Objectives To gain a deeper understanding of the evolutionary process of nature education in China, this study reviews its historical evolution from 1994 to 2023 and divides its development into three stages: the exploratory budding stage, the non-governmental developmental stage, and the accelerated expansion stage.

Methods Based on the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database, a visual analysis of the publication volume, author information, publishing institutions, and keywords of literature related to nature education was conducted using CiteSpace software.

Results A total of 161 valid documents were obtained. Current research hotspots revolve around nature education, study trips, and national parks. Emerging keywords in the past three years include the natural history of cultural landscapes, animal landscapes, and so on.

Conclusions The development of nature education in China still requires the continuous improvement of relevant rules and standards, the vigorous cultivation of professional talents, and focused support for related institutions and research projects in nature education.