The document discusses the potentials and pitfalls of using rapid assessments for visitor management in parks and protected areas. Rapid assessments could involve analyzing existing visitor impact data, survey results, or social media data as a substitute for more comprehensive research. While rapid assessments have the benefits of being quick and using existing information, they have limitations due to gaps in data and agency capacity for analysis. Social media offers high potential for understanding visitor experiences but numbers of posts vary significantly between areas. Overall, rapid assessments all have tradeoffs compared to traditional research methods.
A study of the accessibility of US parks for persons with disabilities.
"the U. S. Access Board began developing guidelines for recreation areas, including campgrounds in the mid 1990’s. The final report of the Committee recommending campground accessibility guidelines were published in the fall of 1999. Currently, the guidelines are awaiting final approvals and enforcement authority from the U.S. Department of Justice. In the meantime most experts advise campground operators, whether federal, state or private, to use the proposed guidelines in designing accessible campsites, since even though final guidelines are not in place, entities are still required to insure the inclusion of people with disabilities in their campgrounds. While making physical area and facilities accessible to and usable by people with disabilities is fairly straightforward, the development and implementation of policies and administrative practices that ensure ‘program’ access are sometimes less understood, but no less important.
This study attempted to focus mostly on the policy and administrative practices that often affect the quality of the experience for people with disabilities, and in fact may well discriminate against them. "
Welcome Visitors: Critical success factors, Anna SpenceleyAnna Spenceley
A presentation mad during a World Parks Congress event "Welcome Visitors: Making Tourism Work for Protected Areas and Sustainable Development: Part 1 – Critical Success Factors" that took place on 17 November 2014 in Sydney, Australia. Supported by the IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group and UNDP
Issues and Opportunities in Environmental Evaluation in Parks and Protected A...rjpayne
The document discusses issues and opportunities in environmental evaluation in parks and protected areas. It presents three case studies: 1) evaluating Parks Canada's implementation of recommendations to protect ecological integrity, 2) evaluating impact and benefit agreements for parks, and 3) measuring visitor experiences in parks. The case studies reveal lessons about accountability, independent reviews, conceptualizing concepts, appropriate methodologies, triangulation of data, and evaluating programs at different scales.
This document provides details about a case study examining the resource utilization and management of the Victoria Esplanade urban recreation area in Palmerston North, New Zealand. It discusses the park's natural and human elements, presents the research problem and objectives, and outlines the methodology used which included surveys of park visitors. Key findings are summarized such as the dominant demographics of visitors and how usage varies over time and space. Limitations and implications for park management are also noted.
Social scientists study Denali National Park visitors to understand characteristics like annual numbers, origins, activities, and experiences. Over 400,000 people visit annually, arriving via diverse modes like buses, planes, and trains. Surveys help managers protect resources while ensuring high-quality visitor experiences, and identify trends to plan facilities. Research divides visitors into groups to better understand use patterns across activities, locations, and seasons. This informs management of soundscapes, trails and other resources.
• Presentation made at the Sustainable Tourism in Small Island Developing States conference, 23-24 November 2017, Seychelles. A partnership of the Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Foundation, IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group, University of Seychelles, Paris Tourism Sorbonne (IREST), and Global Sustainable Tourism Council.
Slide show for ISSRM 2020 Virtual Conference. Presentation by Matt Curnock, et al. on "Design of an Aesthetics Long-Term Monitoring Program for the Great Barrier Reef"
A study of the accessibility of US parks for persons with disabilities.
"the U. S. Access Board began developing guidelines for recreation areas, including campgrounds in the mid 1990’s. The final report of the Committee recommending campground accessibility guidelines were published in the fall of 1999. Currently, the guidelines are awaiting final approvals and enforcement authority from the U.S. Department of Justice. In the meantime most experts advise campground operators, whether federal, state or private, to use the proposed guidelines in designing accessible campsites, since even though final guidelines are not in place, entities are still required to insure the inclusion of people with disabilities in their campgrounds. While making physical area and facilities accessible to and usable by people with disabilities is fairly straightforward, the development and implementation of policies and administrative practices that ensure ‘program’ access are sometimes less understood, but no less important.
This study attempted to focus mostly on the policy and administrative practices that often affect the quality of the experience for people with disabilities, and in fact may well discriminate against them. "
Welcome Visitors: Critical success factors, Anna SpenceleyAnna Spenceley
A presentation mad during a World Parks Congress event "Welcome Visitors: Making Tourism Work for Protected Areas and Sustainable Development: Part 1 – Critical Success Factors" that took place on 17 November 2014 in Sydney, Australia. Supported by the IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group and UNDP
Issues and Opportunities in Environmental Evaluation in Parks and Protected A...rjpayne
The document discusses issues and opportunities in environmental evaluation in parks and protected areas. It presents three case studies: 1) evaluating Parks Canada's implementation of recommendations to protect ecological integrity, 2) evaluating impact and benefit agreements for parks, and 3) measuring visitor experiences in parks. The case studies reveal lessons about accountability, independent reviews, conceptualizing concepts, appropriate methodologies, triangulation of data, and evaluating programs at different scales.
This document provides details about a case study examining the resource utilization and management of the Victoria Esplanade urban recreation area in Palmerston North, New Zealand. It discusses the park's natural and human elements, presents the research problem and objectives, and outlines the methodology used which included surveys of park visitors. Key findings are summarized such as the dominant demographics of visitors and how usage varies over time and space. Limitations and implications for park management are also noted.
Social scientists study Denali National Park visitors to understand characteristics like annual numbers, origins, activities, and experiences. Over 400,000 people visit annually, arriving via diverse modes like buses, planes, and trains. Surveys help managers protect resources while ensuring high-quality visitor experiences, and identify trends to plan facilities. Research divides visitors into groups to better understand use patterns across activities, locations, and seasons. This informs management of soundscapes, trails and other resources.
• Presentation made at the Sustainable Tourism in Small Island Developing States conference, 23-24 November 2017, Seychelles. A partnership of the Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Foundation, IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group, University of Seychelles, Paris Tourism Sorbonne (IREST), and Global Sustainable Tourism Council.
Slide show for ISSRM 2020 Virtual Conference. Presentation by Matt Curnock, et al. on "Design of an Aesthetics Long-Term Monitoring Program for the Great Barrier Reef"
CARIBSAVE: A Sectoral Approach to Vulnerability, resilience, and climate chan...intasave-caribsavegroup
- The document summarizes a presentation given by Dr. Murray C. Simpson on CARIBSAVE's sectoral approach to assessing vulnerability and building resilience to climate change in the Caribbean region.
- CARIBSAVE takes an interdisciplinary approach to examine how climate change will impact key sectors like tourism, agriculture, water, and health on the destination scale and evaluates the vulnerability and adaptive capacity.
- A participatory process engages stakeholders through workshops to discuss sector links, complete assessment guides, prioritize issues, and identify initiatives and stakeholders to facilitate cooperation across sectors and regions in developing adaptation strategies.
This document discusses emerging research areas in sustainable tourism energies. It defines sustainable energy and sustainable tourism. Some major research areas discussed include benchmarking, green marketing, corporate social responsibility, ecotourism, green economy, the role of ICT, industry energy solutions, and policy formulation. Specific topics mentioned for future research include developing instruments to measure green positioning strategies, enhancing competitive green branding initiatives, and promoting investments in energy efficiency tourism programs.
Daniel G. Sorensen has extensive experience in ecological restoration, invasive species management, and sustainability practices. He holds a Master's degree focused on invasive plants and restoration from the University of Washington and Bachelor's from SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry. Currently he is the Integrated Pest Management and Sustainability Coordinator at the University of Washington, where he facilitates sustainable practices. Previously he held similar roles focused on invasive species and natural resource management at Scenic Hudson Inc. and Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.
CARIBSAVE: A sectoral approach to vulnerability, resilience and Climate Chang...intasave-caribsavegroup
- The document summarizes a presentation by Dr. Murray C. Simpson on the CARIBSAVE partnership's sectoral approach to assessing vulnerability and resilience to climate change in the Caribbean region.
- The partnership takes an interdisciplinary approach to model climate impacts on key sectors like tourism, assess vulnerabilities, and facilitate stakeholder participation and collaboration across sectors and destinations.
- A participatory workshop process is outlined where stakeholders provide input through breakout groups on sector profiles, vulnerability assessments, gender issues, and identifying initiatives to reduce emissions and energy use.
This document summarizes strategies and findings from an environmental initiative in Itasca County, Minnesota. It discusses (1) marketing and behavior change strategies to encourage stewardship, (2) results from a survey of shoreland owners that found most want to be good stewards but lack knowledge of ordinances, (3) focus group feedback requesting more information and assistance, (4) observations from boat surveys that shorelines could be improved, and (5) the Itasca Lake Challenge program that provides shoreline evaluations and resources to property owners. Next steps include developing a web version of the Lake Challenge and further expanding the program model to new regions, demographics, and lake development levels.
Setting Standards for Sustainable Tourism: An analysis of US tourism certific...lisaposer
The document analyzes four US tourism certification programs and evaluates how well they conform to best practices standards for sustainable tourism certification. The programs are Adventure Green Alaska, Travel Green Wisconsin, Virginia Green, and Florida Green Lodging. The analysis finds that the programs vary in how thoroughly they address procedural, environmental, social and economic criteria compared to international sustainability standards. Recommendations include improving monitoring, adding new criteria, and working towards a global certification standard.
Socio economic analysis of tourist and recreational activities in Luis PeñaLoretta Roberson
This document proposes a socio-economic analysis of tourist and recreational activities in the Luis Peña Channel Natural Reserve in Culebra, Puerto Rico. The goals are to analyze the impacts of nature-based tourism on the local community and environment, and determine how tourism can support conservation efforts. The proposed research would survey businesses, residents, and tourists to understand the economic and social characteristics of tourism in the reserve. It would also evaluate environmental knowledge and perceptions. The results could inform an integrated management plan involving stakeholders in conservation through activities like education workshops.
Transportation and Environmental Collaboration Initiative219GreenConnect
4-16-12 Green Drinks Valparaiso: Abby Corso from the Delta Institute is our featured speaker. Abby is the Senior Director, Sustainability Services at the Delta Institute.
Since 2008, The Delta Institute has facilitated a Transportation and Environmental Collaboration Initiative in Northwest Indiana (working with local partners Shirley Heinz Land Trust and Save the Dunes). Through the Chicago Wilderness Sustainability team and working with local partners, Delta has developed local stakeholder groups, hosted a series of educational workshops, developed consensus-driven natural resource prioritization maps, and developed and implemented an outreach plan grounded in the work of those local stakeholder groups.
The result of this project is a series of maps identifying high priority environmental areas that should be considered as part of any planning activity.
Research Agenda for Protected Areas in Northwestern Onatriorjpayne
The document discusses developing a research agenda for parks and protected areas in northwestern Ontario. It describes a workshop held with various stakeholders to identify priority research areas. The workshop identified four main research focus areas: the representation and value of protected areas; the effects of visitors on parks; fire and natural disturbance regimes; and issues related to co-managing parks with First Nations. Next steps include exploring challenges to research in parks, holding another workshop, and establishing a website to share the developing research agenda.
CEP Corbin - Promoting Information Management & Sharing within the Wider Cari...Iwl Pcu
Convention for the Protection & Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region – Cartagena Convention
Exchange of Experiences on LME-related Data & Information Issues
Design of an Aesthetics Monitoring Program for the GBRMattCurnock
This document describes research into designing an Aesthetics Long-Term Monitoring Program (ALTMP) for the Great Barrier Reef. The research included identifying reef attributes that contribute to aesthetic value, evaluating non-expert ratings as a monitoring method, stakeholder engagement to establish objectives, and field trials. Key findings showed that non-expert ratings can reliably detect changes in aesthetic value between reefs when accounting for observer biases. The ALTMP was designed to integrate human and AI assessments of photographs alongside other monitoring to serve as a proxy for reef health and engage various groups in reef management and restoration.
Paul Wyrwoll from ANU presents the Risks and Options Assessment for Decision-Making (ROAD) process for decision makers to assess risks in water planning, developed by the Food Energy Environment Water (FE2W) Network.
Asset Management presented at Tennessee APWAEvan Pratt
This document discusses methods for identifying, prioritizing, and justifying water main replacement and renewal projects. It describes using tools like maps, spreadsheets, and GIS to track asset condition and prioritize projects based on factors like the age of pipes, number of breaks, and consequences of failure. The document also discusses developing asset management plans for multiple infrastructure types (e.g. water, sewer, roads) and prioritizing projects across systems to make the best use of funding.
Citizen climate connect pitch k baby nov 2019 kurianbaby
Clitizen's Climate Connect Project being tested in Thrissur, Kerala, India to ground truth global climate models by integrating local knowledge and land based climate observation data through cloud based analytics.
Contact: Email kurianbaby@gmail.com
A presentation made at the IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group's Strategy and Networking event at the World Parks Congress, in Sydney 2014.
Stuart Phinn and Andy Lowe_TERN's national ecosystem data infrastructure is d...TERN Australia
This presentation outlines how Australia's ecosystem research network TERN can improve ecosystem science and management through long-term data collection and sharing. It discusses the need for sustained ecosystem data infrastructure to address challenges like how ecosystems are changing over time. TERN aims to build a collaborative network where data publication and reuse is standard practice. This will allow large-scale, coordinated data collection and analysis across disciplines. Sustaining long-term essential data collection, modeling, and synthesis through TERN can better inform decision-making and implement evidence-based environmental policy.
Daniel Meden has experience as a park ranger, conservationist, and volunteer in both the US and Uganda. He has worked for the US Army Corps of Engineers and Peace Corps, where he taught biology, led literacy activities, and managed a community resource center. Meden also has a background in scientific research on invasive plants and bird collisions. He holds a Master's degree in Biology from Western Illinois University and Bachelor's from Augustana College.
This document provides an update on the Lake Erie Biodiversity Conservation Strategy project. It discusses progress made on the viability and threat assessments, which are being conducted through expert webinars and surveys. Next steps include completing the analyses, receiving additional data, and writing preliminary results sections for the project report. It also describes the development of an information management and delivery system to provide conservation decision-makers with data, tools, and knowledge to support strategic habitat conservation in the Great Lakes region.
Potential water shortages and water stress will present a significant threat to the future growth and development of the tourism industry in the Asia Pacific region.
Nathaniel Moy seeks an entry-level position applying restoration techniques to preserve biodiversity. He has a B.S. in Ecological Restoration from Humboldt State University and experience conducting land assessments, mapping wetlands, surveying invasive species, and more. His skills include GIS, field research, and leadership overseeing children's activities.
Cycling and Sustainability: Two Wheels Good, Four Wheels Badrjpayne
This document discusses cycling as a sustainable form of transportation. It first segments cyclists into groups based on motivations and bike preferences. It then examines the infrastructure needed to support cycling, like dedicated bike lanes and interconnected paths. Three case studies on cycling infrastructure in the Netherlands, Quebec, and Victoria, BC are provided. Key lessons from these examples include the safety benefits of separating bikes from vehicles, the value of connected networks, and the importance of government support through funding, planning, and integrated policies. Challenges to promoting cycling include political will, strategic planning, and integrating policies across areas like transportation and tourism.
This document summarizes three case studies of marine protected areas (MPAs) in Canada: 1) The Scott Islands MWA, established under the Canada Wildlife Act to protect seabird habitat. 2) The Gully MPA, established under the Oceans Act to protect a significant underwater feature. 3) Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area, established under the NMCA Act to protect a representative marine area. It also discusses some of the key issues around establishing a network of MPAs in Canada, including relationships with provinces, indigenous groups, funding, balancing protection with development, and assessing effectiveness.
CARIBSAVE: A Sectoral Approach to Vulnerability, resilience, and climate chan...intasave-caribsavegroup
- The document summarizes a presentation given by Dr. Murray C. Simpson on CARIBSAVE's sectoral approach to assessing vulnerability and building resilience to climate change in the Caribbean region.
- CARIBSAVE takes an interdisciplinary approach to examine how climate change will impact key sectors like tourism, agriculture, water, and health on the destination scale and evaluates the vulnerability and adaptive capacity.
- A participatory process engages stakeholders through workshops to discuss sector links, complete assessment guides, prioritize issues, and identify initiatives and stakeholders to facilitate cooperation across sectors and regions in developing adaptation strategies.
This document discusses emerging research areas in sustainable tourism energies. It defines sustainable energy and sustainable tourism. Some major research areas discussed include benchmarking, green marketing, corporate social responsibility, ecotourism, green economy, the role of ICT, industry energy solutions, and policy formulation. Specific topics mentioned for future research include developing instruments to measure green positioning strategies, enhancing competitive green branding initiatives, and promoting investments in energy efficiency tourism programs.
Daniel G. Sorensen has extensive experience in ecological restoration, invasive species management, and sustainability practices. He holds a Master's degree focused on invasive plants and restoration from the University of Washington and Bachelor's from SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry. Currently he is the Integrated Pest Management and Sustainability Coordinator at the University of Washington, where he facilitates sustainable practices. Previously he held similar roles focused on invasive species and natural resource management at Scenic Hudson Inc. and Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.
CARIBSAVE: A sectoral approach to vulnerability, resilience and Climate Chang...intasave-caribsavegroup
- The document summarizes a presentation by Dr. Murray C. Simpson on the CARIBSAVE partnership's sectoral approach to assessing vulnerability and resilience to climate change in the Caribbean region.
- The partnership takes an interdisciplinary approach to model climate impacts on key sectors like tourism, assess vulnerabilities, and facilitate stakeholder participation and collaboration across sectors and destinations.
- A participatory workshop process is outlined where stakeholders provide input through breakout groups on sector profiles, vulnerability assessments, gender issues, and identifying initiatives to reduce emissions and energy use.
This document summarizes strategies and findings from an environmental initiative in Itasca County, Minnesota. It discusses (1) marketing and behavior change strategies to encourage stewardship, (2) results from a survey of shoreland owners that found most want to be good stewards but lack knowledge of ordinances, (3) focus group feedback requesting more information and assistance, (4) observations from boat surveys that shorelines could be improved, and (5) the Itasca Lake Challenge program that provides shoreline evaluations and resources to property owners. Next steps include developing a web version of the Lake Challenge and further expanding the program model to new regions, demographics, and lake development levels.
Setting Standards for Sustainable Tourism: An analysis of US tourism certific...lisaposer
The document analyzes four US tourism certification programs and evaluates how well they conform to best practices standards for sustainable tourism certification. The programs are Adventure Green Alaska, Travel Green Wisconsin, Virginia Green, and Florida Green Lodging. The analysis finds that the programs vary in how thoroughly they address procedural, environmental, social and economic criteria compared to international sustainability standards. Recommendations include improving monitoring, adding new criteria, and working towards a global certification standard.
Socio economic analysis of tourist and recreational activities in Luis PeñaLoretta Roberson
This document proposes a socio-economic analysis of tourist and recreational activities in the Luis Peña Channel Natural Reserve in Culebra, Puerto Rico. The goals are to analyze the impacts of nature-based tourism on the local community and environment, and determine how tourism can support conservation efforts. The proposed research would survey businesses, residents, and tourists to understand the economic and social characteristics of tourism in the reserve. It would also evaluate environmental knowledge and perceptions. The results could inform an integrated management plan involving stakeholders in conservation through activities like education workshops.
Transportation and Environmental Collaboration Initiative219GreenConnect
4-16-12 Green Drinks Valparaiso: Abby Corso from the Delta Institute is our featured speaker. Abby is the Senior Director, Sustainability Services at the Delta Institute.
Since 2008, The Delta Institute has facilitated a Transportation and Environmental Collaboration Initiative in Northwest Indiana (working with local partners Shirley Heinz Land Trust and Save the Dunes). Through the Chicago Wilderness Sustainability team and working with local partners, Delta has developed local stakeholder groups, hosted a series of educational workshops, developed consensus-driven natural resource prioritization maps, and developed and implemented an outreach plan grounded in the work of those local stakeholder groups.
The result of this project is a series of maps identifying high priority environmental areas that should be considered as part of any planning activity.
Research Agenda for Protected Areas in Northwestern Onatriorjpayne
The document discusses developing a research agenda for parks and protected areas in northwestern Ontario. It describes a workshop held with various stakeholders to identify priority research areas. The workshop identified four main research focus areas: the representation and value of protected areas; the effects of visitors on parks; fire and natural disturbance regimes; and issues related to co-managing parks with First Nations. Next steps include exploring challenges to research in parks, holding another workshop, and establishing a website to share the developing research agenda.
CEP Corbin - Promoting Information Management & Sharing within the Wider Cari...Iwl Pcu
Convention for the Protection & Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region – Cartagena Convention
Exchange of Experiences on LME-related Data & Information Issues
Design of an Aesthetics Monitoring Program for the GBRMattCurnock
This document describes research into designing an Aesthetics Long-Term Monitoring Program (ALTMP) for the Great Barrier Reef. The research included identifying reef attributes that contribute to aesthetic value, evaluating non-expert ratings as a monitoring method, stakeholder engagement to establish objectives, and field trials. Key findings showed that non-expert ratings can reliably detect changes in aesthetic value between reefs when accounting for observer biases. The ALTMP was designed to integrate human and AI assessments of photographs alongside other monitoring to serve as a proxy for reef health and engage various groups in reef management and restoration.
Paul Wyrwoll from ANU presents the Risks and Options Assessment for Decision-Making (ROAD) process for decision makers to assess risks in water planning, developed by the Food Energy Environment Water (FE2W) Network.
Asset Management presented at Tennessee APWAEvan Pratt
This document discusses methods for identifying, prioritizing, and justifying water main replacement and renewal projects. It describes using tools like maps, spreadsheets, and GIS to track asset condition and prioritize projects based on factors like the age of pipes, number of breaks, and consequences of failure. The document also discusses developing asset management plans for multiple infrastructure types (e.g. water, sewer, roads) and prioritizing projects across systems to make the best use of funding.
Citizen climate connect pitch k baby nov 2019 kurianbaby
Clitizen's Climate Connect Project being tested in Thrissur, Kerala, India to ground truth global climate models by integrating local knowledge and land based climate observation data through cloud based analytics.
Contact: Email kurianbaby@gmail.com
A presentation made at the IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group's Strategy and Networking event at the World Parks Congress, in Sydney 2014.
Stuart Phinn and Andy Lowe_TERN's national ecosystem data infrastructure is d...TERN Australia
This presentation outlines how Australia's ecosystem research network TERN can improve ecosystem science and management through long-term data collection and sharing. It discusses the need for sustained ecosystem data infrastructure to address challenges like how ecosystems are changing over time. TERN aims to build a collaborative network where data publication and reuse is standard practice. This will allow large-scale, coordinated data collection and analysis across disciplines. Sustaining long-term essential data collection, modeling, and synthesis through TERN can better inform decision-making and implement evidence-based environmental policy.
Daniel Meden has experience as a park ranger, conservationist, and volunteer in both the US and Uganda. He has worked for the US Army Corps of Engineers and Peace Corps, where he taught biology, led literacy activities, and managed a community resource center. Meden also has a background in scientific research on invasive plants and bird collisions. He holds a Master's degree in Biology from Western Illinois University and Bachelor's from Augustana College.
This document provides an update on the Lake Erie Biodiversity Conservation Strategy project. It discusses progress made on the viability and threat assessments, which are being conducted through expert webinars and surveys. Next steps include completing the analyses, receiving additional data, and writing preliminary results sections for the project report. It also describes the development of an information management and delivery system to provide conservation decision-makers with data, tools, and knowledge to support strategic habitat conservation in the Great Lakes region.
Potential water shortages and water stress will present a significant threat to the future growth and development of the tourism industry in the Asia Pacific region.
Nathaniel Moy seeks an entry-level position applying restoration techniques to preserve biodiversity. He has a B.S. in Ecological Restoration from Humboldt State University and experience conducting land assessments, mapping wetlands, surveying invasive species, and more. His skills include GIS, field research, and leadership overseeing children's activities.
Cycling and Sustainability: Two Wheels Good, Four Wheels Badrjpayne
This document discusses cycling as a sustainable form of transportation. It first segments cyclists into groups based on motivations and bike preferences. It then examines the infrastructure needed to support cycling, like dedicated bike lanes and interconnected paths. Three case studies on cycling infrastructure in the Netherlands, Quebec, and Victoria, BC are provided. Key lessons from these examples include the safety benefits of separating bikes from vehicles, the value of connected networks, and the importance of government support through funding, planning, and integrated policies. Challenges to promoting cycling include political will, strategic planning, and integrating policies across areas like transportation and tourism.
This document summarizes three case studies of marine protected areas (MPAs) in Canada: 1) The Scott Islands MWA, established under the Canada Wildlife Act to protect seabird habitat. 2) The Gully MPA, established under the Oceans Act to protect a significant underwater feature. 3) Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area, established under the NMCA Act to protect a representative marine area. It also discusses some of the key issues around establishing a network of MPAs in Canada, including relationships with provinces, indigenous groups, funding, balancing protection with development, and assessing effectiveness.
Tourism and Local Benefits in the Cayos Cochinos MPA, Hondurasrjpayne
The document summarizes tourism development and local benefits in the Cayos Cochinos Marine Protected Area of Honduras. It describes the establishment of the MPA in 1993 by offshore NGOs to protect coral cays and manage economic activities for local people. The area is home to the Garifuna people who are economically disadvantaged and dependent on subsistence fishing. Three cases of tourism development on the cays are discussed - a restaurant and accommodations, another restaurant, and a proposed dive and eco-center. Issues addressed include capacity building, institutional strengthening, marketing, and the effectiveness of partnerships between local and international organizations.
Managing Aboriginal Activities in the Cape Byron Marine Park, Australiarjpayne
The document discusses the management of the Cape Byron Marine Park in New South Wales, Australia, focusing on Aboriginal involvement and co-management. It describes how the marine park and Arakwal National Park were established through negotiations between the Arakwal Aboriginal people and state and local governments. Zoning plans for the marine park included four "special purpose" zones designated for culturally significant Aboriginal sites. Lessons learned included the importance of integrated land-sea protection that respects Aboriginal land rights and title agreements, as well as meaningful Aboriginal participation in marine park governance.
The document discusses research needs in the human dimensions of parks and protected areas. It identifies several key areas that require further research: 1) broad and in-depth research on topics from park establishment to evaluation; 2) collection and analysis of various data types including visitor activities; and 3) development of capacity through social science training and knowledge in using data to inform management. Partnerships with universities, communities and other organizations are also needed.
Understanding Intentional Harm to Snakes and Turtles: A Focus Group Approachrjpayne
This document outlines a focus group protocol to explore motivations for intentionally harming snakes and turtles. The focus groups will recruit property owners and drivers from areas where snakes and turtles are prevalent to understand why some people engage in harmful behaviors like killing snakes on their property or swerving to hit snakes and turtles while driving. The theory of planned behavior will be used to help identify factors like attitudes, social norms, and perceived control that influence intentions and behaviors regarding snakes and turtles. Key questions will probe participants' feelings and perspectives on snakes and turtles, scenarios where harmful acts may be acceptable, and how they think others view these acts. Responses will help design a follow-up survey and education program.
This document reviews literature on recreational fishers' perspectives on establishing and managing marine protected areas (MPAs). It finds that while some recreational fishers support MPAs to increase fish populations, others oppose them as interfering with fishing. Views differ based on factors like how attached people are to the area. More research is needed on how displacement may affect fishers and how to best involve fishers in decision-making around MPA establishment and management.
The document discusses coastal zone management issues along Ontario's Lake Huron shoreline. It describes various economic activities like agriculture, tourism, and water supply that occur along the coast. However, these activities are not well managed and can negatively impact the environment. The current provincial planning framework prioritizes development over local and environmental concerns. The conclusion is that new coastal management legislation is needed to better balance economic and environmental interests, as the current system fails to incorporate local perspectives.
Towards A Human Dimensions Research Agenda For Parksrjpayne
Human dimensions research examines human behaviors and interactions with natural environments. It uses interdisciplinary approaches from social sciences and humanities to understand perspectives on environmental management and inform policymaking. The document outlines four key research themes in human dimensions for parks and protected areas: 1) Understanding and managing human use; 2) Situating parks within regional socioeconomic contexts; 3) Evaluating management effectiveness; and 4) Analyzing institutional arrangements. It calls for further research on changing demographics, funding, data sharing, and training to advance the field.
Towards A Human Dimensions Research Agenda For Parks
Payne casiopa2013
1. The Potentials and Pitfalls of Rapid Assessments for
Visitor Management
R.J. Payne
Lakehead University
Transforming Visitor Management - Improving the Understanding of Protected Area
Clientele with Declining Resources
Centre for Applied Science in Ontario Protected Areas (CASIOPA) Annual Meeting
Toronto, Ontario
January 31 – February 1, 2013
2. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Introduction
Context
Parks Canada
Ontario Parks
Terms
Assessment
Visitor Management
3. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Rapid Assessments
Visitor Impacts on Parks and Protected Areas
Parks Canada's Visitor Activity Profiles
Potentials and Pitfalls
Visitor Experiences in Parks and Protected Areas
Existing Data Sources in Parks Canada and Ontario
Parks
Potentials and Pitfalls
Social Media as Data
Potentials and Pitfalls
5. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Context
Science-based decision-making and evaluation is better than
alternatives
Parks Canada
National Parks
Ecological integrity – first consideration
Then, education and visitor experiences
NMCAs
Ecological sustainability, commemorative integrity
and visitor experiences
6. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Socio-political Pressures
Generate more revenue
Science under siege
Visitor Management Capacity
Reduced: 2/3 of social scientists cut, service centres
eliminated
Direction: Real, inspiring, memorable experiences
Oversight
Auditor-General of Canada (Commissioner for
Environment and Sustainable Development)
7. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Ontario Parks
Provincial Parks
Wilderness, natural environment classes →
ecological integrity
Waterway, nature reserve and recreation: not clear if
ecological integrity is the primary objective
Non-operating parks, not managed
Conservation Reserves
Beyond designation, not managed
8. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Socio-political Pressures
86% of operating budget from tourism-related
revenues (Eagles, 2012)
Fiscal restraint
Visitor Management Capacity
Limited
Direction: none
Oversight
Auditor-General of Ontario
Environmental Commissioner of Ontario
9. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Terms
Assessment
= Evaluation
The Management
Effectiveness
Initiative (WCPA)
The Green List (WCPA)
Source: Hockings et al., 2006
10. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Source: http://www.uwex.edu/ces/pdande/evaluation/evallogicmodel.html
11. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Visitor Management
Definition: Visitor management is the practice of ensuring
that the visitor achieves a quality experience in an
environmentally sustainable manner.
Outputs: communication, interpretation, safety and
enforcement
Outcomes:
visitor impacts on natural environments
visitor experiences
WCPA work focuses on outputs rather than outcomes
12. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Rapid Assessments
Visitor Impacts on Parks and Protected Areas
Parks Canada's Visitor Activity Profiles
Legislation/policy basis
Identify socio-demographic characteristics, servicing
requirements and environmental impacts of
activities
Existing knowledge
Afford designation of “appropriate activities” based in
part on environmental impacts
13. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
An example: Hang Gliding
Deemed inappropriate
Likely environmental
impacts related to
servicing the activity
Parking, roads,
vegetation removal
Experiences PA related?
14. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Potentials
Existing information and knowledge
Supports ecological integrity part of mandate
Relatively quick
Pitfalls
Appropriateness has been contested
If appropriate, no determination of how much of the
activity
Activities are diverse (e.g., X-C skiing) and can change
If ecological integrity is NOT a management goal?
15. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Visitor Experiences in Parks and
Protected Areas
Existing Data Sources in
Parks Canada and
Ontario Parks
Parks Canada's “Visitor
Information
Program”
Pukaskwa 2006, 214 of
385 randomly
selected parties
16. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Frontcountry visitors
Purpose:
to gather information on the demographic characteristics of visitors,
to determine the visitor’s level of satisfaction with services and facilities at the site,
to determine the level of participation and satisfaction with interpretive programs and activities,
to determine the level of understanding of the site’s key messages, and
to understand more about the visitor’s trip to Pukaskwa National Park.
Potentials
Regular, randomized, protected area-level survey
Both quantitative and qualitative information
17. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Selected qualitative responses
“Scenery is something else; Great park; Great; It was a magical “AWAHEE”; all
was on or beyond our expectations; Less mosquitoes! My next visit will be in a
month of August. (I love it here); Lovely spot; Nothing at all its beautiful thanks;
The sun was shining. Scenery was breathtaking. Water was warm enough to
swim in today; c’est beau; tout y est magnifique!; too many mosquitos at the
campsite; We had a perfect visit/experience.”
Connections to “real”, “inspiring” and “memorable”, all emotional
terms
Experience → engagement?
18. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Pitfalls
Nothing about visitor experiences except qualitative
responses
Agency capacity for analysis?
At the national office
At the protected area
19. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Ontario Parks' Visitor
Survey (campers, day
use and backcountry
users)
Initiated in 1974, but
recently delivered
online
Potentials
35,000+ cases
20. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Data on origins, park(s) visited, activities, experiences,
expenditures and preferred management actions
Weighted data available on a park by park basis
Pitfalls
Analysis – limited capacity in Ontario Parks
Direction – none for visitor experiences
21. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Social Media as Data
Social media?
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Linkedin and so on
Both Parks Canada and Ontario Parks use social media
e.g., Pukaskwa National Park
e.g., Ontario Parks
Communication, promotion
Data capture
Parks and Protected Areas Research Group
22. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
“Listening” → towards “engagement” with visitors or
potential visitors
Social media analytics
e.g., Meltwater
e.g., Sentiment Metrics
Qualitative data about what people are saying about
a protected area
From a wide variety of social media platforms
23. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Banff National Park
Sentiments and Platforms
24. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Quetico Provincial Park
Sentiment and Platforms
25. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Potentials
Communicating AND listening
Connecting AND engaging
Agencies are involved in social media now
Pitfalls
Numbers (Banff NP vs. Pukaskwa NP)
Capacity, especially in Ontario Parks
Cost, but relatively small when compared to social research
26. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Conclusions
Potentials and pitfalls associated with all three possibilities for rapid
assessment
All are substitutes for quantitative and/or qualitative research
Pitfalls related to agency capacity to understand visitors, especially at
the protected area level
Social media offers high potential for understanding visitors'
experiences
New, but engaging and unobtrusive
27. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Selected References
Cole, David N. and Daniel, Terry C., 2003. The science of visitor management in parks and protected areas: from verbal reports to simulation
models. Journal for Nature Conservation, 11, (4), pp. 269–277.
Eagles, Paul, 2012. Budget implication of tourism finance of parks: Ontario Provincial Parks from 1996 to 2011. Paper presented at the 18 th
International Symposium on Society and Natural Resources, Edmonton, Alberta, June.
Ervin, J. (2003). WWF: Rapid Assessment and Prioritization of Protected Area Management (RAPPAM) Methodology. WWF, Gland,
Switzerland.
Hockings, M., Stolton, S., Leverington, F., Dudley, N. and Courrau, J., 2006. Evaluating Effectiveness: A framework for assessing management
effectiveness of protected areas. (2nd edition) IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. xiv + 105 pp.
Jurgens, P., 2012. Communities of communication: Making sense of the “social” in social media. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 30.
(3-4), pp. 186-203.
Mason, Peter, 2005. Visitor management in protected areas: From ‘hard’ to ‘soft’ approaches? Current Issues in Tourism, 8, (2-3), pp. 181-
194.
Meltwater Buzz, 2013. Listening Module [online at http://buzz.meltwater.com/products/listen-module/].
Secretariat, Convention on Biological Diversity, (n.d.) Protected Areas Management Effectiveness [online at
http://www.cbd.int/protected-old/PAME.shtml].
28. Rapid Assessments for Visitor Management
Sentiment Metrics, 2010. Social Media Monitoring. [online at http://www.sentimentmetrics.com/social-media-monitoring-tools/social-
media-monitoring.html].
University of Wisconsin – Extension, 2012. Program Development and Evaluation, [online at
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/pdande/evaluation/evallogicmodel.html].