EcoWellness: Contextualizing Nature Connection in Traditional Clinical and Educational Settings to Foster Positive Childhood Outcomes

Social Responsibility Facilitates the Intergenerational Transmission of Attitudes Toward Green Purchasing in a Non-Western Country: Evidence from the Philippines

“…Our findings elucidated that social responsibility can be a cultural driver of environmental attitudes as Filipinos place a high premium on other people's welfare (Aruta et al, 2019(Aruta et al, , 2020(Aruta et al, , 2021. In terms of the educational context, schools should be identified as a channel that can amplify environmental awareness among the youth (Reese, 2018). Emphasizing environmentally relevant programs and activities to students can heighten their awareness and understanding of environmental issues and responsible environmental actions.…”

School Counselor Roles and Opportunities in Promoting EcoWellness: Integrating Nature Connection in K–12 Settings

“…Thus, by appealing to their students' five senses through the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touch experienced in a nature walk in the outdoor classroom, school counselors may promote executive functioning, integrated learning, and active engagement in coursework (Learning Strategies 8). Engaging the five senses through nature contact in the school garden can also contribute to regulating students' autonomic nervous system and mitigating their stress responses (Annerstedt et al, 2013), which may be particularly helpful for students presenting with chronic stress and trauma (Reese, 2018b). Today's students would benefit from honing such adaptive self-regulation and coping mechanisms as a preventive measure in response to the growing suicide rate and opioid and juuling epidemics.…”

“…In doing so, we recommend that school counselors consider multilevel assessment through application of the ecological model of school counseling (McMahon et al, 2014) when determining the overall nature-based needs of students and when evaluating the subsequent impacts of the outdoor classroom at the various ecological levels. Reese (2018; 2018b) recommended developing a schoolwide needs assessment in initially determining the EcoWellness-based needs of the community and identifying whether specific populations might benefit more from nature access at school. School counselors can survey students, families, teachers, administrators, and community members about the extent to which nature contact is incorporated at school and perceived strengths and deficits in current nature contact and identify whether an outdoor classroom could benefit some or all students.…”

Connection with Nature in children’s reference adults

“…In the school environment, experiences with and in nature are also associated with better reading skills among children in primary education (HODSON; SANDER, 2017), with greater engagement at school (REESE, 2018;MATSUOKA, 2010) and with the manifestation of pro-social behaviors (WHITTEN et al, 2018) and pro-environmental behaviors, as well as helping children to identify their impact on the natural world and to be willing to take environmental care actions (SAN JOSE; NELSON, 2017). Daily contact with natural areas -whether at home or at school -intensifies children's resilience in the face of stressful events (COLLADO; CORRALIZA, 2015;COLLADO, 2011).…”