Liebgold and student research in pond

SU NRx Research

There are many ways to get involved in nature-related research on campus.

  • Some courses may engage you in research (such as BIOL 201/202 where students measure tree phenophases and active organic compounds collected from campus trees; @whatssupp1101).
  • You can conduct an independent research project in your department with the guidance of a mentor, including Honors projects and capstone experiences.
  • You can participate in ongoing research projects in some programs, such as the Poplar phenology project in the Horticulture Department, or the screech owl or house wren projects in the Department of Biological Sciences.

If you are interested in conducting research on a SU NRx project in particular, such as measuring the efficacy of a certain SU NRx project, you (students, faculty, and staff) can attend and/or present your work at a national Campus Nature Rx (CNRx) Symposium on Zoom in November each year.

The Practitioners Guide from Salazar et al. (2020) is helpful for planning assessment of affect and connectedness to nature, including an overview of the validity and reliability of various surveys and tips for use, for example in evaluating Campus NatureRx Programs.

A few references are listed below as entry points to published works on a variety of topics for those who are interested.

Entry Points to Published Research

Alves, S., Betrabet Gulwadi, G., & Nilsson, P. (2022). An exploration of how biophilic attributes on campuses might support student connectedness to nature, others, and self. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 793175.

Bratman, G. N., Hamilton, J. P., Hahn, K. S., Daily, G. C., & Gross, J. J. (2015). Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(28), 8567-8572.

Colding, J., & Barthel, S. (2017). The role of university campuses in reconnecting humans to the biosphere. Sustainability, 9(12), 2349.

DeLauer, V., McGill-O’Rourke, A., Hayes, T., Haluch, A., Gordon, C., Crane, J., ... & Schofield, D. (2022). The impact of natural environments and biophilic design as supportive and nurturing spaces on a residential college campus. Cogent Social Sciences, 8(1), 2000570..

Felsten, G. (2009). Where to take a study break on the college campus: An attention restoration theory perspective. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 29(1), 160-167.

Fukano, Y., & Soga, M. (2021). Why do so many modern people hate insects? The urbanization–disgust hypothesis. Science of the Total Environment, 777, 146229.

Ibes, D. C., & Forestell, C. A. (2022). The role of campus greenspace and meditation on college students’ mood disturbance. Journal of American College Health, 70(1), 99-106.

Ibes, D.C., Rakow, D.A., & Kim, C.H. (2021). Barriers to Nature Engagement for Youth of Color. Children, Youth and Environments 31(3), 49-73.

Kiers, A. H., Rakow, D. A., Parker, S., & Dewa, C. S. (2023). A pilot study on the potential for formalized nature-based instruction to mitigate stress and increase social bonds in university students. Journal of American College Health, 71(5), 1596-1603.

Lee, K. E., Williams, K. J., Sargent, L. D., Williams, N. S., & Johnson, K. A. (2015). 40-second green roof views sustain attention: The role of micro-breaks in attention restoration. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 42, 182-189.

Li, Q. (2010). Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 15, 9-17.

Li, Q., Kobayashi, M., Kumeda, S., Ochiai, T., Miura, T., Kagawa, T., ... & Kawada, T. (2016). Effects of forest bathing on cardiovascular and metabolic parameters in middle-aged males. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2016.

Li, Q. (2018). Shinrin-Yoku: The Art and Science of Forest Bathing. Penguin UK.

Li, Q. (2023). New concept of forest medicine. Forests, 14(5), 1024.

Liefländer, A. K., Fröhlich, G., Bogner, F. X., & Schultz, P. W. (2013). Promoting connectedness with nature through environmental education. Environmental Education Research, 19(3), 370-384.

Louv, R. (2008). Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Algonquin books.

Louv, R. (2016). Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich Life. Algonquin Books.

Luo, J., Wang, M., & Chen, L. (2021). The effects of using a nature-sound mobile application on psychological well-being and cognitive performance among university students. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 699908–699908.

Mayer, F. S., & Frantz, C. M. (2004). The connectedness to nature scale: A measure of individuals’ feeling in community with nature. Journal of environmental psychology, 24(4), 503-515.

Meredith, G. R., Rakow, D. A., Eldermire, E. R., Madsen, C. G., Shelley, S. P., & Sachs, N. A. (2020). Minimum time dose in nature to positively impact the mental health of college-aged students, and how to measure it: A scoping review. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 488425.

Ning, W., Yin, J., Chen, Q., & Sun, X. (2023). Effects of brief exposure to campus environment on students' physiological and psychological health. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1051864.

Qingjiu, S., & Maliki, N. Z. (2013). Place attachment and place identity: Undergraduate students’ place bonding on campus. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 91, 632-639.

Rakow, D. A. and G. T. Eels (2019). Nature Rx: Improving College-Student Mental Health. Cornell University Press.

Rakow, D. A., & Ibes, D. C. (2022). Campus Nature Rx: How investing in nature interventions benefits college students. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 960370.

Salazar, G., Kunkle, K. & Monroe, M. C. (2020). Practitioner Guide to Assessing Connection to Nature. Washington, DC: North American Association for Environmental Education.

Shanahan, D. F., Bush, R., Gaston, K. J., Lin, B. B., Dean, J., Barber, E., & Fuller, R. A. (2016). Health benefits from nature experiences depend on dose. Scientific Reports, 6(1), 28551.

Soga, M., Gaston, K. J. Fukano, Y., Evans, M. J. (2022) The vicious cycle of biophobia. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 38(6): 512–520.

Stroud, S., Fennell, M., Mitchley, J., Lydon, S., Peacock, J., Bacon, K. L. (2022) The botanical education extinction and the fall of plant awareness. Ecology and Evolution 12: e9019.

Summers, J. K., and Vivian, D. N. (2018) Ecotherapy—A forgotten Ecosystem Service: A review. Frontiers in Psychology 9: ar1389.

Tudorie, C. A. M., Vallés-Planells, M., Gielen, E., Arroyo, R., & Galiana, F. (2020). Towards a greener university: Perceptions of landscape services in campus open space. Sustainability, 12(15), 6047..

van Den Bogerd, N., Dijkstra, S. C., Seidell, J. C., & Maas, J. (2018). Greenery in the university environment: Students’ preferences and perceived restoration likelihood. PloS One, 13(2), e0192429.

van den Bogerd, N., Dijkstra, S. C., Tanja-Dijkstra, K., de Boer, M. R., Seidell, J. C., Koole, S. L., & Maas, J. (2020). Greening the classroom: Three field experiments on the effects of indoor nature on students' attention, well-being, and perceived environmental quality. Building and Environment, 171, 106675.

Weir, K. (2020) Nurtured by nature: Psychological research is advancing our understanding of how time in nature can improve our mental health and sharpen our cognition. Monitor on Psychology, 51(3).

You, J., Wen, X., Liu, L., Yin, J., & Ji, J. S. (2023). Biophilic classroom environments on stress and cognitive performance: A randomized crossover study in virtual reality (VR). Plos One, 18(11), e0291355.

Zhang, J., Jin, J., & Liang, Y. (2024). The impact of green space on university students’ mental health: The mediating roles of solitude competence and perceptual restoration. Sustainability, 16(2), 707.