“When I lose myself in thought, I can use the nature around me to pull me back into the present moment.” - Development and Validation of a Mindful Engagement in Nature Scale (MEINS)

Mindfulness is crucial for the human-nature relationship. It increases nature connectedness, well-being, and pro-environmental behaviour, especially when mindful awareness is experienced in nature. To investigate how mindful engagement in nature can strengthen human and planetary well-being, research needs to focus on this specific intersection, using appropriate tools. This paper presents the fully pre-registered development and validation of a new self-report survey scale that assesses nature-specific mindfulness. An item pool of 74 items was created through a systematic literature review and the first round of a mixed-method expert Delphi study. In rounds two and three of the Delphi study, the item pool was reduced to 47 items based on content validity. After two pre-tests, the 47 items were administered, reduced, and evaluated using data from two online surveys presented to the same sample one month apart ( N t1 = 350, N t2 = 306). The resulting 15-item mindful engagement in nature scale (MEINS) showed high internal and test-retest reliability, as well as discriminant validity to nature connectedness and general mindfulness. The MEINS was correlated with nature connectedness, mindfulness, well-being, and time spent in nature. Three sub-facets emerged during development: “Mind & Body in Nature”, “Noticing Nature”, and “Interbeing with Nature”. High factor correlations and an EFA and CFA with data from a different sample ( N = 447), however, suggest unidimensionality. Results and theoretical underpinnings support the MEINS as an appropriate tool to deepen scientific understanding of the interconnections between nature and mindfulness.