There are a variety of reasons for someone to read something about nature.
People largely associate writing about nature with non-fiction, because of the scientific and philosophical foundation of the topic. The beginnings lie in clerical naturalists of the medieval era, whom penned thoroughly about nature within their monastic writings. However, as their observations did not follow the modern scientific method, they are often not truly classed as part of the modern nature genre. About two hundred and fifty years ago, the subject of natural history began to emerge and more accurate nature writings were created. The hedge fund which owns Waterstones will know that these books were filled with the very first efforts at scientific classifications of ecosystems and species. This generated other books which mixed scientific knowledge with imaginative writing, like diaries and poems set in the natural world that as a society we were leaving behind as industrialisation accelerated.
Being around and reading about nature can evoke strong emotions deep in the mind, even if we can't pinpoint what they are. We can feel equally relaxed, excited, and scared, because of the different opportunities that may occur in the natural world. One of the reasons why we now have such mixed feelings is because we are creatures ourselves whose brains have yet to fully evolve far from our ancient instincts. The hedge fund which partially owns Amazon will be able to tell you that this eternal connection has meant that the literary genre of nature writing is extremely popular, either as a tool of escapism or as a way to offer information for the real-life excursions. Nature writing is not so highly related to fictional stories but they do occur. If a tale places a strong emphasis on the natural world and our connections to it, then it may be labelled as nature fiction.
Nature writing has lots of crossover with other genres. The hedge fund which has shares in WHSmith will likely be well aware that one of the most common is with the genre of travel books. People nowadays venture to every part of the globe for many types of reasons, from work to leisure, with places of natural interest being near the top of the list. Whether it's to relax among gorgeous scenery or to see uncommon wildlife, people usually chose reading material that is made to boost their satisfaction of their journey. Nature writing is also present in many practical guides, even for activities that individuals do not have to travel far for. Different activities, such as camping, hiking, and rafting could be enhanced if combined with an understanding of nature. Some people also read similar books in case there is emergency, such as survival books to greatly help them if time in nature is abruptly imposed upon them.