We believe in health and healing in nature and art.
Penn State's Nature and Art Rx program seeks to connect students, faculty, and staff with nature, art, and culture to improve community mental and physical well-being. We aim to do so by providing awareness of opportunities to engage in artistic and natural spaces and by improving individual access to and comfort in these spaces.
By partnering with Counseling and Psychological Services and University Health Services, students can expect to receive recommendations to connect with nature and art as part of a holistic approach to supporting well-being.
About Nature and Art Rx
Nature and Art Rx is a partnership between Student Affairs, Penn State Outreach, and the College of Arts and Architecture.
- Student Affairs is represented by staff from Campus Recreation, Counseling and Psychological Services, Health Promotion and Wellness, Student Arts Engagement, the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Student Farm, University Health Services
- College of Arts and Architecture is represented by staff from The Palmer Art Museum
- Penn State Outreach is represented by staff from The Arboretum at Penn State and Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center
Featured Locations at University Park
The University Park campus offers many other opportunities to experience the physical and mental health benefits of art and nature. Explore the links below to learn more about:
Upcoming Events to Explore
Resources for Growth
Continue your journey in discovering the benefits of art and nature and how they can impact your health and well-being. Campus resources are a great place to get started and our staff are here to guide you.
- Visit the Flourish Penn State space in 102 HUB
- Utilize the hammock groves in East and South halls
- Find meditation spaces in Health Promotion and Wellness, Boucke Building and the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center
- Get creative with a Mindful Making toolkit
Local Resources
The Centre county region is home to a variety of outdoor and cultural experiences that support health and well-being.
National Resources
Below are links to sites that support the connection between nature, art and health and well-being.
Supporting Research
Research shows that engaging with nature and art can reduce stress, enhance creativity, and improve overall mental health. Our Nature and Art Rx program combines these proven benefits, offering students a unique way to recharge and thrive.
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- Campus Nature Rx: How investing in nature interventions benefits college students
Rakow D, Ibes D
Front Psychol. 2022 Jul 25;13 - Measuring the public & economic value of art museum experiences
Falk J, Claudio N, Meier D, Koke J
Institute for Learning Innovation 2023 Mar 5 - The Relationship Between Nature Connectedness and Eudaimonic Well-Being: A Meta-analysis
Pritchard, A., Richardson, M., Sheffield, D.
J Happiness Stud 2019 Apr 30; 21 - Can a brief interaction with online, digital art improve wellbeing? A comparative study of the impact of online art and culture presentations on mood, state-anxiety, subjective wellbeing, and loneliness
Trupp M, Bignardi G, Chana K, Specker E, Pelowski M
Front Psychol 2022 Jun 20;13
- Campus Nature Rx: How investing in nature interventions benefits college students
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- A pilot study on the potential for formalized nature-based instruction to mitigate stress and increase social bonds in university students
Kiers A, Rakow D, Parker S, Dewa C
J Am Coll Health. 2023 Jul;71(5):1596-1603 Effects of forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) on levels of cortisol as a stress biomarker: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Antonelli M, Barbieri G, Donelli D
Int. J. Biometeorol. 2019 Aug;63(8):1117–1134- Levels of Nature and Stress Response
Ewert A, Chang Y.
Behav Sci (Basel). 2018 May 17;8(5):49. - Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation.
Bratman G, Hamilton J, Hahn K, Daily G, Gross J
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2015 Jul 14;112(28):8567–8572 - The impacts of nature experience on human cognitive function and mental health
Bratman G, Hamilton J, Daily G
Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 2012 Feb:1249:118–136 - The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature
Berman M, Jonides J, Kaplan S
Psychol. Sci. 2008 Dec;19(12):1207–2012 Nature walks versus medication: A pre-registered randomized-controlled trial in children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Stevenson M, McEwan J, Bentsen P, Schilhab T, Glue P, Trani P, Wheeler B, Healey D.
Journal of Environmental Psychology. 2021 Oct;77
- A pilot study on the potential for formalized nature-based instruction to mitigate stress and increase social bonds in university students
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- The influence of natural environments on creativity
Yeh CW, Hung SH, Chang CY.
Front Psychiatry. 2022 Jul 27;13:895213. - Creativity in the Wild: Improving Creative Reasoning through Immersion in Natural Settings
Atchley RA, Strayer DL, Atchley P.
PLoS One. 2012;7(12):e51474. - Effects of nature virtual backgrounds on creativity during videoconferencing
Palanica A, Fossat Y
Thinking Skills and Creativity. 2022 Mar;43
- The influence of natural environments on creativity
Penn State's Acknowledgement of Land
The Pennsylvania State University campuses are located on the original homelands of the Erie, Haudenosaunee (Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tuscarora), Lenape (Delaware Nation, Delaware Tribe, Stockbridge-Munsee), Monongahela, Shawnee (Absentee, Eastern, and Oklahoma), Susquehannock, and Wahzhazhe (Osage) Nations. As a land grant institution, we acknowledge and honor the traditional caretakers of these lands and strive to understand and model their responsible stewardship. We also acknowledge the longer history of these lands and our place in that history.