Authors: Reagan Wexels, Lauren Davis, Mason Peterson, Oliver Swanson, Rebekah Story, Julie Johnson Pynn, .
Mentors: Julie Johnson Pynn
Insitution: Southern Utah University
Environmental identity may affect an individual's pro-environmental behaviors, along with their association with the world around them (Clayton et al., 2021.) This concept demonstrates how people act according to their personality and values in relation to the natural world (Wesolek, 2020.)The degree of connection that an individual feels can be measured by the Connectedness to Nature Scale (Mayer et al., 2004.) The purpose of this study is to better understand the effect of Peter Kahn’s technological nature (2011) on people's connection to nature. We hypothesize that mindfulness meditation, which utilizes technological nature, will increase the connection to nature experienced by the participants in comparison to wilderness survival instruction utilizing technological nature. Research has established a link between mindfulness and an individual's connection to nature (Adventure-Heart et al., 2017.) Results will be forthcoming. The proposed study is important, because many people feel less connected to nature than ever. Understanding how to reconnect with the environment will allow greater access to the benefits of doing so.