Virtual Reality and Nature (VRN) Lab

Clemson University’s Virtual Reality and Nature Lab (VRN) blends cutting-edge technology with interdisciplinary research to explore how people connect with the natural world. Our work spans immersive virtual experiences, environmental education, and nature-based health interventions. Additionally, we design educational tools that promote environmental stewardship and disaster preparedness; we also collaborate with researchers, healthcare providers, and community organizations to expand access to nature’s benefits.

Program Goals

• Foster emotional, psychological, and physical well-being through immersive and personalized virtual nature experiences, especially considering individuals who cannot easily visit outdoor spaces.
• Design educational tools and interactive simulations that promote environmental stewardship and responsible engagement with the natural world.
• Train undergraduate and graduate students in cutting-edge research and technology applications related to nature, technology, and human health.
• Advance interdisciplinary research on human–nature interactions, combining insights from psychology, recreation, health, environmental science, and technology.
• Expand public awareness and messaging on the value of both real and virtual nature experiences through outreach, media engagement, and community partnerships.

Recognition and Future Plans
The VRN Lab’s projects have been featured in national media, including The Washington Post and the NPR podcast “Defining Moments”, and recognized for their innovation in health, education, and environmental engagement. We are planning to expand our 360-degree video library to create more personalized experiences, launch VR simulations for disaster preparedness, and continue to build community partnerships to ensure our tools reach those who need them most. 

Contact Olivia McAnirlin, Co-Director of the VRN nature@clemson.edu Virtual Reality and Nature Lab

Populations Served
The VRN lab serves a wide range of people, as we recognize nature is a necessity, not a luxury for everyone—from hospice and palliative care patients and outdoor enthusiasts to communities preparing for environmental challenges. Through partnerships with caregivers, educators, researchers, and community organizations, we work to ensure that the benefits of nature and the tools to understand and protect it are available to everyone.

Services Offered
We create and share immersive virtual nature experiences, conduct research on human–nature connections, and design VR simulations for a variety of outcomes such as education and disaster preparedness.

Staff Composition
The VRN is co-directed by Drs. Olivia McAnirlin and Matthew Browning. We currently have four research associates in the process of earning their PhD, as well as a team of eight high school and undergraduate interns who support the VRN through assisting with research, social media, or other public facing outlets. Additionally, we have a robust team of volunteer lab affiliates and collaborators who are professionals in their respective field, faculty members, and graduate students at higher education institutions within the U.S. and abroad. We boast a network of over 100 collaborators, with many of them as affiliates who play important roles in at least one, if not more, VRN-led research or outreach projects each year. 

If you are interested in research opportunities with the VRN’s affiliate program, please reach out at nature@clemson.edu. Please note that while we cannot financially compensate for VRN affiliate positions, we do offer authorship and other contributions for your involvement in research and outreach endeavors.

Sample of Key Initiatives

Nature Unbound
Dollars Grow On Trees
Tandem VR