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Dr. Swim strives to build on our better nature for nature — working with existing desires to live on a healthy planet, empowering people to be able to change, and developing hope, empathy, and curiosity to facilitate change. She uses experimental and survey research to examine the psychological underpinnings of people’s willingness to engage in personal and collective pro-environmental actions and support policies that affect natural processes and, by extension, all life. The underpinnings she studies include: 1) different ways people value nature, 2) the complexity of thoughts and emotions about the interface between human actions and natural processes, and 3) anticipated social, economic, and environmental consequences of and emotions about ecological problems and solutions. She works in collaborative, interdisciplinary teams composed of natural scientists, social scientists, artists, and educators. This work includes testing and using science communication strategies to increase awareness of human impacts on natural systems and highlight meaningful (eudemonic) experiences in personal encounters with nature to connect people with science.