Exploring Connection to Place Through Visiting a Redwood Forest

This study asked if participating in a discussion prompting both connection to nature and action would change how a person reacted to that place. Based on survey responses, I evaluated the types of climate change effects participants believe will affect the California redwoods. All participants who visited the park could use provided signage and offerings and half were also given a set of discussion prompts to use with their companions. Through both quantitative and qualitative analysis, I determined that visitors to Muir Woods, a California state park with old growth redwood trees, overwhelmingly believe that climate change is affecting California’s coastal redwoods. However, those who had access to the set of discussion cards were more likely to give reasons reflected on the cards when asked what types of climate change would most affect the forest. For example, they were more likely to provide fog as a change that would affect the forest as it was prompted on one of the cards. It is important to consider how prompts might influence answers to survey questions when setting up this type of research.

I will build a syllabus for a course to be offered through Stanford Continuing Studies. This course will engage the public towards developing their own sense of place in the California Bay Area and specifically around Stanford University. We will include field trips to two places on Stanford campus (the O’Donahue Family Farm and the Jasper Ridge Biological Field Station) and three places off-campus (the Baylands, the redwood forest, and likely a grassland ecosystem). Results from this research will influence the types of interactions we plan for the syllabus and when teaching the course. I would also like to include a connection to storytelling or personal experience in the course, which will most likely come from a practice of nature journaling. I want to ensure that I am asking prompts that will encourage a connection to nature and place.