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Full-Text Articles in Environmental Studies

Beyond Dystopia: The Effect Of Reading Hopeful Climate Fiction On Climate Anxiety And Environmental Self-Efficacy, Brandon Mcwilliams Jan 2024

Beyond Dystopia: The Effect Of Reading Hopeful Climate Fiction On Climate Anxiety And Environmental Self-Efficacy, Brandon Mcwilliams

WWU Graduate School Collection

Climate communication and climate storytelling have thus far been unrelentingly bleak. However, growing evidence suggests that the barrage of negative, technical communication may result in negative mental health impacts and doesn’t necessarily translate into climate action. Rather than continuing to focus on technical and fear-based communication, there are calls to shifts towards narrative communication and hopeful communication frames. In this study, I investigate what effect hopeful climate fiction has on readers through three related avenues of inquiry using the popular solarpunk novella A Psalm for the Wild Built as an experimental text. I examined (1) what effect, if any, the …


Forest Bathing Increases Adolescent Mental Well-Being And Connection To Nature: A Transformative Mixed Methods Study, Jennifer Keller Jan 2023

Forest Bathing Increases Adolescent Mental Well-Being And Connection To Nature: A Transformative Mixed Methods Study, Jennifer Keller

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Previous research has demonstrated that practicing forest bathing has significant positive effects on well-being. However, few studies have investigated whether forest bathing increases adolescent well-being despite the growing adolescent mental health crisis in the United States. Similarly, few studies have explored forest bathing’s impacts on connectedness to nature. Considering the ongoing environmental crisis, determining if forest bathing increases connectedness to nature is a critical expansion of forest bathing research, as connectedness to nature is linked to environmental care and concern. This study investigated the possibility that forest bathing, a nature-based mindfulness practice, could increase adolescent mental well-being and connectedness to …


Diving To New Depths: An Exploration Of Aquarium Visitors' Reflection At A Shark Exhibit, Nicole Leigh Conklin Jan 2023

Diving To New Depths: An Exploration Of Aquarium Visitors' Reflection At A Shark Exhibit, Nicole Leigh Conklin

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Zoos and aquariums (Z/As) are conservation-oriented free-choice learning institutions. In order to support their mission of advancing wildlife conservation, Z/As deliberately design opportunities and experiences to meaningfully engage visitors in understanding, caring for, and acting on behalf of exhibited species. Conservation psychologists and practitioners have applied values-based and models of human behavior to design and evaluate experiences aimed to influence myriad cognitive, affective, and behavioral outcomes. However, there is little research exploring the role of and opportunity for reflection within these institutions. Models of reflection and reflective practice, which are rooted in both theory and empirical data, stress the importance …


Risk Perceptions Of Metallic Mineral Mining In Maine, Andrew Morgan Dec 2017

Risk Perceptions Of Metallic Mineral Mining In Maine, Andrew Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As society’s need for metals increases more mining locations will likely be sought. Maine contains 10 known significant metal deposits but there are currently no active metal mines. Interest in developing one of these deposits prompted legislative changes to the metallic mineral mining (MMM) law and rules to be pursued. Social license to operate (SLO) or the acceptance of mining activities by communities plays an increasing role in the siting and profitability of mining activities. This study broadens the application of SLO to the context of a statewide policy debate. Appropriate policy development for MMM needs to consider the views …


An Exploration Of Digital Sketch Mapping, Interview And Qualitative Analysis To Document A Therapeutic Landscape In Whatcom County, George Edward Juszynski Jan 2017

An Exploration Of Digital Sketch Mapping, Interview And Qualitative Analysis To Document A Therapeutic Landscape In Whatcom County, George Edward Juszynski

WWU Graduate School Collection

Recent literature cites interest toward utilizing new technologies to unify methods within geography. One area showing promise towards fulfilling this goal is qualitative GIS (QGIS), which combines the methods of social/cultural and spatial/analytical geographers. QGIS research combines sketch maps with GIS and qualitative research methods to uncover “hidden geographies” found within the individual geo-narratives of individuals and within groups of individuals. This thesis explores the merits of using newly developed technology for digital sketch maps acquisition, computer assisted qualitative data analysis (CAQDAS) and qualitative geographic information system (QGIS) analysis for the discovery of “hidden geographies”. The case study demonstrates the …