August 20, 2025
New UW research reveals mental benefits of nature for Girl Scouts
University of Washington researchers discovered that Girl Scouts who physically engage with nature develop stronger feelings of presence and connection compared to those who only observed nature visually. Published in the Journal of Environmental Education, the study analyzed responses from 127 Girl Scouts aged 8-11 about meaningful nature experiences.
Study co-author Carly Gray explains in a recent interview that children describing embodied activities like “building a snowman” or “jumping in puddles” reported greater presence in nature than those limited to watching or looking. These findings support the recommendation that educators incorporate multisensory activities, such as smelling flowers during ecology lessons or listening to nature sounds for writing exercises, for deepening students’ environmental connections.