Societies are experiencing an extinction of direct nature experiences, leading to a deepened disconnect from biodiversity. At the same time, more of our shared meaning-making, knowledge formation, and agency creation now happens in digital spaces – nature values not being an exception. While digital media are often portrayed as part of the problem, they also hold untapped potential to foster new forms of reconnection and care for nature.

This session takes Digital Relational Nature Values and Digital Environmental Stewardship as an entry point to explore the broader social–ecological digital interface (Langemeyer & Calcagni, 2022). Drawing on insights from the BIG-5 project (Fostering Internet-based Values of the Environment, www.big-5.eu), we invite external contributions that investigate how digital media shape people’s relationships with nature, and how these can be mobilized to support biodiversity protection. We welcome contributions that share conceptual, methodological, empirical, or practical insights, including (but not limited to):

• Digital mediation of nature experiences and value creation
• Digital-physical conservation and restoration interactions (e.g. value-action gap)
• Innovative approaches at the intersection of social–ecological systems and digital technologies
• Opportunities and risks of digital engagement for representing the needs of humans and other species in biodiversity restoration planning

Intended Outcome
The session discussion aims at an advanced understanding of how to turn digital media influence into tangible biodiversity benefits. By sharing diverse perspectives, the session aims to build a community of researchers and practitioners engaging with the amphibious realm of social–ecological digital realities.