Nature and Society Relations Commons^™

The Changing Landscape Of Eastern Montana: Trends And Insights 2024, Melissa Weddell, Glenna Hartman, Elena Bigart, Kara Grau, Matthew Pettigrew, Ava Worbets, Sophie Morris

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

The purpose of this study is to generate a comprehensive overview of tourism trends in Eastern Montana by leveraging existing data sources and integrating new survey insights. By analyzing county-level statistics, regional tourism data, and U.S. Census information, the study aims to create a detailed picture of visitor demographics, trip characteristics, and community dynamics over the past five years (2018-2023). This multifaceted approach illuminates local tourism patterns, highlights key differences between counties, and allows for comparisons with the more heavily visited western regions of the state. Specific objectives include identifying who visits Eastern Montana, how they plan and experience their …

Rewilding The Built Environment: Navigating Economic, Political, And Social Barriers To Urban Ecological Restoration, Carly E. Smith

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Urban rewilding offers a nature-based approach to restoring ecological processes in cities while advancing climate resilience, biodiversity, and public well-being. Unlike conventional green infrastructure, rewilding allows ecosystems to develop with minimal intervention, emphasizing succession, complexity, and long-term adaptability. This paper examines the political, economic, and social factors that frame how rewilding is understood and implemented in urban planning. Governmental frameworks often prioritize order, predictability, and short-term results, making it difficult to accommodate the uncertainty and ecological complexity that rewilding requires. Economic models struggle to capture its long-term value, frequently overlooking ecosystem services or reconciling competing land uses. Social perceptions of …

Urban Heat Islands In Mountain West Cities, 2024, Mia Tschan, Krish Sharma, Olivia K. Cheche, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This fact sheet presents data on Urban Heat Islands (UHIs) in six cities across five Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The data are derived from the 2024 Climate Central report, “Urban Heat Hot Spots in 65 Cities,” which includes data on how UHIs boost temperatures in 65 major cities across the United States. This fact sheet focuses on UHIs in six Mountain West cities: Albuquerque, NM; Denver, CO; Las Vegas, NV; Phoenix, AZ; Salt Lake City, UT; and Tucson, AZ.

Montana Folk Festival 2025, Butte, Montana, Rachel Baer, Ava Worbets, Kika Bradford

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This study was conducted for the Montana Folk Festival to provide insight into the characteristics of attendees of the 2025 Montana Folk Festival. 968 attendees from the event completed the survey. Results show that 80% of respondents were residents of Montana, of which 37% were from Butte-Silver Bow County. Out-of-county respondents spent an average of 4.5 nights in Montana, reporting a total spending of $263,194.25, mostly in hotel/motel/bed and breakfasts and restaurants/bars. Results provide event organizers with useful data for future event planning, making improvements to the event, event marketing/promotion, and understanding the visitor spending associated with the event.

Montana Resident Report: Consumer Confidence And Expectations For Income, Travel, And Recreation Over The Next 12 Months, Q2 2025, Carter Bermingham, Megan Schultz

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This report is a summary of Montana residents and their expectations related to spending, personal income, travel, and recreation over the next 12 months. ITRR conducted similar studies in 2019 and 2022, with this current effort aimed at continuing a long-term study to track consumer sentiment over time.

Understanding And Assessing Climate Change: Preparing For Nebraska’S Future, 2024 Climate Change Impact Assessment Report, Deborah J. Bathke, Eric Hunt, Heather Akin, Andrea D. Basche, Jesse E. Bell, Daniel R. Dileo, Ross Dixon, Martha Durr, Tonya Haigh, Francis John Hay, Kristina W. Kintziger, Nicholas A. Mcmillan, Hank Miller, Jerome Okojokwu-Idu, Crystal Powers, Tirthankar Roy, Zhenghong Tang, W. Ryan Wishart, Aaron R. Young, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Jonathan J. Spurgeon

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Contents

Report Team

Acknowledgments

Executive Summary

Introduction

Climate Change Contexts: Global, National, and State

Observed Changes in Nebraska's Climate

Projections of Nebraska's Future Climate

Water Systems

Energy

Ecosystems

Agriculture

Human Health

Communities and the Built Environment

Indigenous Peoples

Climate Justice and Equity

The Response of Faith Communities

Nebraskans' Perceptions of Climate Change

Next Steps and Future Work

Supplemental Report: Adaptation, Risks, and Impacts

About the Authors

Faith-based Communities Survey

Evaluated Plans and Assessments

References

Montana International Choral Festival 2025, Missoula County, Montana, Matthew Matz, Ava Worbets, Kika Bradford, Megan Schultz

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This study was conducted for the Montana International Choral Festival to provide insight into the characteristics of attendees of the 2025 Montana International Choral Festival hosted in Missoula, Montana. Three hundred ninety-four attendees of the event completed the survey. Results show that the majority of respondents were relatively local, with 79% of respondents being residents of Montana and 83% of Montana respondents residing in Missoula County. Out-of-county respondents spent an average of 4.1 nights in Missoula, reporting a total spending of $100,274.00, mostly in rental home/cabin/condo, hotel/motel/bed and breakfasts, and restaurants/bars. Results provide event organizers with useful data for future …

Clark Fork River Pedal & Farm Tour 2025, Trout Creek, Montana, Ava Worbets, Kika Bradford, Megan Schultz

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This study was conducted for Kaniksu Land Trust to provide insight into the characteristics of attendees of the 2025 Clark Fork River Pedal & Farm Tour hosted in Trout Creek, Montana. Forty-two attendees of the event completed the survey. Results show that the majority of respondents resided outside of Sanders County, with 71% from Montana (but only 7% from Sanders County itself) and 29% visiting from other US states, primarily Idaho. Out-of-county respondents spent an average of 2.3 nights in Sanders County, reporting a total spending of $8,732.00, mostly in hotel/motel/bed and breakfasts and restaurants/bars. Results provide event organizers with …

2025 Montana Tourism Outlook: Balancing Innovation And Tradition - Montana Economic Seminar Presentation, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

No abstract provided.

From Larvae To Livelihoods: Examining The Realities Of Black Soldier Fly Farming In Malawi, Emily Herriott

Capstone Collection

Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae offer a cost-effective, nutrient-rich alternative to synthetic fertilizers and conventional feed inputs such as soy, fishmeal, and maize bran in sub-Saharan Africa. In Malawi, where smallholder farmers grapple with declining soil fertility, high input prices, chronic food insecurity, and livestock nutritional challenges, BSF farming is emerging as a promising circular agricultural innovation. Despite its technical promise, the social, economic, and ecological realities of BSF adoption remain underexplored.This study investigates the early implementation of BSF farming in Malawi through the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, focusing on farmer experiences, challenges, and the social and structural processes shaping uptake …

Hybrid Geographies And Nature In The City: A Tale Of Two Greenspaces In Louisville, Ky., Rebecca Dixon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many conservation initiatives position nature and the urban as opposing constructions, which means the possibilities where cities can work with nature are often overlooked. This study uses the lens of relational geographies to examine nature in the city by comparing two greenspaces in the Beargrass Creek watershed in Louisville, Kentucky: Waterfront Botanical Gardens and the Louisville Nature Center. The two organizations are compared by using a combination of content analysis, discourse analysis, and GIS flood analysis methods to determine how their geographical location and history affect the ways in which the dynamic between nature and culture is reproduced. Results show …

Remotely-Sensed Urbanization And Local Perceptions Of Change From 1985-2024 In Southern Indiana., Marlea Ferber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is focused on the land cover change of non-built land cover being transformed into built land cover in two counties in Southern Indiana using mixed methods. Remote sensing was used to identify and quantify land cover change, and interviews were used to understand local perceptions of the physical land cover changes. The study area is situated along the rural-urban continuum with Louisville, Kentucky across the Ohio River. It is important to quantify the amount of land change conversion to built settlement as patterns and rate of urbanization help us to better manage transitions along the rural-urban continuum, but …

Nacaa Am/Pic Conference 2025, Billings, Montana, Ava Worbets, Kika Bradford, Megan Schultz

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This study was conducted for Montana State University (Extension) to provide insight into the characteristics of attendees of the 2025 National Association County Agricultural Agent’s Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference hosted in Billings, Montana. Four hundred forty-seven attendees of the event completed the survey. Results show that the majority of respondents resided outside of Montana, 95% in other US states and 1% visiting from other US Territories, only 3% of respondents were residents of Montana. Out-of-county respondents spent an average of 6.4 nights in Montana, reporting a total spending of $748,676.05, mostly in hotel/motel/bed and breakfasts and event registration …

Developing Guidance For The Use Of Floating Treatment Wetlands In Brackish Stormwater Ponds, Clare Escamilla

All Dissertations

Stormwater ponds are commonly used as a flood control strategy, particularly in coastal developments. Many coastal stormwater ponds are impaired with high nutrient levels that can lead to algal blooms, impacting the water quality of the pond and surrounding ecosystem. Floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) are one potential strategy that can be implemented in stormwater ponds to reduce high nutrient concentrations, however limited research has been done in brackish waterbodies. To determine the suitability of using FTWs in brackish stormwater ponds this research focused on (1) coastal resident perceptions of FTWs and (2) plants that can be utilized in FTWs deployed …

A Cultural Mapping Of Local Knowledge For Flood And Landslide Mitigation In The Sendi Community, Mojokerto, East Java, Ahmad Mujahid Arrozy Arz, Abyoso Romadhoni Wicaksono Arw, Kusuma Sabrina Wardhani Skw, Lora Septrianda Putri

Masyarakat: Jurnal Sosiologi

This article investigated the irrigation sustainability and landslide prevention in the Sendi community, Mojokerto, East Java, by applying a cultural mapping approach to examine everyday practices through which local knowledge was enacted and produced, while linking the analysis to broader structural formations. The approach informed a participatory data collection process, that is also designed to protect the intangible cultural heritage of the community. The findings demonstrated how everyday practices function as an integral component of flood and landslide mitigation. This knowledge has been passed down through community archives since 1915 and included practices, such as planting local crops (bamboos and …

Central Halmahera In Power Relations, Development, And Environmental Crisis, Herman Usman

Masyarakat: Jurnal Sosiologi

Abstract This paper analyzes the relationship between power relations, development, and environmental crisis in Central Halmahera, North Maluku, a region that has undergone socio-ecological changes due to the expansion of extractive industries, especially nickel mining. Such development is controlled by state actors and corporations, creating unequal power relations in which local communities are often marginalized. This development model based on natural resource extraction resulting in ecosystem degradation, water pollution, and the loss of living space for indigenous peoples and coastal communities. This paper uses the approaches of political ecology and the sociology of development, to examine how the state facilitates …

Economic Contribution Of 2023/2024 Averaged Nonresident Travel Spending In Montana Travel Regions And Counties, Kara Grau

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

Nonresidents spend over $5 billion in Montana each year. This report looks at the distribution of spending across Montana’s six travel regions, as well as 20 of the 56 counties with the highest spending based on an average of 2023 and 2024 spending data.

Rhetorics Of Encounter: Toward A Biocentric Theory Of Discourse, Matthew D. Whitaker

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Encounters with more-than-human identities are transformative moments that stand to affect dispositional and bodily change in individuals. From close brushes with wild animals in National Parks to everyday interactions with local ecologies, encounters invite us to feel and think differently about the nature of our realities. In Rhetorics of Encounter: Toward a Biocentric Theory of Discourse, I draw from interdisciplinary perspectives to disrupt the idea of rhetoric as a representational medium, arguing that rhetoric occurs not just through textual exchanges of words and symbols, but through embodied moments of contact with other responsive beings. Invoking George Kennedy’s theory …

Montana Resident Report: Participation In Outfitted And Guided Outdoor Recreation And Sports Tourism Within Montana, Carter Bermingham, Megan Schultz

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

While nonresidents play a significant role in outdoor recreation and travel across the state, the contribution of residents is not to be underestimated. This report sheds light on two important topics from the Montana resident perspective: 1) their participation in outfitted or guided outdoor recreation activities in Montana, and 2) their participation in travel for sport across Montana.

Impacts And Insights: Assessing The Aftermath Of Yellowstone’S 500-Year Flood In Montana, Melissa Weddell, Kara Grau, Patrick Holland-Stergar, Christina S. Barsky, Lauren K. Mckeague

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

Tourism is shaped by many elements, including natural disasters and unexpected events, which can profoundly affect visitor patterns and destination choices. While disasters typically reduce tourist numbers, occasionally they can have a positive influence. The purpose of this report is to document the flood event, analyze its impact, recovery process, and the economic losses to the region, particularly in terms of tourism visitation and revenue to the area and its gateway communities. The project was a coordinated effort among researchers from the University of Montana’s Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research (ITRR), the Department of Public Administration and Policy, and …