Nature-based Settings Research Articles

The Relationship Between Physical Activity Environment, Mental Wellbeing, Flourishing and Thriving: A Mixed Method Study.

Research shows that mental wellbeing contributes to a greater quality of life and longevity, superior overall health, life success, and fulfillment. High mental wellbeing, such as flourishing and thriving, is associated with a sense of meaning and purpose, mastery and accomplishment, social connectedness, optimism, and contribution to society. Nature-based physical activity participation has been linked with mental wellbeing enhancement over and above the impact of physical activity alone. The present study sought to address a gap in the research by exploring whether the environment in which physical activity takes place and one's gender moderate the relationship between activity time and various indices of mental wellbeing. Using a mixed methods design, participants (N = 235) aged 18 to 76 (M = 33.41, SD = 13.41) completed an online survey. We divided participants into three groups based on their preferred type of physical activity: indoor, outdoor non-nature-based, and outdoor nature-based physical activity. The moderation analyses highlight the importance of the environment in physical activity, with outdoor nature-based settings consistently showing positive associations with flourishing and thriving. These findings suggest that engaging in physical activities in natural environments can significantly predict an individual's mental wellbeing, for both males and females. Qualitative data supported the findings and also revealed that nature-based physical activity achieves these benefits through developing positive affect, social closeness and engagement, purpose, enhanced experiences, and interests beyond oneself. Findings from this study demonstrate the importance of nature-based physical activity for mental wellbeing promotion and protection, indicating that opportunities for nature-based physical activity should be more effectively provided, perhaps across multiple domains of life such as education, sport, public health, and urban planning.

Heat Stress Impacts on Coral Reef Ecosystems and Communities: An Evaluation of Visitor Perceptions, Behaviors and Substitution Effects in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, USA

Evaluating the effects of environmental events across both biophysical and social dimensions is important in establishing a holistic view of such events. This study focuses on the impact of a devastating heat stress incident that occurred in many locations across the Caribbean region and South Atlantic during the 2023 summer season. The survey and focus of data collection was within Monroe County, a unique nature-based setting south of Miami, Florida, USA. The impact of the heat wave is still being calculated at the time of submission of this paper, but indications are that there was a major negative impact. The survey and data collection sought to understand recreationists’ perceptions, knowledge, and behavior changes as result of the heat stress impact in the Florida Keys. Respondents were interviewed during community workshops in person and through an online sample of boating/angler license holders. The results indicated a change in behavior by some respondents, which may have a longer-term economic impact, along with trends of satisfaction with outdoor recreation over time. This rapid survey method can be applied to future scenarios where social and economic data are needed to fully contextualize environmental impacts in addition to biological endpoints.

Integrating nature into practice: Occupational therapists’ perspectives

ABSTRACT Nature-based settings are unique in that they enhance occupational performance and well-being. Subsequently, the use of nature has recently been adopted by schools as a supplemental environment to support student performance and educational outcomes. While previous studies have investigated the effects of nature on general education students and educator impressions, little research exists regarding the perceptions of school-based occupational therapists (OTs) who use outdoor environments and their impact on special education students. This qualitative pilot study will examine the perceptions of school-based OTs who provide interventions to special education students in nature-based settings. A phenomenological approach will capture the essence of OTs’ experiences to better understand why and how OTs use nature in school-based practice, perceived benefits and challenges, and the roles they assume as they implement nature-based interventions within their schools. Study results will inform and enhance occupational therapy practice by increasing the awareness and understanding of an alternative learning environment to support students who receive special education services.

‘Don’t Pick, Don’t Lick’: Connecting Young Children’s Risky Play in Nature to Science Education in Australian Bush Kinders

AbstractThe forest school approach to nature learning has gathered momentum in the UK and across parts of Europe including Scandinavia for well over 50 years. In other contexts that include Canada, China, New Zealand and Australia, nature-based early childhood education and care settings, influenced by European forest school approaches, are in a rapid expansion phase as educators and policy makers acknowledge the benefits for children from time spent in nature. It is known that science education opportunities exist in these nature-based settings, yet this area has only garnered limited research attention to date. An example of a nature-based approach to early childhood education which emerged in the 2010s is the Australian ‘bush kinder’. Four- to five-year-old preschool children experience and learn from nature through play in bush kinders. This paper highlights the intersections that occur between risky play and science teaching and learning in the context of bush kinders. Through analysing research in early years science education, guiding curriculum frameworks and early childhood learning, I propose the importance of children’s risky play to early childhood science education. Drawing on vignettes from ethnographic fieldwork data, the merits of risky play in bush kinders to embed science knowledge is illustrated here. Participant observation was used to build a profile of each site and to gather data relating to how educators draw on children’s risky play to seek out opportunities to teach children about physical, chemical and biological science.

A study on children's multi-sensorial experiences of nature: design approaches and preferences for primary school architecture case studies in Glasgow, Scotland, UK

PurposeProviding improved access to nature within educational settings can promote stronger child–nature connections and is conditional on making evidence-based decisions for the planning, design and refurbishment of school architecture. The study offers insight into ways of reconnecting children with nature by examining the distribution and classification of diverse natural elements for enhancing children's visual and non-visual experiences of educational environments.Design/methodology/approachThis study combines quantitative and qualitative analysis of data gathered through measurement and observation at three schools in Glasgow, with a total of 75 students, to identify key issues influencing child–nature multi-sensorial connections within indoor and outdoor environments and on building envelopes and layouts. It applies children's open-questions and diagrams to investigate children's discovery of nature, their feelings around natural attributes and their environmental preferences within school contexts.FindingsThis study's findings reveal that architectural features and landscape settings have significant influence on the quantitative and qualitative degrees of children's natural exploration through visual and non-visual sensorial modalities and environmental preferences.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations of this study are that the data was gathered in the Spring season and with different groups of children from The Glasgow Academy who received the same educational curriculum. Thus, there is a need for further investigation on children's experiences of nature based on temporal and contextual differences, and varying educational-socio-cultural and economic factors.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that applications of natural diversity, accessible and flexible pathways and indoor natural settings, are potential approaches to connect children with nature within their study and play environments.Originality/valueThe authors provide a deeper understanding of how nature-based settings, including indoor and outdoor environments, constructively benefit children's multi-sensorial experiences, knowledge and biophilic feelings toward nature.

Positive Psychological Intervention Delivered Using Virtual Reality in Patients on Hemodialysis With Comorbid Depression: Protocol and Design for the Joviality Randomized Controlled Trial.

Depression is highly prevalent in individuals on hemodialysis, but it is infrequently identified and remains undertreated. In this paper, we present details of the methodology of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed at testing the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a 5-week positive psychological intervention in individuals on hemodialysis with comorbid depression delivered using immersive virtual reality (VR) technology. We aim to describe the protocol and design of the Joviality trial whose main objectives are 2-fold: determine the feasibility of the Joviality VR software through metrics capturing rates of recruitment, refusal, retention, noncompliance, and adherence, as well as end-user feedback; and assess preliminary efficacy for outcomes measures of depressive symptoms, psychological well-being and distress, quality of life, treatment adherence, clinical biomarkers, and all-cause hospitalizations. This 2-arm RCT is scheduled to enroll 84 individuals on hemodialysis with comorbid depression from multiple outpatient centers in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Enrollees will be randomized to the following groups: VR-based Joviality positive psychological intervention or sham VR (2D wildlife footage and nature-based settings with inert music presented using a head-mounted display). To be eligible, individuals must be on hemodialysis for at least 3 months, have Beck Depression Inventory-II scores of ≥11 (ie, indicative of mild-to-severe depressive symptoms), be aged ≥21 years, and be fluent in English or Spanish. The Joviality VR software was built using agile design principles and incorporates fully immersive content, digital avatars, and multiplex features of interactability. Targeted skills of the intervention include noticing positive events, positive reappraisal, gratitude, acts of kindness, and mindful or nonjudgmental awareness. The primary outcomes include metrics of feasibility and acceptability, along with preliminary efficacy focused on decreasing symptoms of depression. The secondary and tertiary outcomes include quality of life, treatment adherence, clinical biomarkers, and all-cause hospitalization rates. There are 4 assessment time points: baseline, immediately after the intervention, 3 months after the intervention, and 6 months after the intervention. We hypothesize that depressive symptoms and hemodialysis-related markers of disease will substantially improve in participants randomized to the VR-based Joviality positive psychology treatment arm compared with those in the attention control condition. This RCT is funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and is scheduled to commence participant recruitment in June 2023. This trial will be the first to test custom-built VR software to deliver a positive psychological intervention, chairside, in individuals on hemodialysis to reduce symptoms of depression. Within the context of an RCT using an active control arm, if proven effective, VR technology may become a potent tool to deliver mental health programming in clinical populations during their outpatient treatment sessions. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05642364; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05642364. PRR1-10.2196/45100.

The relationship between autonomy support and structure in early childhood nature-based settings: Practices and challenges

From a Self-Determination Theory perspective, children are expected to grow according to innate tendencies in supportive environments, such as nature-based educational settings. The role of the practitioner is generally viewed as facilitative in these contexts. We report findings from a qualitative study with a sample of 18 UK-based outdoor educational practitioners. We asked them to respond to four hypothetical situations with differing levels of required intervention. Our purpose was to examine the extent of autonomy support and structure that they would hypothetically provide to the children in each of these different scenarios, and even uncover possible tensions in the application of autonomy support and structure. Our analysis suggests that, in situations of low interventional requirement, practitioners could understate structure and autonomy support and, in situations of high interventional requirement, prioritize structure over autonomy support. The challenge for practitioners that was revealed in this research, as well its implications, are discussed.

Predictors and potentiators of psychedelic-occasioned mystical experiences

Abstract Mystical experiences are often described as being among the most profound and meaningful events of a person’s life. Their occurrence, while a normal but uncommon phenomenon, is reliably occasioned by psychedelic substances under the appropriate conditions, although care is needed around the context of usage to help ensure safe and beneficial experiences. The occurrence of mystical experiences in psychedelic sessions is a key mediator of the sustained psychological benefits reported in both healthy and clinical populations. Certain factors including set and setting, drug dosage, trait absorption, drug type, intention and states of surrender and acceptance all predict or influence the occurrence of mystical experiences. Various additional factors may further contribute to the occurrence and intensity of mystical experiences and enhance their long-term benefits, including music, meditation and spiritual practices and nature-based settings. This review examines these factors and considers how they might be optimised to increase the chances of a mystical experience occurring, while also considering factors that are negatively associated with mystical experiences with suggestions on how these might be mitigated where applicable. Finally, potential future research avenues for furthering our knowledge of psychedelic mystical experiences and how their benefits might be enhanced is suggested. Maximising the potential for the occurrence of mystical experiences is an important aspect of the beneficial application of psychedelics.

STEM Teaching and Learning in Bush Kinders

For over 50 years, the forest school approach to nature learning has gathered momentum in the UK and across parts of Europe including Scandinavia (Knight, 2016). In other contexts such as Canada, New Zealand and Australia, nature-based early childhood education and care settings, influenced by European forest school approaches, have begun to gain popularity. Opportunities for STEM education occur in nature-based settings, such as forest schools and nature kindergartens, yet this area has only garnered limited research attention to date. One such example of a nature kindergarten which emerged in the 2010s is Australian ‘bush kinder’ where 4- to 5-year-old preschool children experience and learn from nature. This paper arrives at an innovative conceptualisation of STEM teaching and learning in bush kinders. Through analysing research in early years STEM education, teacher pedagogy and early childhood learning, I propose a teaching and learning process that is replicable for similar nature-based early childhood education and care settings. Drawing on vignettes from ethnographic fieldwork data, the conceptualisation of an integrated approach to STEM teaching in bush kinders is illustrated. To frame the approach to STEM teaching, this analysis builds on the notions that STEM teaching and learning can take the form of a five-phased cyclical process. It is this process that contributes to the conceptualisation of STEM teaching and learning in early childhood education.

Analyzing Visitors’ Review of Homestays Located in Nature-Based Settings: An NLP Based Approach

Objective: Sentiment analysis techniques such as Natural Language Processing (NLP) provide a powerful tool to analyze textual data. Along with machine learning and other big data methods, these techniques are used in improving customer service quality in different sectors. This paper utilizes sentiment analysis techniques to identify key themes surrounding visitors’ homestay experience in nature-based settings. Methodology/Approach/Scope: Analysis of 2369 TripAdvisor reviews through Structural Topic Modeling (STM) reveals how high rated homestay experiences differ from those rated low on various parameters. Findings/ Implications/Conclusion – The paper contributes to the knowledge on text mining & its application in improving customer service in the hospitality &tourism domain. The research has practical usage for homestay stakeholders and future direction for further research.

Where to stand? Researcher involvement in early education outdoor settings

ABSTRACT Background Prior to approaching any field site activity, the question of how researchers in education will interact with the participants in terms of positionality requires careful thought. Observation is often used by educators and researchers as a means of collecting informal data on children’s development and learning in early childhood education and care (ECEC) classroom settings. As data collection often involves varying degrees of observation and participation, there is a need for a clear articulation of researcher involvement. When the classroom is an outdoor, nature-based setting, particular challenges can arise in this regard. Purpose This small-scale study sought to explore these challenges in the context of early years of STEM teaching and learning. The research was situated within bush kindergartens (also known as ‘bush kinders’), a developing context in Australian early childhood education. The open spaces of nature reserves, forests, beaches and paddocks all constitute settings for bush kinders. Method The study employed an ethnographic lens to the teaching and play activities of around 10 educators and 120 four- to five-year-old children in four Australian bush kinders during 2015, 2017 and 2020. Much of the study was devoted to observation and participation in the activities that the children were undertaking. Influenced by a research tradition that places researcher participation and observation on a continuum of completeness, differences in researcher involvement that occur in nature-based education and care settings were categorised. Findings It was determined from this categorisation that researcher involvement with participants ranged from low to high. The in-depth analysis allowed identification of how this range of involvement provides both benefits and limitations upon the researcher’s involvement with teacher and child participants. Conclusions This paper offers a contribution to the methodological discourse on ethnographic research in ECEC outdoor settings. In drawing close attention to the ways in which researcher involvement in the field may vary, it provides a framework of reference that could be helpful to other researchers engaged in designing and carrying out ECEC research in diverse outdoor settings.

Writing in nature-based settings: participant experiences in a literacy and leadership development program

Place-based education has long been relevant in literacy teaching and learning, and practitioners and scholars across the English studies use places to create meaningful and relevant pedagogies. Operating assumptions for how and why place impacts student writing often remain under examined, and this is especially true of particular settings, such as nature-based outdoor settings. This study examines a diverse group of high school writers’ experience of writing outside. Participants were adolescents in a 28- or 40-day voluntary literacy and outdoor adventure learning program. This program, Adventure Risk Challenge, serves primarily rural students who use English as a second or other language and provides a literacy-rich curriculum with instruction in language, reading, public speaking, and especially writing. The learning settings are at outdoor basecamps and on backcountry, wilderness expeditions. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, data was collected through methods of participant observation during a summer program and in 21 semi-structured interviews of program alumni and instructors. Interview transcripts were analyzed and interpreted through multiple cycles of coding. The findings suggest that students’ experience of writing outdoors is beneficial for at least three reasons: (1) positive social environments, (2) greater facility in generating ideas and descriptive details, and (3) enhanced concentration while engaged in writing tasks. Additional lines of inquiry and applications to school learning environments are discussed.

A ramp that leads to nothing: outdoor recreation experiences of children with physical disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT During the global COVID-19 pandemic, access to outdoor recreation is desperately needed for youth; however, children with physical disabilities who regularly experience barriers and constraints to engagement in outdoor physical activity may experience additional challenges. We examined the outdoor recreation experiences of children with physical disabilities (ages 6–10) living in Coastal Virginia during the COVID-19 pandemic by interviewing their parents using a modified Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Responses were coded inductively and then deductively using a typology of factors related to physical activity participation among children and adults with physical disabilities. Our findings indicate the barriers experienced by children existed before and were compounded by the pandemic. Parents struggled to find meaningful outdoor experiences for their children with disabilities and attributed most of the barriers to institutional-level factors. We share actionable steps municipalities can take to provide more inclusive access for children in outdoor and nature-based settings.

Accessible nature beyond city limits – A scoping review

The health and well-being benefits of nature contact are well known, but inequitably distributed across society. Focusing on the access needs of persons with a disability, the purpose of this study was to systematically examine research on the accessibility of nature-based tourism and recreation spaces outside of urban/community settings. Following a scoping review methodology, this study sought to examine policies, services, physical infrastructures, and regulatory standards intended to enable equitable use of nature-based settings by individuals of all ages and abilities, particularly persons with a disability. In total, 41 relevant studies were identified and analyzed. Findings indicate that there are considerable gaps in the provision of services and information that enable self-determination in the use and enjoyment of nature, and that accessibility in nature-based settings is conceptualized through three interrelated policy/design pathways: the adaptation pathway, the accommodation pathway, and the universal design pathway. As a whole, accessibility policy and standards research specific to natural settings outside of urban/community settings is highly limited. There are growing calls to promote inclusive nature experiences in tourism and recreation spaces outside of community settings. Management of such spaces must reconcile equity concerns with a host of other priorities like environmental conservation. In the case of promoting universal accessibility, few studies offer insight into the detailed standards that must be met to create barrier-free access, let alone how to integrate such standards with other management priorities. Transdisciplinary research partnerships that involve management personnel, environmental and public health researchers, and persons with a disability are needed to identify effective management synergies. • Accessibility is understood as the embodied experience of natural spaces. • Studies of accessibility standards for nature spaces are extremely limited. • Longitudinal and experimental studies of accessible nature are lacking. • Ableist management attitudes/cultures are a key barrier to self-determination.

Searching for sanctuary during COVID-19: exploring regional South Australians’ nature-based tourism experiences

ABSTRACT This article draws upon the findings of an exploratory qualitative study of regional South Australian tourists' nature-based tourism experiences during COVID-19. Through the implementation of focus group interview sessions with participants across three age group categories, it was evident that many participants had visited nature-based settings in pursuit of health benefits. From the perspective of physical health, national parks and conservation areas were identified as “risk averse” backdrops that allowed exercise to be undertaken. From the perspective of mental health, nature-based tourism spaces acted as “mental sanctuaries” that supported wellbeing and enabled visitors to temporarily escape the stresses of COVID-19. Respondents aged under 30 reported a greater connectedness with nature and had positively re-evaluated the benefits of nature-based tourism. This article offers valuable insights into the role of nature-based tourism settings in supporting regional populations during the continuation of COVID-19 or other crises that present challenging times or hardship.

Marine recreational fishing at Phuket, Thailand

Abstract: Recreational fishing can produce visitor satisfaction and generate revenue at some global resorts. Yet, government officials seem reluctant to promote angling on tourism websites. Perhaps this is due to a weak linkage with ecotourism, a term often used by developing countries for attracting international visitors to nature-based settings. To learn about fishing experiences in Phuket, Thailand, this study analyzed 100 angler reviews posted on TripAdvisor, a popular source of user-generated content. Reviews consisted of positive (n=878) and negative (n=237) comments. Promotion of fishing tourism requires a multibenefit approach, more than simply catching fish. Billfish anglers are a promising target market since these ecotourists practice catch-and-release fishing, thus aligning visitor experiences and sustainability with economics.

Motivations and Satisfaction of New Zealand Domestic Tourists to Inform Landscape Design in a Nature-Based Setting

Increased tourist pressures can cause the deterioration of nature-based tourist destinations and adversely affect visitor satisfaction. This study aims to identify how public participation using mobile devices on-site can assist in assessing future design scenarios for a popular nature-based destination, within a short day trip from Christchurch in Aotearoa New Zealand. An online survey using participants’ mobile devices at Kura Tāwhiti Castle Hill Rocks identified domestic tourists’ motivational, satisfaction and dissatisfaction factors, as associated with age and visit frequency at the destination. These factors were linked to site experiences, particularly being out in nature, that could be used to design future scenarios for similar nature-based settings in Aotearoa New Zealand. Four future scenarios using 2D photomontages were used to rank domestic visitor preferences for changing paths and tracks, fencing, signage, structures and people. The study found that the low-impact scenario with the least people was the most desirable. This high level of sensitivity of New Zealanders to change in outdoor recreational destinations suggests that nature-based settings must be designed and managed with considerable care to minimize the perception of over-crowding and the deterioration of the site experience, particularly for return visitors.

Sex Differences In Physical Activity And Sedentary Behaviors Between Traditional And Nature-based Pre-kindergarten Program Settings

Across all age groups, boys tend to engage in more physical activity (PA) than girls. Previous research has shown that the school setting may have a stronger influence on boys PA and sedentary behavior (SB) than girls, while it has also been suggested that as early as preschool, the school a child attends acts as a strong predictor of moderate- to vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA). PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare sex differences in Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) children’s PA and SB between a nature-based or traditional classroom setting. METHODS: 18 boys and 7 girls from one Pre-K program enrolled in this study. Data was collected using waist-worn accelerometers for 4 days (2h45min/day) across one week in the winter. Participants spent two days in a traditional classroom setting, and two days in a nature-based setting. Accelerometer data was analyzed using Butte (2014) cutpoints. Mann-Whitney U Tests were used to detect significant differences (p < 0.05) in PA and SB between boys and girls across school settings. RESULTS: Compared to a traditional setting, boys and girls averaged significantly more MVPA in a nature-based setting (Boys: 6.3 ± 6.3 minutes, p < .001; Girls: 5.8 ± 5.0 minutes, p < .001). The change in MVPA between educational settings was not significantly different between boys and girls (p = .790). In a nature-based setting boys spent significantly more time in moderate-intensity PA (MPA) than girls (Diff: 2.9 ± 1.2% of Wear Time [WT]; p = .047), averaging 20- and 17-minutes of MPA per class period, respectively. There were no significant differences in the PA or SB levels of boys and girls in the traditional classroom setting. CONCLUSIONS: Early education is a period during which children begin forming the PA habits they will follow through K-12 schooling and into adulthood. Therefore, any intervention which can promote higher levels of PA at this age should be explored. Boys and girls experienced similar benefits to PA when attending school in a nature-based compared to a traditional setting, therefore this pilot study suggests that educating children in a nature-based setting may promote greater levels of PA in both boys and girls. Due to the pilot nature of this study however, further research examining the potential factors that may explain the sex differences found in a nature-based setting is needed.

Experiences of outdoor nature-based therapeutic recreation programs for persons with a mental illness: a qualitative systematic review.

The objective of this review was to identify, appraise, and synthesize the best available evidence related to participation in outdoor nature-based therapeutic recreation programs for adults with a mental illness living in the community. Therapeutic recreation is posited to be beneficial for persons living with a mental illness. Research evidence indicates that therapeutic recreation programs can foster mental health recovery. It is important to understand the effectiveness of this from the perspective of persons living with mental illness how outdoor nature-based therapeutic recreation programs are meaningful and helpful for recovery. This review considered studies that collected qualitative data on the experiences and perspectives of adults with a mental illness regarding their participation in outdoor nature-based therapeutic recreation programs. The databases PsycINFO, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Informit, as well as unpublished sources in gray literature (Google Scholar, OpenGrey), were searched and reference lists were checked to locate any additional studies. Studies published in English were considered, with a date range from inception to 2019. Three reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality of the studies that met the inclusion criteria using the JBI critical appraisal approach for qualitative research. Data were extracted by one reviewer using the standardized qualitative extraction tool and checked for accuracy by three other reviewers. The qualitative research findings were pooled using JBI methodology. The JBI process of meta-aggregation was used to identify categories and synthesized findings, and a level of confidence was assigned to both synthesized findings. Eighteen papers met the inclusion criteria and were included in the data extraction phase. A total of 84 findings were extracted and aggregated into six categories based on similarity of meaning and two synthesized findings. The methodological quality of the studies varied, and the overall level of confidence of the synthesized findings was determined to be moderate. This review identified that persons living with mental illness perceive outdoor nature-based therapeutic recreation as enjoyable and that therapeutic recreation makes a positive contribution to mental health. Congruent with the literature, therapeutic recreation offers a socially inclusive and psychologically safe environment. The intentionally structured social milieu enhances the formation of social relationships and meaningful connections for persons with mental illness. Elements linked with psychological well-being, such as intrinsic motivation, overcoming perceived challenges, and finding purpose and meaning, are enhanced through participation in therapeutic recreation in outdoor nature-based settings. Increased levels of physical activity, greater self-esteem, and enhanced sense of identity were some of the perceived positive changes. This review provides important insights into the subjective needs of persons with mental illness who undertake therapeutic recreation in outdoor nature-based settings. The qualitative findings can inform health care providers, or those interested in therapeutic recreation programming, to use alongside quantitative evidence of effectiveness to design nature-based therapeutic recreation activities that are meaningful for persons with mental illness. Limitations of the research were that papers published in languages other than English were not searched, and papers not located may have influenced the findings of this review.

Physical Activity Contributions From An Outdoor Education Pre-kindergarten Program

Traditional educational practices may contribute to the overall decline in physical activity (PA) and increases in sedentary behaviors (SB) that have been documented as children age. Beginning early in children’s elementary education, unstructured activities, such as free play and outdoor time, are often replaced by activities that are more structured, teacher-led, indoors, and desk-based. Incorporating more outdoor learning opportunities into traditional educational practices may improve children’s PA profile. PURPOSE: The primary purpose of this study was to compare differences in Pre-Kindergarten children’s PA and SB between a nature-based or traditional classroom setting. METHODS: 26 children from one Pre-K program enrolled in this study. Data was collected using waist-mounted accelerometers worn for 8 days (2h45min/day) across two separate weeks in the winter and spring. During each four-day week, participants spent two days in a traditional classroom setting, and two days in a nature-based setting. Accelerometer data was analyzed using Butte (2013) cutpoints. One-tailed paired t-tests were used to detect significant differences (p<0.05) in PA and SB between settings. RESULTS: In a nature-based setting, significantly more time was spent in moderate- to vigorous-intensity PA during Unstructured (Diff: 8.0±9.9% of Wear Time [WT]; p<0.001) and Structured time (Diff: 1.4±2.9% WT; p=0.011). Significantly less time was spent in SB during Unstructured (Diff: -3.1±7.1% WT; p=0.017) and Structured time (-2.5±6.1% WT; p=0.023) in a nature-based setting. Significantly more time was spent outside (Diff: 35min; p<0.001) in a nature-based setting, however significantly less time (Diff: -2.9±3.0min; p<0.001) was allocated to Unstructured free play. There were no significant differences in the amount of time participants spent in Structured time (Diff: 1.4±7.9min; p=0.375) between class settings. CONCLUSION: Children engaged in significantly more PA and less SB while learning outdoors compared with indoor learning, despite less time being allocated to free play. Modifying educational practices to include outdoor education has the potential to increase the quantity of in-school PA children accumulate while simultaneously reducing SB.