at Kansas State University
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How does interpretation influence the visitor/tourist experience?
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How do we accommodate the increasing use of parks and protected areas worldwide while, at the same time, provide for a high quality visitor experience and conservation of natural resources?
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How do we develop effective techniques for managing outdoor recreation?
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How can research integrate public perceptions, policy, and institutional constraints to inform the defensible management of natural resources?
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How do we effectively evaluate the long-term outcomes of visitor use in parks and protected areas?
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How do space (location) and time influence quality visitor experiences?
Questions such as these are the primary focus of the Applied Park Science Lab and its team. Our program of research, education, and training is designed to provide graduate students a comprehensive toolbox to effectively address the myriad of issues concerning parks and protected area management and increasing public understanding of the natural, cultural and recreational value of these resources.
Current Projects
Funding Agency
Objective(s)
To understand experiential and ecological impacts of recreational rock climbing at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Carderock Recreational Area and Great Falls Park.
Funding Agency
Objective(s)
To understand:
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visitor demographics
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trip characteristics (e.g., recreational behaviors, preferences, and motivations)
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visitor use amounts and behaviors
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visitor evaluations of services, facilities, and programs
Funding Agency
Objective(s)
Temporal and spatial distribution of outdoor recreation use and associated impacts on resource conditions.
National Park Service Overflight Lab
Funding Agency
US National Park Service
Objective(s)
Effectively track low-level overflights above 23 national park units, comprehensively describe spatiotemporal characteristics of overflight travel patterns, identify when and where overflights may be impacting terrestrial visitor experiences, and improve data processing. The lab is also developing GIS toolkits designed for future use by the National Park Service to meet the immediate needs of managers; these toolkits will process data, conduct analysis, and create overflight visualizations.
Completed Projects
Objective(s)
Evaluate spatial - temporal travel patterns of visitors, visitor thresholds, and on-site current conditions.
Objective(s)
Objective(s)
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Objective(s)
Funding Agency
Objective(s)
Evaluate visitors temporal and spatial distribution and service level satisfaction.
Funding Agency
Objective(s)
Preliminary evaluation of visitor use and the development of visitor use monitoring protocols.