Winter-Nature Interactions Elicit Positive Sentiments in Urban Millennials: A Cross-Cultural Analysis in Minneapolis-St. Paul, USA, and Stuttgart, Germany

Interactions with nature are critical to our well-being and in the development of nature connectedness to subsequently promote proenvironmental behaviors and develop stewardship values. Despite the significant amount of research conducted on human-nature experiences, rarely is this study focused on the winter season. This study aimed to understand common elements of winter experiences, the overall sentiment of experiences, and how experiences differed according to stage of life (i.e., childhood versus adulthood). Narratives were collected during winter 2021/2022 from millennials in two locations (Minneapolis-St. Paul, United States and Stuttgart, Germany) about their notable outdoor winter experiences, both as children and adults. Thematic analysis identified four main themes: winter activities, socializing in winter, natural elements, and nature. Narratives were broadly positive across both times of life (childhood and adulthood), as well as across geographic regions. These results are important for the development of winter-focused interventions to enhance engagement with and connection to nature in the winter season to promote well-being and stimulate interest in ecoconscious efforts.