Matthew Zylstra, PhD is an ecologist, lecturer and facilitator focusing on human~nature connectedness. His transdisciplinary research has entwined ecology, environmental psychology, and education in support of deep learning and wellbeing. He is a keen naturalist, especially in coastal and marine ecosystems. Matthew’s PhD dissertation on meaningful nature experience, nature connectedness and its role in transformative education is freely available for download here »
An intimate conversation on the Rooted Healing podcast about nature connection, attention, animism, and the role of ceremony in ...
On June 5, 2025 / By Matthew ZylstraWhy birding benefits us & the planet I was recently invited on as a Guest Speaker for BirdLife South ...
On May 22, 2024 / By Matthew ZylstraTen years since completing my PhD research is cause for celebration and reflection. ...
On March 12, 2024 / By Matthew ZylstraA live recording covering some of the science of nature connectedness and how it underpins our collaborative work on ...
On February 12, 2024 / By Matthew ZylstraA beautiful encounter between a boy and octopus unfolds on the Garden Route. ...
On January 12, 2024 / By Matthew ZylstraThe reply of the webinar exploring Nature Coincidences, Connection & Compassion. ...
On August 16, 2023 / By Matthew ZylstraWhat does it feel like to experience a nature coincidence? ...
On July 19, 2023 / By Matthew ZylstraMy talk at Plett OceanFest looked at the Keurbooms estuary through the lens of connection. ...
On July 7, 2023 / By Matthew ZylstraWhat do we do when traditional beliefs about animal coincidences contribute to their persecution? ...
On July 27, 2022 / By Matthew ZylstraA trailer from a recent interview I did on KyKNET's 'Dierepraters' series ...
On September 17, 2021 / By Matthew ZylstraAnd yet we know…
Hatred, even of meanness
Contorts the features
Anger, even against injustice
Makes the voice hoarse. Oh, we
Who wanted to prepare the ground for friendliness
Could not ourselves be friendly.
eyes4earth.org is a portal into meaningful nature experience and connectedness with nature. It draws on scientific research and experiential insight to explore implications for sustainability education and consciousness.
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The PhD research underpinning certain content on eyes4earth.org was completed in early 2014.
The final dissertation is freely available for download here.
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