Nature and Society Relations Commons^™

Building Collaborative Capacity For Coexistence With The Montana Beaver Working Group, Shane Randle

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

Despite beavers’ recent surge in popularity, prevailing negative attitudes and the persistence of beaver removal practices remain obstacles for those advocating living with beavers. The Montana Beaver Working Group (BWG) advances beavers’ role in ecological and community resilience through members’ collaborative efforts, including beaver-related restoration and conflict resolution projects. Bringing together people with diverse values and perspectives, the BWG builds collective understanding, develops a holistic vision for beavers in Montana, and supports members in pursuing it. As the group’s impacts and membership have grown, so too has their need to adapt. For my Civic Engagement Project, I strengthened the BWG’s …

On The Paleontology Of Belize, Alson Ovando

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Paleontology can be considered an underrepresented and emerging area of science in Belize. A primary aim of this thesis is to provide a background of paleontology in Belize and present the first comprehensive study of Quaternary vertebrate fossils known from the country. Quaternary fossil sites across Belize include caves, rivers, and sinkholes. In addition to reviewing and assessing material from known sites, this thesis presents new information and discoveries that were made while investigating Belize’s Quaternary fossil record. This thesis also includes a geospatial model depicting ecoregions in Belize during the last glacial maximum. Overall, the results presented here demonstrate …

Redeveloping Mississippi: A Case Study On Brownfields In Central & Southern Mississippi, Sahrah R. Yeroozedek

Master's Theses

Brownfields, or properties that are or possibly are contaminated with dangerous materials, represent a common obstacle for communities in Mississippi. The real or potential presence of contaminants at these sites often deters investors due to costly cleanup requirements (EPA, n.d. -b). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through its Brownfield Revitalization Program, implemented guidelines for covering the costs and labor associated with the remediation of these properties. The EPA is not, however, responsible for redevelopment that supports long-term environmental and economic sustainability. Although the EPA maintains inventories of all Brownfields, there is also no comprehensive database of Brownfields and their current …

Public Pool Usage As Adaptation Against Urban Heat, Stefan Borsky, Eric Fesselmeyer

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This paper examines the relationship between urban heat and outdoor public pool usage. Using attendance data from all 53 outdoor public pools in New York City, we analyze nonlinear effects of heat on pool usage across socioeconomic contexts. Pool attendance rises sharply with heat, especially in low-income neighborhoods where alternative coping options are likely limited. We also find that public pools reduce heat-related emergency medical service calls. Our findings highlight the need for equitable investment in blue infrastructure to enhance urban climate resilience and demonstrate how this type of adaptive infrastructure can play a critical role in managing urban heat.

Toward An Integrative Anthropological Ecology; Pluralism, Power, And Socioecological Futures, Komang Ariyanto

Wacana, Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia

No abstract provided.

Energy Transitions By Wire? The Spatial Politics Of Transmission Development In New England, Maddy Kroot

Student Publications [Scholarly]

This data set is a corpus of de-identified transcripts from a doctoral research project examining local opposition to two high-voltage transmission lines in northern New England. The corpus includes 41 transcripts from interview participants who consented for their de-identified transcripts to be posted to the Clark Digital Commons. This research was supported by the NSF Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Doctoral  Dissertation Research Improvement Award (#2400991).

Sustainability, Culture, And Higher Education: An Autoethnographic Sustainability Comparison Of The Sustainability Initiatives At The University Of Salzburg And Bowling Green State University, Madison Alt

Honors Projects

Human activity is already triggering damaging environmental tipping points (Lenton, 2020), emphasizing the need for sustainability in all aspects of development. Institutes of Higher Education (IHEs) have the power and responsibility to contribute to a more sustainable world (Parr et al., 2022). Bowling Green State University (BGSU) in Ohio, United States, and the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS) in Salzburg, Austria are two IHEs with multifaceted sustainability programs. While living and studying at BGSU and PLUS, I used autoethnography, a personal narrative approach, combined with public sustainability information to compare the sustainability initiatives at each university, and determine what …

Identifying Major Sources Of Leptospira Interrogans In San Juan Bay And Río Grande De Loíza Estuaries Of Puerto Rico, Logan Mccullers, Dave Bachoon

Biology Theses

This study evaluated the presence of pathogenic Leptospira interrogans, potential carriers, and environmental factors influencing their occurrence in the San Juan Bay Estuary (SJBE) and Río Grande de Loíza (RGDL) watersheds of Puerto Rico from 2024–2025. Detection of this pathogen from water samples was performed using the lipL32 PCR assay. The likely hosts of L. interrogans were determined using fecal source tracking (FST) assays for human (HF-183), canine (BacCan-UCD), equine (HoF597), and rat mitochondrial DNA NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene (RatMt) markers. In 2024, 91 samples were collected (March: 50; June: 41), and in 2025, 124 samples were collected …

Beyond Artifacts And Fossils: Exploring The Contributions And Socioeconomic Impacts Of Montana’S Museums And Paleontological Tourism, Emma Keinath-Lopez, Elena Bigart, Glenna Hartman, Kara Grau, Ava Worbets, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This study explores how Montana’s museums, including those along the Montana Dinosaur Trail, influence communities, economies, and visitor experiences in a post-pandemic environment. Through mixed methods—511 visitor surveys at 44 museums and 18 interviews with museum professionals— this research provides a holistic understanding of museum operations, visitor motivations, and community impacts.

Montana Residents’ Attitudes Towards Tourism – 2025, Carter Bermingham, Megan Schultz, Jayce Beck

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

Montana residents maintain a broadly positive outlook on tourism, with 66% agreeing that tourism's benefits outweigh its drawbacks and 72% recognizing the economic value of state-supported tourism promotion. However, resident sentiment remains nuanced: 45% report concerns about overcrowding, and fewer than half (36%) believe increased tourism would improve their personal quality of life — a trend consistent across four consecutive years.

Regional divides are pronounced. Communities near high-visitation destinations such as Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park express greater skepticism toward tourism growth, while lower-visitation regions, including Central Montana, Southeast Montana, and Missouri River Country, hold more favorable views …

2026 Montana Tourism Outlook – Sales Tax: Is It Time? Montana Economic Seminar Presentation, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

No abstract provided.

Montana On Screen: Exploring Film Tourism In Montana, Kika Bradford, Elena Bigart, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This report presents a study exploring how film and TV show exposure influences tourism to Montana, a state long celebrated for its cinematic landscapes and Western heritage. Using data from an online survey of 311 visitors who had both watched a Montana-related production and visited a filming location in the past five years, the research examines visitor profiles, motivations, travel behaviors, spending, and perceptions.

The Affective Economy Of Toxic Atmospheres: Sensory Governance, Ecological Intelligences And The Performative Politics Of Urban Mosquito Management, Orlando Woods, Creighton Connolly

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This paper considers how atmospheres can play a powerful role in troubling the management of nature in the multispecies city. It brings the cyclical nature of atmospheric effects, the affective values and il/logics that determine human responses to non-human threats, and the misguided and potentially deleterious health outcomes that ensue into one analytical frame. Drawing on the empirical case of urban mosquito management in Singapore, it considers how the creation of toxic atmospheres through fogging – blowing insecticides into the air in a bid to kill mosquitoes – is ineffective and sets in motion a cascading series of socio-environmental consequences. …

Development Of Sustainable Economy Programs In Langkat Regency, North Sumatra: Characteristics Of Coastal Communities And Mangrove Utilization, Meilinda Suriani Harefa, Mohamed Abdelwareth, Armin Rahmansyah Nasution, M Taufik Rahmadi, Dwi Irfansyah, Nurul 'Ain

Jurnal Pendidikan Geografi: Kajian, Teori, dan Praktek dalam Bidang Pendidikan dan Ilmu Geografi

Langkat Regency is one of the regencies in North Sumatra with a mangrove forest area of 26,774 hectares in 2024. Mangrove forests offer numerous benefits to coastal communities. Beyond serving as ecosystem resources, mangrove forests also provide economic benefits to coastal residents. Since the 1990s, coastal communities in Langkat Regency have begun cutting down forests for firewood without understanding the potential impacts. If this phenomenon continues, mangrove forest deforestation will worsen. The research aims to identify the characteristics of coastal communities in Langkat Regency, analyze the economic programs favored by these communities, and develop economic program models that sustainably utilize …

Study Of The Spatial Effect Of Geothermal On Surface Water Quality (Case Study Of Ci Pamatutan Watershed, Parakansalak Sub-District), Fauzan Abdurrahman Masykur, Prasetiawan Pras, M. Rafli Ariq Rianputra, Nesya Desfarivana Umaya, Vanesa Kelly Gabriela, Mangapul Parlindungan Tambunan, Supriatna Supriatna

Jurnal Geografi Lingkungan Tropik (Journal of Geography of Tropical Environments)

Geothermal plays an important role in affecting surface water quality with both positive and negative effects. It becomes an efficient renewable energy source in generating electricity without producing harmful gases. However, the presence of geothermal affects the quality of surface water in a watershed. This research is focused on the Mount Salak geothermal area which has volcanic and tectonic activity. Parameters such as electrical conductivity (measured in millisiemens/cm) were used to measure the content of minerals and dissolved compounds in the water. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) measured in ppt is used to quantify dissolved solids, while water acidity (pH) indicates …

Conceptualising Sacred Grove Tourism For Future Research Models - A Research Note, Debasish Batabyal, Rupa Sinha Dr., Kareem M. Selem Dr.

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Sacred groves or woodlands are known in tourism settings, they require a long historical process, and their classification as a unique tourism element is expanded in academic literature. To explore the characteristic features of sacred grove tourism, this research note reviews existing studies of tourism. Moreover, this research note seeks to uncover interesting socio-religious, cultural, and conservation dimensions that could guide policy-making in nature-based tourism. A comprehensive review of the tourism literature was conducted to determine whether sacred groves were included as a tourism feature. This research analysed previous studies on nature-based, religious, and cultural heritage tourism to formulate a …

Subjective Perspectives On Antarctic Wilderness: An Application Of Integral Ecology, Annabelle G. Mayes

Honors College Theses

Parties to the Antarctic Treaty have set Antarctica aside for peace, scientific research, and environmental protection. However, they have yet to take concrete actions to protect Antarctica’s wilderness values as agreed under the 1991 Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. Meanwhile, pristine areas that are free from human interference are declining as human activity escalates. This study examines perceptions of Antarctic wilderness through the lens of integral ecology. Data from 1,640 people and 16 study populations were extracted from four published studies. Content analysis was conducted to determine how subjective perspectives differ across populations and geographic regions. All …

The State Of Short-Term Rentals – 2024, Elena Bigart, Melissa Weddell, Jesse Wheeler, Sophie Morris, Jenna Asnault

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This report examined the role short-term rentals (STRs) play in Montana’s housing challenges, building on earlier ITRR research (Bigart et al., 2021). Using a mixed-methods approach, the study analyzed STR and housing data from 2019 to 2023 and incorporated interviews with local officials to assess evolving regulations, occupancy patterns, and perceptions of STR impacts. Findings highlight that STRs interact with broader market forces contributing to tight housing conditions and underscore the need for balanced policy approaches that support housing supply and affordability while sustaining tourism-related economic activity.

Investigating The Impact Of Winter Exposure To Natural Environments On Perceived Health And Well-Being Using Geographic Ecological Momentary Assessment: A Case Study At Arrowhead Provincial Park, Faith M. Laing

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study examined how winter exposure to specific natural environments influenced perceived health and well-being outcomes using Geographic Ecological Momentary Assessment (GEMA) in Arrowhead Provincial Park. Studies performed in the wintertime are limited, as is our understanding of how specific park features and/or activities impact health and well-being. To address this, GEMA was used with a video component to capture participants’ real-time experience and emotional responses in specific park locations defined by polygon boundaries. Two surveys were administered through participants mobile devices, one being an in-situ engagement survey triggered by entering a bounded location, which included a video and …

(En)Counter Cartographies: Data Collection, Interpretation, And Visualization In Lexington’S Urban Forest, Claire Hilbrecht

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

This thesis examines how urban forestry data practices shape relationships between people, trees, and knowledge in Lexington, Kentucky. Drawing on political ecology, science and technology studies, and critical making, it argues that conventional methods of data collection, interpretation, and visualization privilege Western scientific and market-based frameworks that often exclude affective, embodied, and more-than-human ways of knowing. Using autoethnography and six semi-structured interviews with urban forestry professionals, the study explores how practitioners experience tensions between treating trees as measurable commodities and engaging them as relational beings. It finds that while urban foresters rely on dominant discourses such as ecosystem services to …