A Study on Recognition and Demands of Forest Interpretation Programs: Focused on Jinju City and Gyeongnam Region

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the recognition and demands of forest interpretation programs. Questionnaire survey was carried out to estimate the awareness, necessity, future participation intent, experience, satisfaction and demands of forest interpretation programs with 100 residents living in Jinju city or Gyeongnam region. The data were subject to frequency analysis, correlation analysis, and path analysis. Overall 63% of respondents didn’t know forest interpretation programs, but 52% of respondents recognized the necessity of forest interpretation programs. 52% of respondents had the future participate intent of forest interpretation programs, and 38.3% didn’t know if they would participate. 74% of respondents had never experienced the programs. In the satisfaction, 80% of respondents who experienced showed neutral. Future participation intent was highly correlated with necessity as shown in the result of correlation analysis among awareness, necessity, future participation intent, and experience of forest interpretation programs. Also future participation intent in path analysis was estimated to be affected indirectly by experience and awareness as well as necessity. Enhancement of future participation intent would be achieved by increasing experience, awareness, and necessity of forest interpretation programs. According to the demands, forest interpreters were required to have the expertise to provide knowledge and information of forests. Attractive content for forest interpretation programs was in the order of recreational activities > forest conservation > education while the proper objective of forest interpretation programs was experience and interest > education > conservation and resource > public relation of forests and parks. Respondents preferred participation and experience the most as a style in selecting the programs. Key condition in selecting the venue was diversity > safety > connectivity > accessibility in order. There was no significantly different preference in proper participation duration or operation season for the activities of forest interpretation programs. Key words: awareness, experience, necessity, participation intent, path analysis