“Nature from My Perspective”: Leveraging Participatory Mental Modeling to Understand the Well-Being Impacts of Outdoor Retreats for Black Men

Abstract

Immersion in natural environments supports health and well-being; yet, research in this domain often does not adequately reflect the experiences of diverse communities. Given the ways in which individuals’ identities and cultural backgrounds influence human–nature relationships, it is imperative to explore and document these dynamics. This study furthers this aim by amplifying the nature-based perspectives of Black men in the United States who completed a multiday outdoor retreat program led by the nonprofit organization Boyz N The Wood. This collaborative study uses a participatory mental modeling approach to ascertain the types of impacts the retreat had on participants and which activities and broader characteristics of the program facilitated those impacts. Thematic analysis of 19 mental modeling interviews revealed six impact types and three nature-based activity categories that gave rise to the identified impacts. We also identified a series of enabling and constraining characteristics that influenced the extent to which exposure to nature might influence the health and well-being of participants. We discuss these findings in depth and share the implications for both research and practice in the field of nature, health, and well-being.