Children in nature

-

Jan. 7, 2021

Louise Chawla, environmental psychologist and CEDaR fellow, recently completed a review that brings two bodies of research together: one on connecting children and adolescents with nature, and the second on supporting healthy coping when they realize they are part of a planet in peril. The review shows that when children and adolescents feel connected to nature, they are more likely to report good health and a sense of well-being, more likely to get high scores for creative thinking, and more inclined to show cooperative, helping behaviors. On the flip side, city families stuck indoors during COVID-19 reported mounting stress and deteriorating behavior in their children.

Heatherwood Elementary School children study the ecosystem and offer recommendations for nature discovery at the City of Boulder's Wood Brothers property

Growing Up Boulder, a CEDaR program, nationally recognized for finding innovative ways to bring children back to school safely during the pandemic

Nov. 13, 2020

GUB Director Mara Mintzer presented to the National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative, which supports schools and districts nationwide to develop outdoor spaces as cost-effective tools for keeping schools open during a pandemic.

Children sitting around a table.

Growing Up Boulder, a CEDaR program, featured in 'Britannica for Parents' podcast

Nov. 12, 2020

Early-childhood experts often like to say that a child’s environment is one of their most important teachers. But what can our built environments learn from children? In this "Raising Curious Learners" episode of "Britannica for Parents," Mara Mintzer, co-founder and director of Growing Up Boulder, discusses the importance of involving young people in the city planning process.

Sarah Kitchen holding a black cat and looking down at it.

Faces of ENVD: Sarah Kitchen, CEDaR intern

Oct. 22, 2020

"Her words, love of cats and endless memes, brings humor and light to the studio space."

Stefi Mitova

Stefi Mitova, CEDaR doctoral student affiliate, delivers PhD defense

Oct. 10, 2020

Doctoral student Stefi Mitova successfully defended her dissertation, “Integrating Electric Vehicles and Solar Photovoltaics into Smart Cities with Smart Charging and Storage: Energy, Economic, and Environmental Impact Analysis Using Systems Engineering Methods.”

Parents sit with their child in front of a tree.

CEDaR Fellow, Louise Chawla: Children heavily influenced by time in nature, social and emotional support

Oct. 9, 2020

Whether they’re dealing with smoke from wildfires, living through severe storms, or staying inside because of COVID-19, children are being forced to see the world differently in 2020. How they are learning and what they are learning about the world is quickly changing as many environmental and health threats occur simultaneously. Chawla was recently asked to write a comprehensive literature review for the British Ecological Society journal People and Nature, about how children connect with nature these days. CU Boulder Today caught up with Chawla to discuss her findings in the context of a year with many environmental challenges.

Two children walking in the woods

Childhood connection to nature has many benefits but is not universally positive, finds review

Aug. 10, 2020

A literature review by Louise Chawla, professor emerita at the University of Colorado Boulder and CEDaR fellow, finds that children are happier and more likely to protect the natural world when they have a greater connection to it, but this connection is complex and can also generate negative emotions linked to issues like climate change. The review was published in the British Ecological Society Journal People and Nature.

Children in nature

Louise Chawla, CEDaR fellow, receives SHIFT award

Aug. 7, 2020

Louise Chawla, professor emerita in the Program in Environmental Design and CEDaR fellow, received a 2020 SHIFT (Shaping How We Invest for Tomorrow) Award for Research for her investigations of connections between access to nature, children’s health and wellbeing, and childhood sources of lifelong care for the natural world.

Man looks at seating area and woman in the background sits in an area that looks like layers of geologic rock, providing a passive educational experience.

Student designs to be incorporated in Longmont's St. Stephen's Plaza

July 10, 2020

In a university-city partnership organized by CEDaR, the Longmont Downtown Development Authority plans to use designs created by CU Boulder ENVD students to help transform St. Stephen's Plaza on Main Street from a little-used space to a creative hub and gathering place.

Screen shot of the new manufactured housing website.

CEDaR develops resource website for residents of manufactured/mobile home communities

June 1, 2020

CU Boulder's Community Engagement, Design and Research Center (CEDaR) recently unveiled a website providing essential information that supports residents of Colorado mobile/manufactured home (MH) owners, including information useful during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pages