Positive Psychology class 'bathes' in nature
Friday, April 10, 2026
photos provided by Susan Koons Slamka, associate professor of psychology
Students in the Positive Psychology class spend solitary time exploring a run in Rider Park and reflecting on the visual sensations associated with the moving water and the area surrounding it.
On April 6, students in Positive Psychology traveled to Rider Park for a class focused on mindful forest bathing. The activity was led by Beth Jones, a certified nature and forest therapy guide and director of Deep Green Journey.
Positive psychology is the scientific study of flourishing, peak performance and mental wellness.
Forest bathing – immersing oneself in the atmosphere of the forest – is one of many concepts and skills students learn in the class. It is connected to greater happiness, psychological well-being, and stress management, instructor Susan Koons Slamka, associate professor of psychology, explained.
Rider Park, an 867-acre nature preserve 20 minutes north of Penn College, features 14 miles of trails and is one of the area’s many resources for outdoor enrichment.
To end their forest-bathing experience, the class drinks hemlock tee while mindfully savoring the taste, scents and tactile components of the beverage provided by the same trees they stand under. From left are Kiersten L. Stabley, an information assurance and cyber security student from Jersey Shore; Raul A. Carbajal, of Williamsport (human services & restorative justice); Elias D. McFadden, of Alexandria (graphic design); Adison M. Maggs, of Williamsport (human services & restorative justice); Teagan J. Harzinski, of Curwensville (biomedical sciences); Eliza M. Newcomer, of Newell (human services & restorative justice); and Susan Koons Slamka, associate professor of psychology.