This paper examines the positive impact that spending time in the natural world has on students. In reviewing the history of environmental education in the United States, the importance of nature on human development, and the impact that journaling and reflective thought processes have in education, this capstone sought to expand upon the research and encourage using nature journals to affect children’s perceptions of the natural world and their place within it. While journaling can facilitate communication, self-expression and personal development, it is also a way to enhance learning by connecting background knowledge to new information, analyzing and synthesizing ideas and experiences before and after instruction occurs, and improving deductive and inductive reasoning skills. Using this technique to improve learning in an outdoor setting also produces the desired outcome of building connections between students and the natural world. This in turn empowers students to become good stewards of the planet and to know that they have a part to play in alleviating the harmful effects of our current climate crisis
