Natuur is niet inwisselbaar: Een analyse van de Twitteractie #MijnNatuurBlijft

In 2019 Dutch citizens initiated a Twitter campaign using the hashtag #MijnNatuurBlijft (#MyNatureStays) in which they shared photographs of 'their' nature. This campaign was a response to politicians who suggested that protected nature areas could be removed to deal with the legal consequences of the Dutch nitrogen crisis. This Twitter campaign showed the landscape preferences of the participants. Moreover, the Twitter hash tag created a space for participants to share their emotions about (anticipated) ecological loss. We have analyzed the photos and texts of the tweets from the first week. We found that the participants felt mostly connected to landscapes with water and forests. Even though these photographs were made in a country with a high degree of urbanization, people or human-made elements were avoided by participants. In the accompanying texts, participants expressed a political message or cry from the heart and shared their sense of wonder for and connectedness with the area they photographed. They also expressed anger, sadness and incomprehension regarding the suggestion to substitute natural areas. We argue that more attention for relational values and emotions in the political and societal debate, could contribute to support for nature restoration.