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Interdisciplinary Nature Journaling Improves Mood and Helps Build Connection in Middle School Students

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Title: Interdisciplinary Nature Journaling Improves Mood and Helps Build Connection in Middle School Students
Language: English
Authors: Rachel N. Arbor (ORCID 0000-0002-2674-074X), Kevin Matteson
Source: Environmental Education Research. 2025 31(4):748-758.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 11
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Junior High Schools
Middle Schools
Secondary Education
Descriptors: Middle School Students, Mental Health, Student Journals, Naturalistic Observation, Environmental Education, Outdoor Education, Stress Management, Student Attitudes, Positive Attitudes, Interdisciplinary Approach, Curriculum Development, Teaching Methods
Geographic Terms: New York
DOI: 10.1080/13504622.2024.2405901
ISSN: 1350-4622
1469-5871
Abstract: Amidst increasing concerns about children's mental health, this paper explores the integration of interdisciplinary nature journaling within a middle school English Language Arts classroom as a method to enhance student well-being and environmental literacy. 61 5th-7th students in Garrison, NY engaged in a 75-minute nature journaling activity. We analyzed the activity's impact on student mood, stress levels, and connections to self, others, and nature. Results indicated a positive shift in moods, reduced stress, and enhanced feelings of self-valuation and connection to the natural world. The activity fits into New York State English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Math, and Art standards, emphasizing the feasibility and adaptability of environmental education activities across disciplines. The findings highlight the potential of such activities to benefit student well-being and help students foster a deeper understanding of environmental awareness, offering insights for educators seeking innovative and accessible ways to integrate environmental education into mainstream curricula.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1465003
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0184138073;eed01apr.25;2025Apr02.05:31;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0184138073-1">Interdisciplinary nature journaling improves mood and helps build connection in middle school students </title> <p>Amidst increasing concerns about children's mental health, this paper explores the integration of interdisciplinary nature journaling within a middle school English Language Arts classroom as a method to enhance student well-being and environmental literacy. 61 5th-7th students in Garrison, NY engaged in a 75-minute nature journaling activity. We analyzed the activity's impact on student mood, stress levels, and connections to self, others, and nature. Results indicated a positive shift in moods, reduced stress, and enhanced feelings of self-valuation and connection to the natural world. The activity fits into New York State English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Math, and Art standards, emphasizing the feasibility and adaptability of environmental education activities across disciplines. The findings highlight the potential of such activities to benefit student well-being and help students foster a deeper understanding of environmental awareness, offering insights for educators seeking innovative and accessible ways to integrate environmental education into mainstream curricula.</p> <p>Keywords: Middle school students; environmental education; interdisciplinary; nature journaling; environmental literacy; SDG 4: Quality education</p> <hd id="AN0184138073-2">Introduction</hd> <p>As the world grows more complex and the pressures on young minds increase, supporting the mental health of our children has come to the forefront of education. Finding feasible and inspiring methods for students to reflect on stressful issues within the school environment is critical if we are to effectively promote the well-being of school-age children. An increasing body of literature promotes experiences with nature as a method to help reduce anxiety (Pihkala [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref1">29</reflink>]), improve mood (Dopko, Capaldi, and Zelenski [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref2">8</reflink>]), provide joy (Schroeder [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref3">31</reflink>]) and a sense of wonder (Milne [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref4">22</reflink>]), facilitate learning (Kuo, Barnes, and Jordan [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref5">18</reflink>]; Mason et al. [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref6">20</reflink>]), and increase a sense of connection between students and nature (Zelenski, Dopko, and Capaldi [<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref7">41</reflink>]). Despite the benefits of nature-based activities, it remains unclear how to practically apply these types of experiences in many school settings, and how effective they are once implemented.</p> <p>Environmental literacy is a form of education that promotes environmental knowledge and stewardship (Jannah et al. [<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref8">14</reflink>]). While some educators strive to incorporate environmental literacy into mainstream classroom learning experiences (Bodor, Braus, and Pierpont [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref9">2</reflink>]), in many schools, environmental education is non-existent or solely confined to optional extra-curricular clubs (Corpuz, San Andres, and Lagasca [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref10">7</reflink>]). This is problematic because it inherently means environmental education comes secondary to day-to-day learning and because there are inequitable opportunities for students across income-based and racial demographics in America (Sprague, Berrigan, and Ekenga [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref11">33</reflink>]). Part of the challenge of incorporating environmental education into mainstream education is that nature is often viewed as a separate entity from the subjects that students learn about in school (Quinn, Castéra, and Clément [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref12">30</reflink>]). It is important to explore how environmental literacy can be translated into actionable strategies within the classroom. Effective environmental education also needs to be interdisciplinary so teachers can integrate it into the curriculum without compromising the time needed to meet content-area standards.</p> <p>Nature journaling is a type of environmental education activity that provides a semi-structured opportunity for students to observe and connect with nature. Nature journaling generally involves immersing participants in a green space location and providing optional prompts and time to reflect, write, draw, and observe. Educators working with children can facilitate nature journaling activities that take place at home or school, with prompts relating to various topics/standards (Cormell and Ivey [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref13">6</reflink>]), such as observing the phases of the moon in a 'moon journal' (McMillan & Wilhelm [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref14">21</reflink>]). Nature journaling with college-age students has been shown to help them feel connected to the 'more-than-human world' (Tsevreni [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref15">37</reflink>]), a connection that also has been demonstrated and may be especially important in densely populated urban environments (Warkentin [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref16">39</reflink>]). The process of nature journaling also has been shown to increase observational skills (Hobart [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref17">13</reflink>]) and help students develop a "sense of place" and sustainability literacy (Colbert [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref18">5</reflink>]). Studies with middle school students have illuminated how nature journaling can facilitate greater connections to "self" and "nature" (McMillan & Wilhelm [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref19">21</reflink>]) and enhance literacy skills across academic disciplines (Jones et al. [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref20">15</reflink>]).</p> <p>This paper explores how nature journaling was utilized through an interdisciplinary approach in a middle school English Language Arts classroom in a public school in Garrison, New York. We used nature journaling as our medium because it can vary in duration and is therefore easily replicable by other teachers. We were interested in seeing how nature journaling affected students' overall stress levels, moods, and other concepts related to student well-being, which ultimately affects the skills and dispositions of successful learners (Sharma and Pandey [<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref21">32</reflink>]). We conducted a 75-minute nature journaling activity on school grounds with 61 5<sups>th</sups>-7<sups>th </sups>graders, and used pre- and post-surveys to assess the impact of the activity on student moods and a sense of connection (to self, to others, and to nature). We hypothesized that the nature journaling activity would improve student moods, reduce stress, and boost student connection to self, others, and the environment. Specifically, we predicted that nature journaling would increase positive moods such as being peaceful, happy, excited, and silly while decreasing feelings of anger, frustration, and sadness. Furthermore, we predicted that students would be less stressed, and feel increased levels of self-valuation and connection after nature journaling. The results of this paper provide insights into how nature journaling can support students' social and emotional needs.</p> <hd id="AN0184138073-3">Methods</hd> <p>We conducted a 1.25-hour nature journaling activity at The Garrison Union Free School District—a public PK-8 school district in Garrison, NY. Garrison is a primarily affluent village of 4,303 people located 55 miles north of New York City. The Garrison Union Free School District is located in the Mid-Hudson Valley, a mile East of the Hudson River. The enrollment is approximately 230 students and the school grounds contain 194 acres of combined school campus and forest green space available for recreation and nature-based activities. The Hudson Valley ecosystem is characterized by richly diverse eastern deciduous forests, with an abundance of maples, oaks, and other hardwood species that create a dense canopy layer. Along the riverbanks, the vegetation consists of willows, alders, and other moisture-loving plants, which enhance the area's ecological diversity. Garrison and the larger Mid-Hudson Valley are popular tourist destinations for hiking, especially in the spring and fall, during times of wildflower bloom and changing tree foliage color.</p> <p>To complete the nature journaling activity, students quietly sat alone in nature on school grounds (Figure 1), reflecting on optional journaling prompts (Table 1). Participants included 61 students: 18 in grade 5, 20 in grade 6, and 23 in grade 7. Nature journaling took place on the following dates: 6<sups>th</sups> grade on 10/22/21, 7<sups>th</sups> grade on 10/25/21, and 5<sups>th</sups> grade on 5/5/22. The weather on all three days generally was cloudy with no rain and ranged from 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit. To assess the effects of nature journaling, we administered surveys before and after the activity (Appendix A). In addition to the weather, these dates also featured a dramatic fall landscape for 6<sups>th</sups> and 7<sups>th</sups> grade and spring landscape for 5<sups>th</sups> grade. Students were not graded and parental consent was received prior to the activity. The research was reviewed and approved by the Miami University Institutional Review Board (reference number 02043r).</p> <p>PHOTO (COLOR): Figure 1. Views of nature journaling and observations during a 75-minute activity on school grounds at The Garrison Union Free School District - a public PK-8 school district in Garrison, NY, USA.</p> <p>Table 1. Interdisciplinary nature journaling prompts utilized with students at The Garrison School - a public PK-8 school in Garrison, NY, USA.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><tbody valign="top"><tr><td>Interdisciplinary nature journaling activity</td></tr><tr><td>(1) Take the next 3 minutes to absorb as much as you can with your senses (what can you: smell, touch, hear, see?). Using observations from at least 2 of your senses, describe something you notice, are wondering, or a connection you're making between this activity and your life!</td></tr><tr><td>(2) Choose an object to focus on. Write a story about that object. Feel free to use the guiding questions.</td><td><bold>Guiding Questions</bold><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>Who does it interact with?</p></list-item><list-item><p>What does it experience in a day?</p></list-item><list-item><p>What does it smell, hear, see?</p></list-item><list-item><p>What historical events has it witnessed?</p></list-item><list-item><p>What's its relationship with people?</p></list-item><list-item><p>What might it be feeling?</p></list-item></list></td></tr><tr><td>(3) Use colored pencils to choose something around you that you connect with - it could be an insect, a blade of grass, the shadows the sun casts, or a whole scene. No judgment on your drawing - just give it your all!</td><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>Use as many <bold>colors</bold> as you can to provide as much detail as possible!</p></list-item><list-item><p><bold>Label</bold> your drawing to bring it to life!</p></list-item><list-item><p>Use the <bold>hand lenses</bold> to observe your object in <bold>detail</bold>!</p></list-item><list-item><p>Use the <bold>rulers</bold> and <bold>protractors</bold> to make your designs to scale!</p></list-item></list></td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>The nature journaling activity was built in conjunction with the New York State middle school English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum. Specifically, it addresses standards regarding writing narratives for real or imagined experiences/events, using descriptive details, and writing explanatory texts using relevant content (New York State Education Department [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref22">25</reflink>]). The nature journaling activity asked students to begin with a three-minute, silent observation, followed by detailed observations and drawings/descriptions of a focal object/species (Figure 1, Table 1). To inspire reflection, the activity provided students with a set of tools (colored pencils, ruler, hand lens, compass, protractor, and pencil).</p> <p>Students completed a pre-survey on Chromebooks in the classroom and then went outside to complete the nature journaling prompts. After the activity, they returned to the classroom to complete the post-survey. Since preliminary analyses indicated that there was not substantial variation among grade levels, all grades were analyzed together.</p> <p>We analyzed seven quantitative questions on the pre/post survey (Appendix A). First, we assessed Question 1, which asked students to rate their mood in one singular choice based on the following options: Silly, Happy, Angry, Frustrated, Peaceful, Sad, Neutral, or Excited. Students could only choose one emotion in the pre- and post-survey. To evaluate potential mood shifts, we used a chi-square test of independence (ɑ = 0.05) to compare the frequency of positive moods (peaceful, happy, silly, or excited), neutral moods (neutral), and negative moods (sad, frustrated, angry) reported before and after the nature journaling activity.</p> <p>We used Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Tests (ɑ = 0.05) to evaluate pre- and post-responses to the following survey questions: "How stressed do you feel right now?", "How connected do you feel to your emotions right now?", "Do you feel valued right now?", "How connected do you feel to the people in this class?", "Do you understand how your actions affect the natural world?", and "Is spending time in nature important to you?" This enabled us to further assess changes in perceptions of connection to self, others, and nature.</p> <p>We summarized students' overall feelings towards the nature journaling activity itself by reviewing responses to the question: "How did you feel about nature journaling?"</p> <hd id="AN0184138073-4">Results</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0184138073-5">Effects of nature journaling activity on mood</hd> <p>Nature journaling generally had a positive effect on students' mood. There was a significant change in mood after nature journaling (<sups>2</sups> = 6.6, <emph>p-</emph>value = 0.037), with increases in moods typically viewed as positive, such as happy, peaceful, excited, or silly, relative to more neutral or negatively associated moods (sad, frustrated, or angry) (Figure 2).</p> <p>PHOTO (COLOR): Figure 2. Student moods before and after 75-minute interdisciplinary nature journaling.</p> <p>Several self-reported social-emotional metrics improved after nature journaling (Table 2). Specifically, students reported feeling less stressed after nature journaling (<emph>p-</emph>value < 0.001, Z test statistic −3.435), more connected to their emotions (<emph>p-</emph>value = 0.041, Z test statistic 2.039), and more valued (<emph>p-</emph>value < 0.001, Z test statistic 4.161). Students felt that they had an increased understanding of how their actions affect the natural world (<emph>p-</emph>value = 0.002, Z test statistic 3.123) and felt that spending time in nature was more important to them after journaling (<emph>p-</emph>value = 0.007, Z test statistic 2.707).</p> <p>Table 2. Results of Wilcoxon Signed-Rank tests evaluating differences in 5th-7th grade students' self-reported attitudes before and after nature journaling in Garrison, NY, USA.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td>Question</td><td>Connection Category</td><td><italic>p</italic>-value</td><td>Z test statistic</td></tr></thead><tbody valign="top"><tr><td>How stressed do you feel right now?</td><td>Self</td><td char="."><bold><0.001</bold></td><td char=".">−3.435</td></tr><tr><td>How connected do you feel to your emotions right now?</td><td>Self</td><td char="."><bold>0.041</bold></td><td char=".">2.039</td></tr><tr><td>Do you feel valued/special right now?</td><td>Others</td><td char="."><bold><0.001</bold></td><td char=".">4.161</td></tr><tr><td>How connected do you feel to the people in this class?</td><td>Others</td><td char=".">0.398</td><td char=".">−0.845</td></tr><tr><td>Do you understand how your actions affect the natural world?</td><td>Nature</td><td char="."><bold>0.002</bold></td><td char=".">3.123</td></tr><tr><td>Is spending time in nature important to you?</td><td>Nature</td><td char="."><bold>0.007</bold></td><td char=".">2.707</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>1 Significant results (ɑ = 0.05) are shown in bold.</p> <hd id="AN0184138073-6">Perceptions of interdisciplinary nature journaling</hd> <p>In summarizing the question "How do you feel about nature journaling?", we found that most students had a neutral (10%), positive (38%), or very positive (36%) feeling towards journaling. Ten of the 61 respondents thought nature journaling was boring and three students felt a dramatic aversion for nature journaling. One student wrote that they "didn't see the point" of this activity and another noted how she "[didn't] understand why we bothered nature journaling." 72% of respondents expressed mild to extreme appreciation for both nature and the nature journaling activity itself, as well as feeling calmer. One student articulated their experience as follows:</p> <p>I really loved nature journaling. I was kinda skeptical at first and didn't think anything would change but after journaling, I feel like everything I was worried about and all my stresses just went away and I feel so much more connected and relaxed.</p> <p>Others recommended doing the activity more often as a way to "connect to nature and others" with one student stating it should be "mandatory." Others expressed a general desire to "spend more time outside."</p> <hd id="AN0184138073-7">Discussion</hd> <p>In this paper, we sought to evaluate the effects of nature journaling—as one potential method of environmental education—on student well-being. We found that a relatively simple 75-minute interdisciplinary nature journaling activity conducted on school grounds significantly improved student moods, with students self-reporting more positively associated moods (happy, peaceful, excited, silly) and fewer neutral or negatively associated moods (sad, frustrated, angry). A study conducted in Ottawa, Canada found that elementary-age students who went on a four-hour field trip to explore a forested area had an increase in both positive and negative affective moods, relative to a field trip to a museum (Dopko, Capaldi, and Zelenski [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref23">8</reflink>]). The authors suggested that an increase in negative moods may have been due to some children having minimal experiences with, and possibly a fear of, nature (e.g. snakes, bears, wolves). Similarly, a study of college-age students found that contemplative nature journaling was challenging because some students were uncomfortable in nature due to humidity and insects (Tsevreni [<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref24">38</reflink>]). Our results demonstrate how a short-duration outdoor activity in a "known" local green space can provide a positive initial foray into nature due to students' increased experience and comfort in those places.</p> <p>We found that nature journaling decreased student stress, increased their feelings of connection to emotions, and increased their feelings of self-valuation. Experiences in nature have generally been shown to provide a sense of tranquility, peace, and harmony (Schroeder [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref25">31</reflink>]). A five-week nature journaling activity with college students also documented consistently expressed themes of relaxation, tranquility, and a deeper connection to nature and themselves (Tsevreni [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref26">37</reflink>]). The increase in feelings of joy and peace among the students in this study may have contributed to the increase in self-valuation, as self-esteem is often linked to happiness in North America (Yuki et al. [<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref27">40</reflink>]). Research suggests that positive moods improve student psychological capital (Carmona-Halty et al. [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref28">4</reflink>]), leading to increases in student engagement and student performance (Nadler, Rabi, and Minda [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref29">23</reflink>]). This means that students may not only benefit immediately from activities like nature journaling but also may carry the benefits to their learning in other classes.</p> <p>Students in our study reported statistically significant increases in connection to emotions and self-valuation. Our nature journaling activity asked students to reflect on what they smell, touch, hear, and see. These types of sensory stimuli are shown to elicit an emotional response (Franco, Shanahan, and Fuller [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref30">10</reflink>]). In a study with adults ages 18-34, olfactory stimuli of "summer air," similar to that of leaves, flowers, and grass, were associated with a single emotional response of happiness (Glass, Lingg, and Heuberger [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref31">11</reflink>]). Additionally, sounds found in natural landscapes are shown to have positive psychological effects (Franco, Shanahan, and Fuller [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref32">10</reflink>]). Thus, natural sensory stimuli may have contributed to our students' increased connection to emotions.</p> <p>The nature journaling activity also helped students understand how their actions affect the natural world and increased their valuation of time in nature. Environmental education can help children develop a "sense of place" through increased place attachment and place meaning (Kudryavtsev, Stedman, and Krasny [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref33">17</reflink>]). Through interactions with an individual's sense of identity, a sense of place can also support increased empathy toward the local and global environment (Brown et al. [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref34">3</reflink>]). Furthermore, a deeper connection to natural places can increase a sense of responsibility towards the environment and pro-environmental behaviors (Junot, Paquet, and Fenouillet [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref35">16</reflink>]). It's noteworthy that the nature journaling activity enabled students to feel they better understood their impact on the natural world, as there was no guided direct instruction on human impacts. Place-based learning experiences like this nature journaling activity foster connections with the natural world (Gruenewald [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref36">12</reflink>]). Our activity's sensory prompts allowed students to gain insight into their place in the world, as well as larger-scale issues that affect our planet.</p> <p>This activity could be adapted in several ways that might influence the results. For example, depending on the goals specific to a teacher, class, or school, this activity could be adjusted to be a group activity. Tsevreni ([<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref37">37</reflink>]) had college students create nature journals in groups of 2-5, with groups experiencing nature together in silence and then working on their nature journals collaboratively. Also, it is important to consider that different teachers have different levels of emotional support behaviors (responsiveness and positive communications) (O'Hare et al. [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref38">28</reflink>]) which may in turn affect the student response to the activity. Another key variable to consider, and perhaps plan around, is inclement weather. For example, a nature journaling activity with 5<sups>th</sups> graders during a 4-day nature experience in California was found to be much more effective (i.e. students felt more connected to nature) when the activity took place during April or June relative to an experience in February that had torrential rains and cold weather (Talebpour et al. [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref39">35</reflink>]). Finally, while we did not find differences among grades (5<sups>th</sups>, 6<sups>th</sups>, or 7<sups>th</sups>), other studies have shown that 4<sups>th</sups> and 5<sups>th</sups> graders may be more likely to develop positive attitudes toward the environment with conservation education than 7<sups>th</sups>- and 8<sups>th</sups>-grade students (Sutherland [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref40">34</reflink>]; Liefländer and Bogner [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref41">19</reflink>]). Thus, age and development stage are important considerations when differentiating for this type of activity.</p> <p>The activity could also be adapted for different class subjects. This is important because there is an educational reform movement taking place in the U.S. to integrate environmental literacy into the classroom. Seven U.S. states have implemented environmental literacy standards in the past three years, and several others have similar bills on the ballot for this year. For example, New Jersey mandated climate education standards in PK-12 classrooms in 2020 (Bayram [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref42">1</reflink>]). This puts pressure on teachers – many of whom are experiencing post-pandemic burnout (Estrada-Araoz et al. [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref43">9</reflink>]) – to implement an additional curriculum. The interdisciplinary nature of this activity enables teachers across disciplines to implement it within their curriculum where it fits, without sacrificing teaching time. In life science, the activity could be adapted to explore how biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem interact, as described in standard MS-LS2-3 (New York State Department of Education [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref44">24</reflink>]). In history, students could address standard 7.1a by exploring indigenous perspectives on the environment (The State Education Department & The University of the State of New York [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref45">36</reflink>]). In math, students could use this nature journaling activity as an extension to address standards 1-3 of the "Statistics and Probability" unit (New York State Education Department [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref46">27</reflink>]) by investigating bivariate data on population trends of various organisms in the nature journaling ecosystem. Art can help students express their nature journaling more deeply and develop personal meaning from the experience by encouraging them to translate their reflection to a different medium (New York State Education Department [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref47">25</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0184138073-8">Conclusions</hd> <p>There is growing concern about the mental health of our youth in the field of education. With the knowledge that time in nature is shown to support the social-emotional needs of students (Pihkala [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref48">29</reflink>]; Dopko, Capaldi, and Zelenski [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref49">8</reflink>]; Schroeder [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref50">31</reflink>]), we sought to explore the benefits of implementing a simple nature journaling activity within a school setting. Our research demonstrated several significant social and emotional benefits of this kind of activity. Specifically, we found that a 75-minute nature journaling activity resulted in improved mood, reduced stress, and increased sense of self-valuation and connection to nature among participants.</p> <p>This type of activity may also benefit teachers. The positive emotional benefits students experienced from the nature journaling activity may translate to better learning outcomes in the classroom, through increased student engagement and performance alike (Nadler, Rabi, and Minda [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref51">23</reflink>]). Beyond potentially improved student dispositions for learning, several U.S. States have mandated some form of environmental literacy standards. This puts pressure on teachers to change the way they teach. In this study, we sought to explore what interdisciplinary environmental education could look like on school grounds, using an English Language Arts class. The goal of interdisciplinary environmental education is to change the lens through which teachers implement their current curriculum, rather than providing an additional curriculum for them to teach. The interdisciplinary nature of activities like this may help alleviate post-pandemic teacher burnout (Estrada-Araoz et al. [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref52">9</reflink>]) and support a more seamless integration of environmental education into core curricula.</p> <p>Future research could be conducted on longer-term interdisciplinary, standards-driven environmental education across multiple school settings. Doing so could help disentangle any school or teacher-specific effects that might bias results from a single location. Larger-scale research might also highlight specific conditions necessary for these types of behavior change among middle school students which we witnessed in our activity. For example, perhaps there is a specific time of year, number of students per class, or type of ecosystem that students benefit from when nature journaling. Furthermore, future research could focus on the setting in which students conduct this nature journaling activity. Along these lines, it would be interesting to compare the effects of journaling inside versus in nature to isolate differences resulting from journaling (regardless of location) versus journaling while in nature. Additionally, future research could explore the relationship between the positive emotional benefits students experience from interdisciplinary environmental education and state test scores. If these types of sense-of-place activities can foster positive emotions, it's worth exploring the impacts of continued practice on overall learning and social-emotional health.</p> <hd id="AN0184138073-9">Disclosure statement</hd> <p>No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).</p> <hd id="AN0184138073-10">Appendix A</hd> <p>Consent Statement and analyzed survey questions from the nature journaling.</p> <p>Participation consent: Your participation in this activity is completely voluntary, you may skip questions you do not want to answer, and you may stop at any time. The survey does not request information that would explicitly identify you. If you inadvertently include identifying information, such information will be removed from stored data. Only the researchers will have access to individual responses. Results of the survey will only be presented publicly as anonymous summaries. Please discuss participation in this survey with your parents.</p> <p>If you would like further information about the study or have additional questions, please contact Rachel Arbor at mailto:arborrn@miamioh.edu. If you have questions or concerns about the rights of research subjects, you may contact our reviewing body: the Research Ethics and Integrity Office at Miami University at (<reflink idref="bib513" id="ref53">513</reflink>) 529-3600 or mailto:humansubjects@miamioh.edu.</p> <p></p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td>Pre-survey question text</td><td>Post-survey question text</td><td>Answer type/options</td></tr></thead><tbody valign="top"><tr><td>Which best describes your mood right now?</td><td>Rate your mood below</td><td>(Select one) Silly, Happy, Angry, Frustrated, Peaceful, Sad, Neutral, Excited</td></tr><tr><td>How stressed do you feel right now?</td><td>How stressed do you feel right now?</td><td>(10-point Likert scale) 1 – "Extremely relaxed" to 10 – "Extremely stressed"</td></tr><tr><td>How connected do you feel to your emotions right now?</td><td>How connected do you feel to your emotions right now?</td><td>(10-point Likert scale) 1 – "Not at all connected" to 10 – "Extremely connected"</td></tr><tr><td>Do you feel valued right now?</td><td>Do you feel valued after this activity?</td><td>(10-point Likert scale) 1 – "Not at all valued" to 10 – "Extremely valued"</td></tr><tr><td>How connected do you feel to the people in this class?</td><td>After this activity, how connected do you feel to the people in this class?</td><td>(10-point Likert scale) 1 – "Not at all connected" to 10 – "Extremely connected"</td></tr><tr><td>How well do you understand how your actions affect the natural world?</td><td>After this activity, how well do you understand how your actions affect the natural world?</td><td>(10-point Likert scale) 1 – "No understanding" to 10 – "Deep understanding"</td></tr><tr><td>Is spending time in nature important to you?</td><td>After this activity, is spending time in nature important to you?</td><td>(10-point Likert scale) 1 – "Not important to me at all" to 10 – "Extremely important to me"</td></tr><tr><td>How did you feel about nature journaling?</td><td>(Open-ended question)</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <ref id="AN0184138073-11"> <title> References </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref42" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> Bayram, S. 2023. 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Journal of Geography 110 (6): 227 – 238. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221341.2011.566345.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Yuki, M., K. Sato, K. Takemura, and S. Oishi. 2013. " Social Ecology Moderates the Association between Self-Esteem and Happiness." Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 49 (4): 741 – 746. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2013.02.006.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Zelenski, J. M., R. L. Dopko, and C. A. Capaldi. 2015. " Cooperation is in Our Nature: Nature Exposure May Promote Cooperative and Environmentally Sustainable Behavior." Journal of Environmental Psychology 42 : 24 – 31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2015.01.005.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Rachel N. Arbor and Kevin Matteson</p> <p>Reported by Author; Author</p> <p></p> <p>Rachel N. Arbor is the CEO and founder of Gaia Scholastic, the NY State Lead for SubjectToClimate, and the Director of Environmental Education for the Garrison Union Free School District. For all of these roles, her mission is to cultivate a generation of environmentally-literate global citizens by integrating nature and environmental concepts into the learning experiences of students of all ages and abilities. She builds interdisciplinary content in a way that challenges students to make connections—with themselves, with each other, and with nature, across content areas. She trains teachers across the country on how to re-shape their curriculum through an environmental lens, coaches students on how to turn their climate anxiety into climate action, and fosters environmental connection in and out of the classroom through citizen science, standards-driven field trips, and large-scale community events like Youth Climate Summits. Her educational and professional pursuits focus on bridging the gap between Mainstream and Environmental Education.</p> <p>Dr. Kevin Matteson is an experienced ecologist and pollination biologist who has dedicated his career to studying how nature can be promoted in urbanized landscapes. During his doctoral research at Fordham University, he conducted groundbreaking studies on the diversity of bees and butterflies in community gardens of East Harlem and the Bronx, utilizing GIS, mark-recapture, and extensive insect sampling. Following this, he embarked on a multi-year NSF-funded research project in Chicago, exploring the capabilities of wild bees to provide sufficient pollination services in urban landscapes. Currently serving as Associate Director of Master's Programs for Project Dragonfly at Miami University, Dr. Matteson is passionate about creative methods for online learning and engagement, community-based conservation efforts, and global conservation. He has advised dozens of graduate students on a variety of projects including human-elephant conflict mitigation, freshwater micro-plastic reduction, multi-decadal citizen science analysis of butterfly populations, the impacts of nature journaling/environmental education practices on children and adults, and more.</p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib29" firstref="ref1"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib31" firstref="ref3"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib22" firstref="ref4"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl4" bibid="bib18" firstref="ref5"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl5" bibid="bib20" firstref="ref6"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl6" bibid="bib41" firstref="ref7"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl7" bibid="bib14" firstref="ref8"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl8" bibid="bib33" firstref="ref11"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl9" bibid="bib30" firstref="ref12"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl10" bibid="bib21" firstref="ref14"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl11" bibid="bib37" firstref="ref15"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl12" bibid="bib39" firstref="ref16"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl13" bibid="bib13" firstref="ref17"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl14" bibid="bib15" firstref="ref20"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl15" bibid="bib32" firstref="ref21"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl16" bibid="bib25" firstref="ref22"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl17" bibid="bib38" firstref="ref24"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl18" bibid="bib40" firstref="ref27"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl19" bibid="bib23" firstref="ref29"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl20" bibid="bib10" firstref="ref30"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl21" bibid="bib11" firstref="ref31"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl22" bibid="bib17" firstref="ref33"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl23" bibid="bib16" firstref="ref35"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl24" bibid="bib12" firstref="ref36"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl25" bibid="bib28" firstref="ref38"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl26" bibid="bib35" firstref="ref39"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl27" bibid="bib34" firstref="ref40"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl28" bibid="bib19" firstref="ref41"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl29" bibid="bib24" firstref="ref44"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl30" bibid="bib36" firstref="ref45"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl31" bibid="bib27" firstref="ref46"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl32" bibid="bib513" firstref="ref53"></nolink>
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  Data: Interdisciplinary Nature Journaling Improves Mood and Helps Build Connection in Middle School Students
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rachel+N%2E+Arbor%22">Rachel N. Arbor</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2674-074X">0000-0002-2674-074X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kevin+Matteson%22">Kevin Matteson</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Environmental+Education+Research%22"><i>Environmental Education Research</i></searchLink>. 2025 31(4):748-758.
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  Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
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  Data: 11
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Junior+High+Schools%22">Junior High Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Middle+Schools%22">Middle Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Middle+School+Students%22">Middle School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mental+Health%22">Mental Health</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Journals%22">Student Journals</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Naturalistic+Observation%22">Naturalistic Observation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Environmental+Education%22">Environmental Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Outdoor+Education%22">Outdoor Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Stress+Management%22">Stress Management</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Positive+Attitudes%22">Positive Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interdisciplinary+Approach%22">Interdisciplinary Approach</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Curriculum+Development%22">Curriculum Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+Methods%22">Teaching Methods</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1080/13504622.2024.2405901
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  Data: 1350-4622<br />1469-5871
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Amidst increasing concerns about children's mental health, this paper explores the integration of interdisciplinary nature journaling within a middle school English Language Arts classroom as a method to enhance student well-being and environmental literacy. 61 5th-7th students in Garrison, NY engaged in a 75-minute nature journaling activity. We analyzed the activity's impact on student mood, stress levels, and connections to self, others, and nature. Results indicated a positive shift in moods, reduced stress, and enhanced feelings of self-valuation and connection to the natural world. The activity fits into New York State English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Math, and Art standards, emphasizing the feasibility and adaptability of environmental education activities across disciplines. The findings highlight the potential of such activities to benefit student well-being and help students foster a deeper understanding of environmental awareness, offering insights for educators seeking innovative and accessible ways to integrate environmental education into mainstream curricula.
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        Value: 10.1080/13504622.2024.2405901
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      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 11
        StartPage: 748
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Middle School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mental Health
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Journals
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Naturalistic Observation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Environmental Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Outdoor Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Stress Management
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Positive Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Interdisciplinary Approach
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Curriculum Development
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teaching Methods
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: New York
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Interdisciplinary Nature Journaling Improves Mood and Helps Build Connection in Middle School Students
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Rachel N. Arbor
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Kevin Matteson
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 1350-4622
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1469-5871
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 31
            – Type: issue
              Value: 4
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Environmental Education Research
              Type: main
ResultId 1