Theses and Dissertations
Advisor
Li, Chuo
Committee Member
Summerlin, Peter
Committee Member
McKinney, Cliff
Committee Member
Han, SaMin
Date of Degree
5-15-2026
Original embargo terms
Immediate Worldwide Access
Document Type
Graduate Thesis - Open Access
Major
Landscape Architecture
Degree Name
Master of Landscape Architecture (M.L.A.)
College
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Department
Department of Landscape Architecture
Abstract
The female experience with nature is unique (Nurse, G. A., Benfield, J., Bell, P. A., 2010). This provokes the question explored in this study: “What sensory interactions impact women’s mental well-being in nature-based therapy programs?” This study invited participants of nature-based retreats held at 4 Winds Farm in Glenwood Springs, Colorado or Summit Sisters at Cal-Wood Education Center in Jamestown, Colorado. Findings indicate that women’s positive emotions are significantly impacted by their sensory experiences. It also revealed a fascination with trees and the importance of tactile experiences. For landscape architects this brings about a new challenge in designing for the evocation of emotion through sensory engagement in all landscapes. This also excites the field of ecopsychology in confirming that place-based sensory experience is impactful to emotional processing.
Recommended Citation
Gaynes, Anah, "A woman’s wilderness: Fostering mental well-being through sensory stimulation in the outdoors" (2026). Theses and Dissertations. 6900.
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/6900
