Leisure Studies Commons^™

The Relationship Between Leadership Style And Group Cohesion In Outdoor Education, Matthew B. Albert

Research in Outdoor Education

This article reports results of a study that investigated the relationship between leadership style and group cohesion in outdoor education. Two surveys were used with 359 participants, aged 13-15, who participated in a 4-day canoe trip on the Lower Colorado River. Results showed a statistically significant correlation between leadership and group cohesion, suggesting that (a) an understanding of a variety of leadership styles gives leaders the ability to shift their style according to each situation, (b) it is important for leaders to think about when to use different leadership styles, (c) awareness will make for more effective leaders, (d) leaders …

Using Redundant Primer Sets To Detect Multiple Native Alaskan Fish Species From Environmental Dna, Damian Menning, Trey Simmons, Sandra Talbot

United States National Park Service: Publications

Accurate and timely data regarding freshwater fish communities is important for informed decision-making by local, state, tribal, and federal land and resource managers; however, conducting traditional gear-based fish surveys can be an expensive and time-consuming process, particularly in remote areas, like those that characterize much of Alaska. To help address this challenge, we developed and tested five multi-species environmental DNA (eDNA) primer sets for the simultaneous detection of up to 37 target fish species in a single sample. Using these primer sets can reduce the cost and time needed to perform future studies of fish communities. Our results comparing multiple …

Niobrara National Scenic River, Socioeconomic Monitoring Pilot Implementation, Summer 2016, Resource Systems Group

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

This report describes the results of a visitor study at Niobrara National Scenic River (NSR) conducted from July 15 through July 24, 2016. During the sampling period, 253 visitor groups were contacted to participate in the survey. Of those groups, 217 agreed to participate in the study by accepting a mail-back survey packet. Questionnaires were completed and returned by 110 visitor groups, resulting in a completion rate of 51% among those visitor groups that agreed to participate in the study and an overall response rate of 43% for the study.

 This report profiles a systematic random sample …

Quality Assurance Plan For Monitoring White-Tailed Deer In The Heartland Inventory And Monitoring Network, United States National Park Service, Heartland Inventory And Monitoring Network

United States National Park Service: Publications

Abstract

In accordance with guidelines set forth by the National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Division, a quality-assurance plan has been created for use by the Heartland Inventory and Monitoring Network in the implementation of the White-tailed Deer Monitoring Protocol (HTLN 2018). This quality-assurance plan documents the standards, policies, and procedures used by the Heartland Network for activities related to the collection, processing, storage, analysis, and publication of monitoring data. The policies and procedures documented in this quality-assurance plan complement the quality-assurance plans for other monitoring activities conducted by the Heartland Network and supplement the National Inventory and Monitoring Division …

Natural Resource Condition Assessment, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Reilly R. Dibner, Nicole Korfanta, Gary Beauvais, Jonathan Bowler, Kit Freedman, Kelli C. Trujillo, Victoria H. Zero

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

In collaboration with the National Park Service, the University of Wyoming Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources and the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database completed the Natural Resource Condition Assessment (NRCA) for Scotts Bluff National Monument (NM). The purpose of the NRCA is to provide park leaders and resource managers with information on resource conditions to support near-term planning and management, long-term strategic planning, and effective science communication to decision-makers and the public.

Scotts Bluff NM was established in 1919. The purposes of the park include protecting and preserving the Mitchell Pass portion of the Oregon Trail and …

Morphological And Histological Description Of Small Metoposaurids From Petrified Forest National Park, Az, Usa And The Taxonomy Of Apachesaurus, Bryan M. Gee, William G. Parker

United States National Park Service: Publications

Metoposaurids are Late Triassic temnospondyls that are abundant components of freshwater deposi- tional settings. Although metoposaurids are represented by hundreds of specimens in collections around the world, the vast majority pertain to large-bodied, relatively mature individuals, and as a result, the early stages of ontogeny are still poorly characterised. Small-bodied metoposaurids from North America have traditionally been assigned to Apachesaurus gregorii, interpreted as a diminutive taxon, but this interpretation has not been rigorously tested. Here we provide a morphological description of two new small-bodied metoposaurid specimens from Petrified Forest National Park, AZ, USA. Both provide various anatomical details that improve …

Testing Methods To Mitigate Caribbean Yellow-Band Disease On Orbicella Faveolata, Carly J. Randall, Elizabeth M. Whitcher, Tessa Code, Clayton Pollock, Ian Lundgren, Zandy Hillis-Starr, Erinn M. Muller

United States National Park Service: Publications

Outbreaks of coral diseases continue to reduce global coral populations. In the Caribbean, yellow band is a severe and wide-spread disease that commonly affects corals of the Orbicella spp. complex, significantly impeding coral reproduction, and hindering the natural recovery of Orbicella spp. populations. Caribbean yellow-band disease (CYBD) lesions may be severe, and often result in the complete loss of coral tissue. The slow spread of CYBD, however, provides an opportunity to test methods to mitigate the disease. Here we report the results of in situ experiments, conducted within Buck Island Reef National Monument in St. Croix, USVI, to test the …

Winter Bat Activity In A Landscape Without Traditional Hibernacula, Amy M. Hammesfahr, Rene E. Ohms

United States National Park Service: Publications

Abstract

Prior to 2014, bat research at Devils Tower National Monument (DETO) focused on bats present during the summer months. Biologists at DETO assumed local bats were strictly summer residents due to the presumed lack of typical habitat features associated with bat hibernation, such as caves and mines. This lack of traditional hibernacula features at DETO discouraged staff and research cooperators from studying winter bat populations. Despite the earlier assumption that bats were unlikely to hibernate on the monument, DETO documented significant winter bat activity through passive winter acoustic monitoring. This study is the first study at DETO that documents …

Plant Community Composition And Structure Monitoring At Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, 2017 Data Summary Report, Stephanie L. Rockwood

United States National Park Service: Publications

Abstract

This report presents the results of vegetation monitoring efforts in 2017 at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (AGFO) by the Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network (NGPN) and the Northern Great Plains Fire Effects Program (NGPFire). This was the seventh year of field work conducted by NGPN at AGFO.

In 2017, crew members from NGPN visited six long-term plant community monitoring (PCM) plots and NGPFire visited eight additional PCM and fire plant community monitoring (FPCM) plots to collect data on the plant communities at AGFO. This collaborative effort is part of a long-term monitoring program established to better …

Plant Community Composition And Structure Monitoring For Scotts Bluff National Monument, 2017 Data Report, Ryan Manuel

United States National Park Service: Publications

Abstract

This report presents the results of vegetation monitoring efforts in 2017 at Scotts Bluff National Monument (SCBL) by the Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network (NGPN) and Northern Great Plains Fire Ecology Program (NGPFire).

During the seventh full year of field work, crew members from NGPN visited eight long-term monitoring plots on May 22-25, 2017 to collect data on the plant communities at SCBL. This is part of a long-term monitoring effort to better understand the condition of the vegetation at SCBL. NGPN staff captured data relating to species richness, herb-layer height, abundance of individual native and non-native …

Acoustic Surveys Of Bats At Northern Great Plains Parks And Preliminary Results From 2014-16, Daniel S. Licht

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

From 2014-16, the Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network (Network)—in collaboration with the Midwest Regional Biologist—used acoustic methods to monitor bat populations at 12 Network parks. Six parks were monitored using the nascent North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) framework. Six other parks did not meet a priori criteria for inclusion in NABat so they were monitored using similar methods, but a non-systematic sampling frame.

Fifty-five NABat stations were established along with 62 non-NABat stations. Stations were typically monitored for 4-7 nights each year using equipment that records the echolocation calls of bats. Fourteen mobile survey routes …

Foreword, Tim O'Connell, Garrett Hutson

Research in Outdoor Education

The article offers information related to papers that were published in the publication "Research in Outdoor Education" Volume 16, as well as how others might contribute to the publication in the future.

Health And Outdoor Settings: A Summary Of The Coalition For Education In The Outdoors Pre-Symposium Workshop, 2018, Kristina R. Anderson, Alan Ewert

Research in Outdoor Education

At the Coalition for Education in the Outdoors (CEO) 14th Biennial Research Symposium, researchers and practitioners explored the intersection between outdoor education settings and practices and human health during a pre-symposium workshop. Guided by a supposition that outdoor education experiences impact one or more dimensions of health, participants first aligned around a collective foundation of 1) definitions of nature and health and 2) formative scholarship in outdoor exposure and natural elements.

With this foundation, existing paradigms were questioned: Are mainstay methodologies used in outdoor education efficacious, particularly if researchers are to engage with cross-disciplinary research teams or seek new funding …

Healthy Eating And Physical Activity Programming At Overnight Summer Camps, Ellen King, Kendra Liddicoat, Rebecca L. Franzen, Annie Wetter

Research in Outdoor Education

Overnight summer camps have previously been overlooked as settings for healthy eating and physical activity programming; however, recent summer camp research has begun to examine how summer camp programming can help fight childhood obesity. The purpose of this research was to identify and examine the efforts that Wisconsin overnight summer camps are taking to support campers in meeting national dietary and physical activity guidelines. Data were collected through in-person or phone interviews with 13 directors and owners of American Camp Association (ACA) accredited camps and were analyzed using a conventional content analysis and inductive thematic analysis approach. Results indicated that …

Front Matter, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors (Ceo)

Research in Outdoor Education

The Coalition for Education in the Outdoors is a non-profit network of outdoor and environmental education centers, nature centers, conservation and recreation organizations, outdoor education and experiential education associations, institutions of higher learning, public and private schools, fish and wildlife agencies, and businesses that share a mission the support and furtherance of outdoor education and its goals.

This article includes the Editors and Research Committee for Volume 16 as well as the Table of Contents.

Resource Review, Timothy S. O'Connell

Research in Outdoor Education

Daughters of the forest: Saving the forest one girl at a time [DVD]. Directed by Samantha Grant, Oley, PA, Bullfrog Films, Inc., 2017, 56 minutes, $295.00, ISBN 1-941545-79-3

When Outdoor Orientation Program Idioculture Changes: Understanding Student Resistance, Brent J. Bell, Christa Ricker

Research in Outdoor Education

Colleges with outdoor orientation programs often encourage student involvement through leadership experiences, including the directing of these programs. The student directors (SDs) assume significant responsibilities, including managing budgets, logistics, and the training of peer leaders. SDs also manage the program's idioculture, creating a desirable group for student peer leaders to join. Sometimes SDs have ideological conflicts with administrators leading to resistance. Administrators depend upon the free labor of SDs for the programs to run and hope to minimize conflict. We report on the experiences of three college outdoor orientation programs with change and resistance. Our findings suggest SDs in this …

Quantifying The Human-Nature Relationship: A User's Guide, Kelly S. Cartwright, Denise Mitten

Research in Outdoor Education

A growing trend in environmental research is the quantification of the human-nature relationship. This review of human-nature psychometric instruments should be used as a reference for individuals seeking to incorporate these tools into their outdoor and environmental education research. Extensive literature review and autoethnographic techniques were employed to identify and evaluate thirty-four instruments. Instruments were evaluated on structure, ease of use, and concepts represented. Diversity exists amongst the instruments in terms of length, concepts reflected, and structure. The majority of tools reflect environmental attitudes/views (16) or relationship/connection with nature (13). Fewer instruments reflect concern, identity, or environmental behavior. Twenty-eight instruments …

Evaluating Long-Term Trends In Vegetation And Management Intensity, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve 1995–2014, Sherry A. Leis, Lloyd W. Morrison

United States National Park Service: Publications

Abstract

Inventory and Monitoring Networks of the National Park Service are charged with collecting and reporting data related to the status and trends of key natural resources. We have analyzed a suite of grazing data from 1995- 2016, fire history data from 1998-2015, and vegetation community data from 2002-2014 to better understand trends as they relate to management strategies at the preserve over time. We found that cattle stocking rates declined and fires became less frequent over the latter half of the record. Similarly, bare ground declined, woody species increased slightly, and the floristic quality index was relatively stable with …

Bat Community Composition And Monitoring For White-Nose Syndrome At First State National Historical Park, Delaware And Pennsylvania, Juliet Nagel, J. Edward Gates

United States National Park Service: Publications

Abstract

In recent years, bats have faced increasingly deadly threats on multiple fronts. Cave-dwelling bats have been decimated by the emergence of a disease, white-nose syndrome (WNS), caused by a fungal pathogen, Pseudogymnoascus destructans; and tree bats are dying in large numbers at wind power facilities. First State National Historical Park (FRST) is a new national park unit located in northern Delaware and Pennsylvania. Prior to this study, little information was available on bat species and their activity and distribution within FRST. To fill this knowledge gap, we conducted an inventory of bat species present at FRST. We used …

Homestead National Monument Of America, Bat Acoustic Monitoring, September 2016, Daniel S. Licht

United States National Park Service: Publications

Abstract

Homestead National Monument of America is a 211-acre park located in an agrarian landscape in southeastern Nebraska. From September 16 to October 1, 2016, park staff deployed acoustic monitors at three sites in the park for purposes of monitoring night-time bat activity. The three sites averaged 179, 48, and 33 bat detections per night. Night-time bat activity was generally highest in the 1-2 hours following sunset.

Based on the acoustic surveys the big brown (Eptesicus fuscus), eastern red (Lasiurus borealis), northern long-eared (Myotis septentrionalis) and evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis) were present at the …

Foreword: International Perspectives In Outdoor Education Research, Patrick T. Maher

Research in Outdoor Education

The article offers information related to papers that were published in the publication "Research in Outdoor Education" Volume 15. This special issue of ROE contains four articles presented at the 7th International Outdoor Education Research Conference (IOERC), plus an additional two that speak to an international audience. The 7th IOERC was hosted from July 4 – 8, 2016 at Cape Breton University (CBU), on Unama’ki (Cape Breton Island) in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The foreword also acknowledges the efforts of all who contributed to the publication.

Exploring Course Outcomes Utilizing A New Outward Bound Outcomes Instrument, Andrew J. Bobilya, W. Brad Faircloth

Research in Outdoor Education

This study implemented the new North Carolina Outward Bound School Course Impression Survey (NCOBSCIS) using a mixed method, retrospective pre-post design. The NCOBSCIS measures character development, leadership, and environmental service. Previous analysis has found the NCOBSCIS to be a valid and reliable survey tool. The purpose of this study was to investigate program outcomes using this new instrument, including potential moderators (e.g., age, gender, and course length). Paired sample t-tests and a series of ANCOVA models were generated along with thematic qualitative analyses. The results suggest that there is change evident among the participants following program participation and that …

Women And Girls In Outdoor Education: Scoping The Research Literature And Exploring Prospects For Future Body Image Enquiry, Joelle Breault-Hood, Tonia Gray, Son Truong, Jacqueline Ullman

Research in Outdoor Education

Research into women's and girls' outdoor programs and their influence on perceived body image has gained scholarly attention in recent decades. A systematic review of research from 1980 – 2017 identifies key trends and themes revealing opportunities to advance understandings in the field. In particular, while there has been extensive research conducted on women's and girls' outdoor education programs from various perspectives, there is a shortage of robust research examining the impact of outdoor education on body image. While identifying some trends, the broad scope of the enquiry highlights the scarcity of this empirical data, and calls for heightened emphasis …

Defining Moments: An Examination Of The Gender Divide In Women's Contribution To Outdoor Education, Tonia Gray, Denise Mitten, Ta Loeffler, Sandy Allen-Craig, Cathryn Carpenter

Research in Outdoor Education

Throughout our collective experiences in the outdoors, defining moments have helped ignite innovation and provided inspiration for women and men in the outdoor profession. Women's representation among the ranks of the senior leaders and researchers in the outdoor field is disproportionately low. As such, women in outdoor education today still face challenges being recognized and accessing the upper echelons of the profession and academy. An incident at the 6th International Outdoor Education Research Conference in 2013, where women donned an invisibility cloak provided the impetus for our paper. Significant progress has been made in the past three decades; however an …

Perceived Life Significance Of A University Winter Outdoor Education Course: A Qualitative Study, Jennifer Wigglesworth, Paul Heintzman

Research in Outdoor Education

This qualitative study explored the life significance of a winter, bilingual (French/English), outdoor education (OE) course offered by a Canadian university. The current investigation involved 16 in-depth interviews with alumni who had taken one of the university's winter OE courses more than 20 years earlier. Interpretive analysis of interview data found the following significant life impacts: development of interpersonal/social skills; self-discovery; environmental awareness; leisure style change; transfer to others; and increased outdoor knowledge/skills. The researcher used “how and why” questions to probe for processes that linked the course experiences and activities with significant life impacts. The processes identified included: personal …

Front Matter, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors (Ceo)

Research in Outdoor Education

The Coalition for Education in the Outdoors is a non-profit network of outdoor and environmental education centers, nature centers, conservation and recreation organizations, outdoor education and experiential education associations, institutions of higher learning, public and private schools, fish and wildlife agencies, and businesses that share a mission the support and furtherance of outdoor education and its goals.

This article includes the Editors and Research Committee for Volume 15 as well as the Table of Contents.

Playing Naturally: A Case Study Of Schoolyard Naturalization In Cape Breton, Emily Root, Kathy Snow, Catalina Belalcazar, Bettina Callary

Research in Outdoor Education

Transforming schoolyards into naturalized areas enhances play and nature connection (Dyment, 2005), increases repertoires of outdoor activities, and promotes resilience (Chawla, Keena, Pevec & Stanley, 2014). Employing photovoice and conversational interviews, this study examines children’s perceptions pre-and post-playground naturalization at an elementary school in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada. Themes from data analysis include: engagement with nature, and desire for more nature; physicality and movement; built and natural play features; and risk, rules, and well-being. Drawing on existing literature in the fields of schoolyard greening and naturalization, the study discusses benefits and complexities for future consideration in similar contexts.

Using Dynamical Systems Theory In Outdoor Adventure Education Research, Jeremy Jostad, Jim Sibthorp, Jonathan E. Butner, Shannon Rochelle, John Gookin

Research in Outdoor Education

No abstract provided.

Protocol For Surveying Bat Use Of Lava Tube Caves During Winter In Craters Of The Moon National Monument And Preserve, Version 1.0, Thomas J. Rodhouse, Kathleen Slocum, Todd Stefanic, Shawn Thomas, Meghan Lonneker, Gordon Dicus

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

The mission of the National Park Service (NPS) is “to conserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment of this and future generations” (NPS 1999). To uphold this goal, the Director of the NPS approved the Natural Resource Challenge to encourage national parks to focus on the preservation of the nation’s natural heritage through science, natural resource inventories, and expanded resource monitoring (NPS 1999). Through the Challenge, 270 parks in the national park system were organized into 32 inventory and monitoring (I&M) networks.

The Upper Columbia Basin Network Inventory …