The role of nature in the place meanings and practices of cottage owners in northern environments

Abstract

The concept of place attachment has been found to be useful in exploring cottagers’ evaluations and management preferences of cottage areas. The point of departure for the article is the conclusion of many previous studies that the natural environment is important to cottagers’ place attachment. To understand this attachment and the role of nature in more detail, the article explores the meanings given to nature as well as the ways nature is used and encountered in the context of cottages. Based on interviews conducted in three parks in Finland and Canada, the results show that nature is important as both an abstraction and a concrete platform for different activities. The meanings given to nature affect the ways it is perceived and used and vice versa, but at times what people say does not align with their actions. The results suggest that cottagers’ management preferences cannot be fully understood merely by studying their environmental preferences and attitudes or the strength of their place attachment.