Welcome to the Penn State Nature Connections Lab!
What do we do?
In the Nature Connections Lab, we study how people and the environment can reciprocally impact one another, and the outcomes of those interactions. We are all applied social scientists – this means that we view social science as something that can, and should, be given back to our local and global communities. Many of the outcomes we study happen through structured and unstructured learning experiences about our natural environment in both indoor (such as a K-12 classroom) and outdoor (such as an environmental education program) settings. To understand more about the types of research occurring in the lab, be sure to check out our research page.
How and why do we do it?
As a lab we believe in the power of nature and feel as though everyone should have the right to experience nature in an inclusive and safe way. Building connection to nature provides a host of benefits including improving mental and physical health, socio-emotional learning, and our ability to connect with one another as humans. Beyond these research outcomes, we have seen through our research that nature can provide agency and a voice for all people, young and old alike.
Much of the work that we do occurs in collaboration with a variety of thought partners within and outside the traditional academic setting. Without our partnerships with K-12 teachers, non-profit organizations, environmental education centers, and foundations, this work would not be able to happen in a meaningful way.
Ultimately, what do we believe?
Although nature has the power to unite it also has the power to divide, and has historically (and currently) been used as a tool to do so. Even though we believe that every individual can benefit from a meaningful relationship with nature, we also recognize that for many that is not possible, as they cannot enjoy nature without compromising their own beliefs, norms, and physical/mental safety.
We also recognize that many of the folks who do research on nature connections, including some of the lab, are white or white-presenting, and have the privilege to think about these issues. We are all highly educated and trained in the Western and Eurocentric norms of the academy, and have to actively work against those biases. Research such as ours is likely already occurring at the community-level but is not prioritized in traditional academic circles. We hope to be a part of a new generation of academics that can help “raise the volume” on the work that is already happening in local communities, as we will never understand the lived experiences of those individuals.
Additionally, we want to acknowledge the fact that Penn State University is a land-grant institution. The history of land-grant institutions is incredibly fraught, and the presence of these institutions on the modern tracts of land they inhabit and were historically endowed symbolizes the violence that went into stealing said land from various tribal nations. Pennsylvania State University campuses are located on the original homelands of the Erie, Haudenosaunee (Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tuscarora), Lenape (Delaware Nation, Delaware Tribe, Stockbridge-Munsee), Shawnee (Absentee, Eastern, and Oklahoma), Susquehannock, and Wahzhazhe (Osage) Nations. Additionally much of the work that occurs in our lab occurs on the original lands of the Lumbee, Tuscarora, and Coharie Nations. Native people are the original caretakers of our lands, and many of these lands were also stewarded by individuals forced into slavery.