Project 7 | Portfolio Emma Thorman

2025

Reconnect with nature

Chosen client: Fryshuset

Team: Lieke Visser

Challenge

Research revealed a clear gap in nature access and engagement among youth from under-resourced areas, where time in nature is limited due to cultural, economic, and social barriers. Contrary to assumptions, the divide was not urban vs. rural, but rather based on socioeconomic status and lived experience.

The challenge was to reframe nature as an accessible, relevant, and desirable part of daily life - not something reserved for the privileged. We needed to move beyond traditional outdoor programmes and co-create something inclusive, creative, and grounded in young people's realities and aspirations.

Goal

Designing inclusive, nature-based programmes for youth in socioeconomically vulnerable communities

Approach

Our process combined systems thinking with user-centred methods to explore the barriers youth face in accessing nature. We began with system and stakeholder mapping, target group analysis, and a review of national reports and surveys - comparing responses from teenagers in both socioeconomically vulnerable and more privileged areas. A SWOB analysis and empathy maps of parents and teachers revealed both structural and social barriers, including safety concerns and lack of support.

Using the Chaordic Stepping Stones framework, we clarified the project’s purpose and structure. Ideally, we would have co-created the programme with teenagers from the start, but given the project scope, we focused on formulating a strong foundation to build from. The next step involves testing and developing the programme further in collaboration with young people to ensure it remains relevant, inclusive, and grounded in their lived experiences.

My role

Stakeholder mapping & target group analysis
SWOB & empathy map canvas
System mapping & insight synthesis
Programme & activity concept development
Implementation planning & strategic framing
Visual design & final documentation preparation

Insights

A key insight was that youth disconnection from nature is largely cultural and systemic - not geographic. Many young people simply didn’t see themselves reflected in outdoor spaces or narratives. This understanding shaped a programme that prioritised accessibility, cultural relevance, and youth-led exploration.

Rather than delivering nature as a fixed concept, the programme treated it as a shared space to be reinterpreted and made meaningful through personal and collective experience. This inclusive approach enabled activities that could be joyful, expressive, and social - redefining nature as something to belong to, not just visit.

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Plattform for impact

Fryshuset was chosen as the implementation platform for Reconnect with Nature because of its established presence in socioeconomically vulnerable areas and its strong track record of engaging young people through social, cultural, and educational initiatives. With a broad and trusted reach, Fryshuset offers both the infrastructure and community relationships needed to ensure the programme is accessible, relevant, and able to grow sustainably over time.

While the organisation is active in many areas closely aligned with the target group, Fryshuset’s 2023 annual report acknowledges a risk in terms of knowledge and programming related to climate and environmental sustainability. This presented a meaningful opportunity. By introducing Reconnect with Nature - a programme built on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Environmental and Social Sustainability Principles from the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) - we aimed not only to reach young people with engaging, inclusive activities in nature, but also to help Fryshuset strengthen its long-term capacity to operate within this space.

Embedding the programme within Fryshuset’s existing structure allowed us to design for continuity and scale, supporting both social and environmental impact through a platform already invested in empowering youth.

Deliverables

The final outcome was a structured, adaptable programme proposal for Fryshuset, designed to reconnect youth with nature in ways that feel relevant, inclusive, and engaging. The programme was built around four key focus areas - Social in Nature, Creative with Nature, Active in Nature, and Knowledge of Nature. These pillars were chosen to reflect the diverse ways young people relate to their surroundings and to ensure the programme could meet emotional, physical, and intellectual needs.

By addressing nature as a space for social connection, self-expression, physical activity, and learning, the programme allowed for multiple points of entry - encouraging participation from youth with different interests, abilities, and backgrounds. The structure was supported by a phased implementation plan, including piloting, evaluation, and long-term scaling strategies. The outcome offers Fryshuset a flexible, youth-responsive framework to promote environmental connection and wellbeing through culturally and contextually relevant experiences.

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