CoursesNature RX
EDUC 2500

Nature RX

This course is designed to introduce students to an emerging field, one that explores the connections between nature and human health. A growing body of literature suggests that exposure to natural settings supports human health in a variety of ways. The healing powers of nature appear to be demonstrable scientifically, with research studies spanning various aspects of social, mental, and physical health. The course also invites students to consider the ways in which humans can contribute to the healing of ecosystems. Contemplative practices (e.g., meditation, journaling) will be woven throughout. The course will be linked to the Nature Rx@Penn Program, with opportunities for active and experiential learning.

 

Instructor(s)
  • Elizabeth Mackenzie
  • Elizabeth Mackenzie
Semester

Fall 2023

Register
Wednesday, 3:30 PM – 6:29 PM

The course is conceived as having three main components: 1) conventional didactic learning; 2) contemplative pedagogy; 3) learning through dialog and action. The didactic portion of the course will cover the literature on nature and human health, biophilia, ecological literacy, and ecological sustainability. These are distinct but overlapping areas of academic study important to build knowledge. Secondly, students will be invited to deepen their comprehension with contemplative practices designed to invite reflection on our relationship with nature. Such practices include walking meditations in nature, contemplative journaling, mindful photography (using smart phones), and similar experiences designed to allow students to cultivate present moment awareness in natural settings. Finally, a good portion of the course will be devoted to small group dialog grounded in the principles of mindful communication (especially active listening). Students will be invited to share their insights regarding humankind’s relationship to nature, the campus’ relationship to local ecosystems, environmental justice issues raised in the literature or their own experience, and large issues facing us today, such as how best to address and communicate about the climate crisis. These will be coupled with active-learning opportunities at the Penn Farm and elsewhere. These community-building experiences will help students perceive the interconnections we often overlook: our connections to the natural world, to our inner life, and to one another.

Related Content

Other Courses of Interest

WRIT 0021/307

Critical Writing: Organizing for Social Justice

Instructor(s)

  • Dilshanie Perera

Semester

Fall 2026

During times that seem politically bleak, you might ask: how is it possible to create lasting social change? What does it mean to organize? What can justice look like in practice? This course examines how change is created incrementally, in the everyday, and in response to structures of oppression, and how it is possible to renew the power of the collective and of the imagination. We will read Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba’s Let This Radicalize You: Organizing and the Revolution of Reciprocal Care to examine how organizers enact the hard work of transformative social and political change. Through theoretical, historical, ethnographic, and practical examples, students will gain an understanding of political mobilization and movement building across different contexts. Student research will focus on contemporary movements for justice, articulating their analyses for different audiences through their white paper and op-ed projects.

Learn More
WRIT 0021/302

Critical Writing: Minds in the Wild

Instructor(s)

  • Nora Bradford

Semester

Fall 2026

How smart are you? How smart is your dog? We often measure intelligence by human standards – testing parrots on their ability to name shapes or timing dogs while they solve puzzles. Through this course, we’ll flip the script and put ourselves in animals’ shoes. We’ll mainly read Ed Yong’s recent book examining what various animals actually take in through their senses. Students may focus their research on the sensing, cognition, or communication of a specific species, or on the adoption of new tools, like AI, for improving our understanding of animals. Writing assignments will focus on articulating the recent findings, as well as gaps, within animal intelligence research.

Learn More