zoos undoubtedly provide one type of experience of nature to urban dwellers, that should be considered along with other types of experiences of nature, e.g. woodlands, especially because zoos are institutions that target a very large and diverse part of the population, worldwide.

Denna studie syftar till att undersöka hur virtuella takfönster upplevs av människor i en väntrumsmiljö och diskuterar huruvida det är en lämplig lösning som komplement till saknaden av fönster. Tidigare forskning har bekräftat att det finns behov av att undersöka en alternativ belysningslösning i syfte att komplettera saknaden av fönster. Det uppsatta målet för den aktuella studien har därför varit att visa hur en belysningslösning i form av virtuella takfönster med hög eller låg ljusnivå, tillsammans med antingen hög eller låg ljusnivå på allmänljus upplevs.    Med detta som grund har en experimentell studie genomförts med deltagare som har fått uppleva sex olika ljusscener i en väntrumsmiljö. Det som skiljde ljusscenerna åt var att de varierade mellan hög och låg ljusnivå på allmänljuset och på LED-panelerna som även var släckta i två ljusscener.    Resultatet har visat att det finns ett samband mellan ljusnivån på de virtuella takfönsterna och rums- och ljusupplevelsen. Tända LED-paneler var något som deltagarna föredrog över släckta i ett väntrum, i kombination med allmänljus på en hög eller låg ljusnivå. Det var särskilt den tredje ljusscenen, när både allmänljuset och LED-panelerna hade en hög ljusnivå som utmärkte sig mest och gav ett positivt resultat. Det indikerar på att deltagarna föredrog denna ljusscen mest. Anledningen till varför kan bero på att kontrasten av ljuset upplevdes mest behaglig, jämfört med de fem övriga ljusscenerna.     Vidare forskning inom området rekommenderas av författarna för att bidra till en djupare kunskap om hur virtuella takfönster ska appliceras för att skapa brukaranpassade ljusmiljöer i rum som saknar fönster. Upplevelsen av fler ljusnivåer gällande virtuella takfönster bör därför undersökas, samt att studier i fler typer av inomhusmiljöer borde undersökas, förslagsvis i studiemiljöer. Det kan bidra till en bredare kännedom kring applikationsmöjligheterna av virtuella takfönster, som komplement i fönsterlösa rum. / This study aims to examine how virtual sky lights are perceived by people and discuss whether it is a suitable solution as a complement to the lack of windows. Previous studies have confirmed that there is a need to examine an alternative lighting solution in order to supplement the lack of windows. The stated goal for the current study was therefore to evince how a lighting solution of virtual sky lights with a high or low light level, together with ambient lighting of either high or low light level is perceived.        With this as a foundation, an experimental study has been conducted with participants who have experienced six different light scenes in a waiting room environment. The light scenes were distinguished between high and low light levels of the ambient lighting and of the LED-panels, which were also turned off in two light scenes.      The result has shown that there is a connection between the light level of the virtual sky lights and the perception of the room and the lighting. The participants preferred the LED-panels when they were turned on rather than turned off in the waiting room, in combination with an ambient lighting at a high or low light level. It was especially the third light scene, when both the ambient lighting and the LED-panels had a high light level that excelled the most and showed positive results. It indicates that the participants preferred this light scene the most.  It might be because the contrast of light was perceived most pleasantly, compared to the other five light scenes.    Further studies within the field is recommended by the authors to contribute to a deeper knowledge about how virtual sky lights can be applied, to create user adapted lighting environments in rooms that lack windows. The perception of more light levels should therefore be investigated, also more types of environments should be investigated, study environments is one suggestion. It could contribute to a wider knowledge about possible application areas of virtual sky lights as a complement in windowless rooms.