Digital Commons Network^™

Wind Farm Development: An Analysis Of Factors Influencing Residents’ Perceptions And Support Of Wind Turbines, Theresa Groth

National Environment and Recreation Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Attitudes Of Park Visitors Toward Wildlife And Black Bear Management: A Case Study Of Big South Fork National River And Recreation Area, Hungling (Stella) Liu, Michael J. Bradley, Ryan L. Sharp

National Environment and Recreation Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Maple Producers Perception Of Climate Change, Thomas Sharkey, Diane M. Kuehn, Lisa Chase

National Environment and Recreation Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Setting The Record Straight: The Practical Realities Of Self-Sufficiency In State Parks Management, Kc Bloom

National Environment and Recreation Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

The Greening Of Marshall University: Examining The Effects Of Campus Conservation Projects On The Student Experience, David Graefe, Amanda Williams

National Environment and Recreation Research Symposium

Conservation and sustainability have become increasingly important issues in an era of rapid human development and environmental change. As beacons of wisdom and progress, universities serve as important places where people can learn, both formally and informally, about important and emerging contemporary issues. Thus, it is not surprising that many universities have been overtly increasing their efforts to conserve the environment and operate in as sustainable a manner as possible. Marshall University (MU) has undertaken many projects to promote informal education focused on conservation and sustainability over the past several years. Some of these projects include the creation of a …

Measuring Self-Reported Fidelity In Experiential Education: Exploring The Effectiveness Of The Facilitator Characteristics And Program Contributions Scale, Ryan J. Gagnon, Barry A. Garst, Garrett A. Stone

National Environment and Recreation Research Symposium

Social science researchers have called for evidenced based practices when implementing, delivering, and evaluating programs. One important component of these practices is to monitor program implementation. However, in experiential education and more broadly the social sciences this process is rarely assessed or evaluated; when it is assessed it is frequently resource intensive. As such, program providers have needed an implementation measurement approach more conducive to low-resource organizations. This paper introduces a self-report mechanism to measure facilitator characteristics that contribute to delivering a program as designed. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of 121 program facilitator responses to the Facilitator Characteristics and Program …

Manager And Visitor Perceptions Of Public Recreation Land Management, Rick Gage

National Environment and Recreation Research Symposium

This paper presents the results of semi-structured interviews with key informants representing both users and managers of a public recreation area in West Virginia investigating perceptions of visitor and manager goals and objectives, and their relationship to user-manager recreation conflict. Preliminary analysis indicates that management goals are not as diverse as expected and there seems to be a much stronger emphasis on development and visitor satisfaction than protection of natural resources. Further, it appears to be the case that both visitors and managers experience and can identify user-manager conflict at this recreation area. Results of these interviews will be used …

Homelessness And Long-Term Occupancy In National Forests And Grasslands, Joshua W.R. Baur Dr., Lee Cerveny, Joanne F. Tynon

National Environment and Recreation Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

An Exploratory Study On The Meanings Of A Local Fair From The Perspectives Of Locals, Alvin Hungchih Yu, I-Yin Yen

National Environment and Recreation Research Symposium

Abstract

Many festivals originated with community celebrations. Through festivals, their ethnic, historical, religious piety, community pride, culture preservation, social cohesiveness and reconciliation are embodied. The significance of the economic contribution from festivals or special events has been well documented in the past two decades; thus, festival/special event creation is now treated as a strategy for tangible economic development. In addition, research focused exclusively on the relationship between patrons’ perceptions of festivals/special events and economic benefits overwhelmingly dominates this field. Indeed, it is essential to understand the meanings of festivals from the patron’s standpoints since their perceptions are associated with the …

An Examination Of The Overlapping Constraints For Maine Residents Participating In Outdoor Recreation Activities And Visiting Maine's State Parks, Matt D. Scaccia

National Environment and Recreation Research Symposium

Abstract

The State of Maine is known to have a population of residents that are highly active in outdoor recreation activities and regularly visit Maine’s State Parks. Even though residents’ overall constraints to participating in outdoor recreation in Maine were found to be relatively low, a considerable portion of the population experiences significant barriers for participating in recreational activities while other analogous factors further constrain these residents from visiting Maine State Parks. For this study, a survey was conducted with a sample of Maine residents who were each asked to indicate the factors that limit their pursuit of outdoor recreational …

Competition Climbing As Serious Leisure, Ryan J. Gagnon, Garrett A. Stone, Barry A. Garst

National Environment and Recreation Research Symposium

Serious Leisure has received considerable attention in the leisure research for the past forty years. Building on recent efforts to operationalize serious leisure constructs, this study examined the relationship between serious leisure characteristics and rewards in the context of indoor competition climbing, a sport recognized as a potential serious leisure pursuit. The purposes of the study were to validate the 18-item Serious Leisure Inventory Measure (SLIM) as well as the three-factor model of serious leisure proposed by previous researchers. A national sample of 646 indoor competition climbers completed a 59-item survey. Results suggest partial validation of the 18-Item SLIM and …

Developing A Measurement Protocol For The Tourism Opportunity Spectrum, Joshua Carroll Ph.D.

National Environment and Recreation Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Visitor Motivations For Technology Escape In Wisconsin's Largest State Forest, Laura Anderson Mcintyre, Melissa Baker

National Environment and Recreation Research Symposium

Outdoor recreation managers are increasingly challenged with determining whether and how to provide opportunities for technology use in forests and parks. Decisions can be informed, in part, by better understanding visitor motivations regarding technology. To this end, four new “technology escape” motivation items were developed and measured in a survey of visitors to Northern Highland – American Legion State Forest. Visitors completed 815 surveys in summer 2013 (response rate = 90%). The four motivation items were grouped together into a single escape technology domain. Overall, NHAL visitors placed moderate importance on this motivation. Small differences in technology escape were found …