Harnessing our connection with nature to protect Australian wilderness
The Wilderness Society (TWS) engaged Heartward Strategic to better understand how Australians think, feel and connect with nature, what motivates them to protect it, and how different audiences respond to environmental messages. The research was designed to inform TWS's future communications, campaigning and fundraising strategies while establishing a baseline for tracking changes in community attitudes over time.
“Large-scale national research revealed seven distinct audience segments, providing a unique pathway for the Wilderness Society to tailor engagement strategies and deepen impact.”
Heartward designed and delivered a nationally representative study of more than 2,000 Australians, combining a hybrid approach of quantitative research along with AI-guided qualitative conversations, to explore people's connection to nature, perceptions of environmental threats, responses to messaging, and willingness to take action.
The research found that Australians care deeply about nature and recognise its importance to future generations, yet many feel uncertain about what actions make a meaningful difference. The study also identified the values, emotions and motivations most likely to inspire engagement.
Using advanced segmentation analysis, Heartward developed a seven-segment audience model describing the diverse ways Australians relate to nature, ranging from highly engaged advocates through to disengaged audiences. This framework provided a practical, evidence-based tool to strengthen TWS communications, prioritise resources, tailor engagement approaches and monitor changes in public attitudes over time. TWS has made this segmentation available to support other sector advocates in their work.