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Chrystal Dunker, Ph.D., is a 2025 graduate of the Ph.D. Program in Environmental Studies and Sustainability at Antioch University, New England

Dr. Chrystal L. Dunker

Dissertation Committee:

  • Jean Kayira, PhD, Committee Chair
  • Elizabeth McCann, PhD , Committee Member
  • Peter Kahn, Jr., PhD, Committee Member

Keywords

human-nature interaction patterns, adolescence, resilience, coping, group home, Interaction Pattern Approach, photovoice, nature language

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2025

Abstract

Adolescents with histories of trauma often experience disruptions to their emotional, social, and behavioral development. For those living in group home settings, supportive environments can play a key role in fostering healing and resilience. While nature interaction is increasingly recognized as a valuable way to support mental health and resilience, little research has explored its role in these settings. This study introduces an innovative methodology—the Interaction Pattern Approach (IPA)—to examine the role of nature interaction in coping and resilience for 12 adolescents with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) living in a youth group home. In this design, IPA integrates photovoice data with 22 months of participant-observation, employing a structured coding system to analyze meaningful adolescent-nature interactions. The analysis identified 62 distinct Level 3 Interaction Patterns (e.g., “experiencing periodicity of nature,” “seeing wildlife,” “seeking connection with animals”) that characterized how participants engaged with nature. These patterns were grouped into 7 Coping and Resilience Domains (e.g., self-regulation, autonomy, transcendence), each comprising numerous strengths (e.g., emotional regulation, perseverance, gratitude). The findings provide a foundation for developing a “nature language” that emphasizes the ontogenetic and phylogenetic significance of nature interactions. By demonstrating the diverse ways in which nature fosters coping and resilience, this study highlights the importance of prioritizing nature-based interventions in youth group homes and underscores nature’s unique potential to support vulnerable populations. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Comments

ORCID No.: 0000-0003-4998-156X

Dr. Chrystal L. Dunker

Bio:

Chrystal Dunker, PhD (she/her), has dedicated over twenty years to environmental education and outdoor learning, including service as the executive director of a regional non-profit environmental and outdoor education center in southern Minnesota. As an adjunct professor, she has fostered a deep commitment to experiential education, working with learners across all age groups and providing professional development for both formal and informal educators.

Drawing from ecopsychology and ecological psychology, Chrystal’s dissertation research explored the vital connection between human wellbeing and nature, with particular emphasis on young people placed at-risk for social, emotional, and developmental impairments. Her work examined how relationships with the more-than-human world contribute to coping and resilience through direct human-nature interaction. At the completion of her PhD, Chrystal continued in her role serving as managing editor of the peer-reviewed journal Ecopsychology along with finalizing a co-edited volume curating international perspectives on the unmooring of human-nature relationships through eco-psychological experiences in our changing world (expected publication late 2025).

Chrystal remains affiliated with the Human Interaction with Nature and Technological Systems (HINTS) Lab at the University of Washington, Seattle, under Dr. Peter Kahn, Jr. Her dissertation research extends Dr. Kahn's pioneering work on human-nature interaction patterns and nature language. Chrystal’s research applied an Interaction Pattern Approach to the study coping and resilience in adolescents with trauma-informed backgrounds living in a permanent youth group home. She continues to advance this work through writing projects including further development of nature language detailing human-nature interaction patterns; illuminating the developmental and evolutionary significance of our relationships with the rest of nature —particularly crucial given the declining experiences between children and nature.

Chrystal holds a PhD from Antioch University, complemented by two Master of Science degrees: Environmental Studies from Antioch University and Natural Resources Public Information and Education from the University of Idaho. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Resources at the University of Idaho and holds a Graduate Certificate in Ecopsychology from Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling (Oregon). She presented at regional educational conferences, speaking on outdoor teaching strategies and techniques, hands-on approaches using science and arts-based methods in school curriculum to improve environmental literacy, and topics focusing on diverse wildlife species and their ecosystems for environmental awareness and conservation understanding. She can be contacted through her permanent email address: chrystaldunkerphd@gmail.com.

Select Publications:

Dunker, C. L., Gray, C. E., & Kahn, P. H., Jr. (2025). Coding Manual for Adolescent-Nature Interactions at a Youth Group Home [Technical report]. University of Washington. https://hdl.handle.net/1773/52888

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