Outdoor Recreation Research Articles

ОПЫТ РАЗВИТИЯ СИСТЕМЫ НАЦИОНАЛЬНЫХ ПАРКОВ И ЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКОГО ТУРИЗМА В РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ (1983–2023 гг.)

Against the background of the growing environmental awareness among the population and the reorientation of touristflows toward domestic tourism as well as active state support for tourism development, the Russian network of national parks, established in 1983, is experiencing considerable expansion, and an increasing significance of ecological tourism for its development isbecoming more and more noticeable. In recent years, land allocation for new national parks has been pursued with the aim of preserving unique ecosystems, creating conditions for organized outdoor recreation, and promoting environmental education. This article examines the history of development and the current state of the national parks system in Russia as well as the implementation of ecologicaltourism practices in the parks, taking into account key strategic documents and changes in the legislation of the Russian Federation.Onthe basis of the previously developed stages of the protected areas network formation up to 2001, a characterization of new, contemporary stages related to the implementation of the national project Ecology is proposed. Based on government statistics, the currentstate and specific features of funding for the national parks system are characterized. Through the study of the process of creating fournew national parks – Zigalga, Katalyk, Samursky, and Salair – the patterns and common problems of sustainable development ofecological tourism are analyzed, including conflicts with local communities, low tourist flow levels, and the need for the planning oftourism activities. The analysis based on the case-study methodology revealed the main issues that arose during the organization of thenew national parks in the Russian Federation, which include determining the recreational load, the maximum permissible and optimalflow of tourists and excursionists, and the possibilities for infrastructure placement. The authors have identified the main ways toimprove the management system of ecological tourism in the parks.

Assessment of the Potential Utilization of Urban Forests As A Public Recreational Area (Case Study in Kibitay Urban Forest, Sukabumi City)

The urban forest can provide social benefits as a public recreation area. Efforts to utilize the urban forest as a recreational area need to be carefully planned, so it is necessary to assess the recreational potential of the urban forest in order to produce effective planning. This study aims to reveal in depth the potential utilization of urban forest assets as a public recreation area based on the Determination of Outdoor Recreation Potential. The study method used is descriptive qualitative and quantitative with data collection techniques, including observation, interviews, and documentation studies. Based on the results of the assessment, it is revealed that the recreational potential of the Kibitay Urban Forest assets is included in the high recreational potential category by 64% because it has sufficient landscape feature value and high climate value and accessibility. This shows that the Kibitay Urban Forest has the potential to be used as a public recreation area, although recreational facilities are not fully adequate. Future research can consider conducting asset planning for Kibitay Urban Forest facilities in Sukabumi City as a public recreation area.

The Effect of Attitudes Towards Physical Violence and Demographic Variables on Serious Leisure Time Activity Choice

More than 1.6 million people worldwide lose their lives every year due to violence. This rate makes the phenomenon of violence one of the leading causes of death in the world and can become an element of pressure on both economic and social life. It is extremely important to evaluate the solution proposals for the phenomenon of violence from an interdisciplinary perspective. At this point, it is assumed that there is a relationship between serious leisure activities and violence. Based on this point, the aim of this relational survey research is to determine the extent to which individuals' gender, educational status, weekly participation in serious leisure time activities, and perceptions of violence affect the likelihood of preferring serious leisure time activities. A relationship survey model and a simple random sampling method were used in the study. According to the findings, participants' weekly participation time in serious leisure time activities and educational level are significant predictors of serious leisure time activity choice. On the other hand, a negative relationship was found between the activity duration of serious leisure-time participants and their perceptions of physical violence. As a result, it was revealed that the attitudes towards violence of individuals who participated in outdoor serious leisure time activities were at a lower level compared to individuals who participated in indoor serious leisure time activities.Keywords: Indoor Recreation Activities, Outdoor Recreation Activities, Serious Leisure Activities, Violence

THE RECREATION EXPERIENCE PREFERENCE AND LOCAL-CENTERED SATISFACTION STATUS OF LOCAL PEOPLE AND SECOND HOME OWNERS

This study seeks to assess the recreational experience preferences and satisfaction levels of both local residents and second home owners in Alanya. Research findings were obtained from 396 participants through a questionnaire using convenience sampling method. Descriptive statistics and ANOVA tests were applied to analyse the data. As a result of the research, it was determined that the participants mostly visited friends, could not participate in activities due to time constraints and expected recreational areas to be cleaner. While the majority of the participants in the research define the concept of recreation correctly, it can be said that they prefer to participate in outdoor recreation activities and participate in the activities with their friends. Resident foreigners attach more importance to social recognition, skill development and achievement experiences than local people. Furthermore, the satisfaction level of resident foreigners with recreational areas is higher than the local people. The independent variables account for 15% of the variation in the dependent variable.

How ocean beach recreational quality fits with safety issues? An analysis of risky behaviours in France

Beaches are highly attractive environments providing a wealth of recreational services. However, many people drown unintentionally on beaches worldwide. In the face of these dangers, the establishment of supervised swimming areas remains one of the most effective preventive measures. Despite the risk of drowning, many beachgoers choose to recreate outside supervised areas or at unpatrolled beaches. Based on a representative survey of 240 beachgoers living in the south-west of France, we combine variable clustering method and logistic regressions to predict risky location choices. Surfers, anglers and beachgoers who practice beach sports are more likely to go outside the lifeguard supervised areas at patrolled beaches than those who do not. Collecting shells or having a picnic also encourages people to go to unsafe places more often. Individuals who do not like facilities are more likely to go to unpatrolled beaches. Neither gender nor the distance travelled to recreate at the beach has any significant statistical influence in the models. Two types of information seeking behaviours can be identified. Individuals who like waves and collect marine and weather information before going to the beach are more likely than others to bath outside of patrolled areas. In comparison, those who do not like waves do not necessarily seek to improve their knowledge base on the subject, but instead look for more detailed information on supervision/lifesaving patrols. These results highlight the need for a broader beach safety perspective with stronger interactions between lifeguards, beachgoers, and designers of recreational facilities. Management implicationsIn this study, we demonstrated how preferences regarding outdoor recreation and beach recreational quality indirectly cause beachgoers to expose themselves to danger. It's therefore necessary to design recreational facilities that encourage people to remain in supervised, patrolled areas. It is also important to build a comprehensive beach safety perspective that includes lifeguards', recreational facilities designers' as well as beachgoers' representations and practices. On unpatrolled beaches, the time needed for rescuers to arrive may be delayed. Surfers and anglers who go to unpatrolled beaches more often than others could act as by stander rescuers if properly trained. The results underline the need to rethink widespread communication and prevention policy design. The findings show that people who declared themselves informed about marine weather conditions before coming to the beach are more likely than others to bathe outside supervised areas.

Beyond Urban Civilization

The genre of travel notes or a traveler's diary is definitely of interest to a wide audience and to field researchers due to the close interweaving of the cognitive and emotional levels of perception of the events observed by the author. The classic works of cultural anthropology are precisely the field notes from which future generations learn. The book under review Appropriation of Space from the series Letters of a Russian Traveler does not pretend to be scientific, but this is its advantage. The author, prose-writer Ilya Kochergin, based the text on his autobiographical experience of travelling in Siberia in the 1990s. He plunges into his memories to bring to life visions of the past. The first part of the book, Sensitivity to Geography, tells the story of his return to Altai, where he once was a forester in the Barguzinsky Nature Reserve. Despite all the measures taken, human intervention is visible in the Reserve. The author questions the very possibility for a city-dweller to experience virgin nature. In the second part, My House, the author takes the reader from the mystical space of the Altai mountains to the construction of a house in a village in the Ryazan region. The collective image here is associated with the interpretation of historical heritage. While the first chapter runs about man and nature, the second is devoted to the city versus the countryside. The third part brings the readers to the natural landscape of the middle zone, to fields, swamps, rivers, and forests. We cannot get back to nature, the cultivated lands are void of life, people, animals… The author observes the world shrink over the past decades: Russian cultural code rife with concepts of grandeur and vastness of the environment has been passed down from generation to generation, yet now it might not be adequate. In modern Russian society, the urban population predominates; in large agglomerations it is difficult to feel the true space and breadth. In the fourth part, Walks in the Water Meadows, I. Kochergin shares a tourist’s view of outdoor recreation on the left bank of the Oka river between Old Ryazan and Kasimov. The image of almost untouched nature relatively close to Moscow causes him boredom, anxiety or even fear. In the wild, different species of animals coexist in the same territory; it belongs to them, and humans are strangers here. In the final part, Inheritance, the author sets off with his teenage son along the route to the Barguzinsky Nature Reserve. A lot has changed in 30 years: transport accessibility, everyday life, and perhaps people. This part poses the key question of the book: “How can you inherit a space that doesn’t seem to belong to you? At times it is completely yours, appropriated and mastered, and at times it is completely alien.” Thus, balancing between involvement and alienation, Ilya Kochergin shares his field experience, shedding light on what is outside the urban civilization.

Examining the impact of coaching for independence in adventure sports

ABSTRACT This study of adventure sports learners expands on earlier work on adventure sports coaching. We examine learners’ perceptions of their coaching and its effect on their self-efficacy and independence as adventure sports performers. We utilise a convergent mixed approach that deploys the Outdoor Recreation Self-Efficacy Scale, pre- and post-coaching, and a reflexive thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate improved self-efficacy and greater independence as a result of the coach’s practice, supporting our initial conjecture that the adventure sports coaches in this study developed independence as a definable outcome of their coaching practice.

Changes in the attraction area and network structure of recreation flows in urban green, blue and grey spaces under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

Despite increasing attention to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on outdoor recreation, there is limited knowledge about its effects on visitor travel across cities for recreation and changes in the recreation response of blue, green and grey spaces within cities. This study examines changes in the attraction area of inter-city recreation flows within Wuhan, China, before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed a significant decrease in average attraction distance from 861.74 km to 787.77 km after the pandemic, while attraction directions remained stable. Intra-city recreation routes tend to be simplified, with average length decreasing from 40.86 km to 30.52 km and node number of recreation routes reducing from 7.02 to 5.00. However, the proportion of blue nodes in recreation routes increased significantly from 17.45 % to 23.25 %, while the proportion of grey nodes decreased noticeably from 57.36 % to 52.75 %. The proportion of green nodes did not show a significant change, but when the number of nodes exceeded 6.18, the proportion of green nodes slightly decreased below pre-pandemic levels. With the increase in the length of recreation routes, the proportion of grey nodes gradually converged to around 42 % from around 54 % before the pandemic. The total proportion of agglomeration and diffusion nodes increased from 13.71 % to 20.01 %, while the balanced nodes decreased from 8.87 % to 6.93 % after the pandemic. Notably, 35.71 % of the functional nodes before the pandemic remained their original functional type after the pandemic, but 7.14 % of functional nodes converted to weak function. These findings can assist tourism departments and scenic spot managers in developing strategies that balance pandemic control and recreation needs.

Favourite places for outdoor recreation: Weak correlations between perceived qualities and structural landscape characteristics in Swedish PPGIS study

Abstract Connections between outdoor recreation and various health and well‐being benefits are well established. However, questions remain regarding which landscape characteristics that best predict places in the landscape that correspond to people's needs and preferences. The perceived sensory dimensions (PSDs) model proposes eight basic perceived qualities that people commonly seek in outdoor environments to support complementary needs: a Natural, a Cultural, a Cohesive, a Diverse, a Sheltered, an Open, a Serene and a Social quality respectively. These PSDs have increasingly been suggested as a tool for green space assessment and planning. How strongly they correlate with objective landscape characteristics is, however, still an open question. We surveyed recreationists in Sweden, tasking them with noting their favourite places on a map (n = 275), and to report the degree to which the PSDs were present. The qualities typically reported as most prominent at these places were Open, Serene and Sheltered, while the least prominent were Social and Cultural. A cluster analysis further revealed that favourite places could be classified into two main groups regarding perceived qualities. One associated with presumably more restorative qualities, emphasising Natural and Serene settings, the other instead suggesting a more outward‐directed experience, strong in the perceived Social and Cultural dimensions. Machine learning models, however, revealed weak links between objective landscape characteristics and perceived qualities, with stronger correlations found with attributes connected to personal characteristics, such as the degrees to which a person identifies as nature or urban oriented. Although largely confirming the basic relations between the PSDs suggested by earlier studies, our results cast some doubt on the way they often have been understood and used, as describing an ‘objective’ truth of places, rather than representing qualities that largely emanate from the individual experience. Our results instead confirm previous reports of weak general links between objective landscape measures and perceived qualities. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Digitalization of planning and navigating recreational outdoor activities

Effective visitor management requires reaching visitors with fitting information at the right time through the channels they already use. To identify effective communication channels, 410 recreationists were interviewed in north-east Bavaria to determine how they plan and navigate their outdoor activities. Interviews were conducted onsite (38%) as well as through digital media (62%). The study found that the majority of people use digital tools when planning (86%) and navigating (73%) outdoor activities. Additionally, most people (84%) use more than one tool for planning activities, while almost half (48%) use only one tool for navigation. The choice of tools was largely influenced by the planned activity. Trail running (93%), mountain biking (93%), and hiking (84%) were mostly planned using a digital main tool, while sport climbing was mainly planned using an analog main tool (57%), with 87% of sport climbers using printed guidebooks. Age had a smaller effect on tool choice, with 90% of 30-year-olds using a digital main tool for planning outdoor activities compared to 73% of 60-year-olds. The study demonstrates the importance and the diversity of digital tools used for outdoor activities that need to be considered for effective visitor management in tourism as well as nature conservation.

Trail degradation caused by mountain biking and hiking: A multi-dimensional analysis

Growing demands for on-trail activities have aroused challenges of how to balance outdoor recreation and protected area conservation. Unfortunately, most previous studies have focused on only one or two degradation features, so inconsistent views (i.e., no consensus on impacts induced by hiking and mountain biking) were obtained. This study investigated a mountain biking trail, a hiking trail, and an unmanaged trail in a Hong Kong country park for 1.5 years. Five dimensions of trail degradation, namely Trail Morphometry, Soil Texture, Soil Compaction, Erosion Feature, and Recovery Feature, were identified by Explanatory Factor Analysis. Significant correlations were found between hiking and all five dimensions, while mountain biking was significantly associated only with Trail Morphometry, Erosion Feature, and Recovery Feature. Trail grade and landform grade significantly affected Trail Morphometry, Soil Texture, and Erosion Feature, but trail slope alignment was a null predictor. Hiking caused more severe trail degradation than mountain biking, even after controlling for topography. These findings supplement the existing literature by providing a comprehensive understanding of the multitude of adverse impacts caused by hiking and mountain biking. This study provides a valuable reference for sustainable trail management in protected areas that receive both hikers and mountain bikers.

Outdoor recreationists’ engagement with weather: The weather-outdoor recreation process model

The role of weather in outdoor recreation and nature-based tourism constitutes a growing area of research. Yet how and when weather influences the individual outdoor recreation experience continues to warrant investigation. Furthermore, concepts and knowledge about human-weather relationships are scattered across several disciplines. This paper consolidates the literature and relationships into a conceptual model that illustrates the ways in which recreationists engage with weather during the nature-based outdoor recreation experience. At the core of the model, constructed using a multidisciplinary literature review and expert appraisal process, is the person-weather environment fit process. During each phase of the recreation experience, individuals assess and respond to weather conditions considering their recreational goals, chosen activity, comfort, health and safety, and site access. When faced with an incongruent fit, individuals engage in a process of weather constraints negotiation. Intervening factors and negotiation responses are highlighted, as are personal and other environmental factors that may influence perceptions of the thermal context and weather. The resulting conceptual model is intended to be applicable to most individuals, outdoor recreation activities and settings, and regions. The model can be used to situate existing outdoor recreation-weather research, stimulate future research, and inform management. Management implications•The Weather-Outdoor Recreation Process Model (WORP) provides fodder for academic discourse, testable hypotheses, research ideas, and advances our collective understanding of outdoor recreation.•The model provides outdoor recreation researchers and management interested in understanding how weather plays a role or otherwise influences recreationists' experiences and behaviors with a conceptual map of recreationist-weather interactions.•Researchers may choose to use the conceptual model and accompanying literature review as a means for exploring various concepts and relationships.•Recreation managers may consult the model in order to grasp the range of possible weather concerns and identify entry points for interventions to support year-round recreation and positive outcomes for different groups.•The model can be applied in a training or formal education environment as a basis to discuss the complexities of outdoor recreation and associated variables.•Practitioners can use the WORP to identify how improvements in infrastructure and/or information provision may help increase the ability of outdoor recreationists to negotiate weather constraints.

Assessing Complexity and Stakeholder and Rightsholder Trust in Outdoor Recreation Management on the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail

The Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (PNT) traverses 1,200 miles from the Continental Divide to the Pacific Ocean. The portion of the trail in Northwest Montana and the Idaho Panhandle is at the nexus of a complex conflict situation involving outdoor recreation, wildlife conservation, and social-cultural values. This evolving conflict has gained national attention due to the diverse stakeholder interests and litigation against the US Forest Service, who administers the trail. The tension among the stakeholder groups and the various ecological and social-cultural dimensions at play illuminate the complexity of managing long-distance trails. Administrators of long-distance trails must evaluate and mitigate social, ecological, and cultural risks. This research note explores complexity and trust ecology among key PNT stakeholders, and discusses opportunities for incorporating trust research in transboundary recreation planning and research.

Place Attachment among Dispersed and Event Recreationists on Public Lands

Place attachment has received considerable attention in the outdoor recreation literature. While the core dimensions of place identity and dependence have been measured using a reliable scale, social bonding remains understudied. Based at a public land setting offering opportunities for both traditional outdoor (dispersed) and socially driven (event) recreation experiences, the study purpose is (i) develop a reliable and valid alternative social bonding scale and (ii) use the scale in an exploratory study to compare place attachment across the two recreation groups. Using quantitative survey methods, our study resulted in an alternative social bonding scale and revealed place attachment differences across activities and settings. Specifically, event participants exhibited stronger place attachments than dispersed recreationists. Among the dimensions, both place identity and dependence were significantly stronger for event goers as compared to dispersed users. Social bonding was highest among event goers with this being significantly higher than the other dimensions. Management implications of these findings are discussed.

Reducing Cancer Risk Through Primary Prevention Activities Among Children: A Demonstration Project.

Opportunities to reduce the risk of cancer, including cervical, liver, and skin cancer, start early in life. To encourage adoption of primary prevention activities in childhood to reduce cancer risk later in life, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a demonstration project with 3 National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (NCCCP) recipients. Iowa, Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB), and Pennsylvania NCCCP recipients implemented evidence-based primary prevention activities for cervical, liver, and skin cancer among children using health care provider education, patient education, and policy development. Iowa implemented an announcement approach to improve provider education on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. Pennsylvania focused on patient education for reducing skin cancer risk and both provider and patient education for liver cancer prevention. NPAIHB created a sun safety intervention for tribal organizations, including a policy guide, media materials, and patient education. In Iowa, health care providers taking the announcement approach reported significantly higher mean scores on a posttest compared with a pretest regarding perceptions about HPV vaccination, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions related to vaccination. Pennsylvania integrated sun safety education and sunscreen dispenser programs as a health and wellness initiative in 8 state parks and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources incorporated the program in its Pennsylvania Outdoor Recreation Plan. Pennsylvania also implemented health care provider education on the primary prevention of liver cancer through hepatitis B and hepatitis C screening and hepatitis B vaccination. The NPAIHB skin cancer policy guide was created and distributed for use to all 43 federally recognized tribes of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho served by NPAIHB. The identification, dissemination, and implementation of these efforts can serve as best practices for future childhood primary prevention programs. NCCCP recipients and public health professionals can use health care provider education, patient education, and policy development to reduce future risk for cervical, liver, and skin cancer among children.

Childhood sound disturbance and sleep problems in Alpine valleys with high levels of traffic exposures and greenspace

Sound disturbance and sleep problems are regarded as the most common adverse effects of environmental noise but evidence of the role of air pollution and greenspace is scant. This is especially true for children who find themselves in a sensitive developmental period and experience their environment differently than adults. This study examined the joint effects of traffic exposures and residential greenspace on child sound disturbance and sleep problems via perceptions of neighborhood quality. We used cross-sectional data for 1251 schoolchildren (8–12 years) in the Tyrol region of Austria/Italy. Questionnaires provided information on sociodemographic and housing factors, perceived neighborhood quality, sound disturbance in different situations, and sleep problems. Modelled acoustic indicators included day-evening-night sound levels and the highest percentile level, and night-time sound level and a bespoke sleep disturbance index. Nitrogen dioxide served as a proxy for traffic-related air pollution. The normalized difference vegetation index was calculated as a measure of residential greenspace, and presence of a domestic garden was self-reported. Results showed that higher level of traffic-related exposures was positively associated with sound disturbance and sleep problems, while living in a greener area, especially in a house with a garden, was associated with lower sound disturbance and less sleep problems even in the presence of traffic. Traffic exposures contributed to more unfavorable, and greenspace to more positive perceptions in terms of traffic-related stressors, opportunities for outdoor recreation, and general satisfaction with the neighborhood. This indirect path seemed more important for greenspace than for traffic exposures. In conclusion, it seems advantageous to combine traffic-related mitigation with improving access to greenspace in interventions for supporting the acoustic comfort of children during day and nighttime. Even highly nature-dominated environments could still benefit from proximal green infrastructure, especially from domestic gardens.

Grizzly bear responses to restrictions of recreation in Yellowstone National Park

AbstractAvoiding humans will be more difficult and energetically costly for animals as outdoor recreation increases and people venture farther into wildland areas that provide high‐quality habitat for wildlife. Restricting human access can be an attractive management tool to mitigate effects of human recreation activities on wildlife; however, the efficacy of such measures is rarely assessed. In 1982, Yellowstone National Park identified areas important to grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) to help protect critical grizzly bear habitat and reduce the likelihood of human injuries by bears. Referred to as bear management areas (BMAs), human access is restricted in these areas for 2–8 months each year, with timing and type of restrictions varying by area. We examined 2 datasets to evaluate grizzly bear selection of BMAs and differences of bear density in BMAs and non‐BMAs. First, we used 17 years of recent global positioning system telemetry data for grizzly bears to assess their selection of BMAs during periods when human access was allowed, and when access was restricted. We used step‐selection functions to test the hypothesis that bears spend time in places that allow them to avoid people and select quality food sources. There was support that grizzly bears differentially select for BMAs regardless of whether human access was restricted at the time, compared with areas outside BMAs, and that selection changed with sex and season. Only males during the summer and hyperphagic seasons changed their selection of BMAs based on whether access restrictions were in place, and overall, male bears preferred unrestricted BMAs (BMAs without restrictions in place). Females preferentially selected BMAs regardless of whether the area had access restrictions in place only during the mating season. Individuals varied widely in their preference for BMAs and access restrictions. Bears likely choose to spend time in BMAs based on available food resources rather than restrictions to human access. Supporting this interpretation, our analyses indicated that a greater proportion of BMA in an area was associated with higher densities of grizzly bear. Thus, restrictions to human access likely help reduce the potential for human–bear interactions, accomplishing one of the original objectives for establishing the BMAs.

Outdoor recreation, tick borne encephalitis incidence and seasonality in Finland, Norway and Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020/2021)

ABSTRACTDuring the pandemic outdoor activities were encouraged to mitigate transmission risk while providing safe spaces for social interactions. Human behaviour, which may favour or disfavour, contact rates between questing ticks and humans, is a key factor impacting tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) incidence.We analyzed annual and weekly TBE cases in Finland, Norway and Sweden from 2010 to 2021 to assess trend, seasonality, and discuss changes in human tick exposure imposed by COVID-19. We compared the pre-pandemic incidence (2010–2019) with the pandemic incidence (2020–2021) by fitting a generalized linear model (GLM) to incidence data.Pre-pandemic incidence was 1.0, 0.29 and 2.8 for Finland, Norway and Sweden, respectively, compared to incidence of 2.2, 1.0 and 3.9 during the pandemic years. However, there was an increasing trend for all countries across the whole study period. Therefore, we predicted the number of cases in 2020/2021 based on a model fitted to the annual cases in 2010–2019. The incidences during the pandemic were 1.3 times higher for Finland, 1.7 times higher for Norway and no difference for Sweden. When social restrictions were enforced to curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2 there were profound changes in outdoor recreational behavior. Future consideration of public health interventions that promote outdoor activities may increase exposure to vector-borne diseases.

MPAs As Protected Destinations: Relationships Between Outdoor Recreational Activities, Including Fishing, And Perceptions Of Marine Reserves In Puget Sound, Washington, United States

Over the last several decades, marine protected areas (MPAs)—including reserves, parks, sanctuaries, natural monuments, natural resource management areas, heritage areas, and the like—have proliferated throughout the world. In this conceptual and empirical paper, we explore the diversity and nature of MPAs in Puget Sound, Washington, focusing on outdoor recreational uses. Puget Sound MPAs qualify as marine protected destinations (MPDs) and—when taken together with adjacent gateway regions—constitute protected destination systems (PDSs). Internal PDS dynamics are examined with a human-artifactual-natural system (HANS) framework. A face-to-face social survey (N=1532) of people who frequented Puget Sound marine reserves reveals, among other findings, that (1) a great diversity of recreational activities (and associated hard and soft artifacts) populate the MPAs, (2) type of recreational activity is related to perceptions of MPAs as conservation solutions and symbols, (3) level of education is positively correlated with perceptions of MPAs as conservation solutions, (4) respondents with higher levels of education are less likely to engage in recreational fishing and more likely to recreate on the beach than those with less education, and (5) respondents with higher levels of income are more likely than those with lower incomes to recreate on the water. Looking ahead, recommendations are offered regarding social science research addressing MPA recreation and tourism issues.

Visitors to national parks show positive attitudes towards recolonising wolves in the Bohemian Forest Ecosystem

Wolves (Canis lupus) are recolonising large swathes of their former European territories after a lengthy absence. This expanding distribution brings wolves to areas of naïve human communities, inflating risks to human-wildlife coexistence. As such, understanding public attitudes and perspectives to wolf return is central to supporting human-wildlife coexistence. Wolves returned to Germany in 2000 and sporadically to Czech Republic in the 1990s, but only few studies have assessed public attitudes. No research from a protected area visitor perspective has been conducted in Europe, despite their importance for outdoor recreation and nature conservation. We conducted face-to-face surveys of visitors, administered by enumerators during 2018–2019 (n = 869) in the Bavarian Forest and Šumava National Parks, which form a transboundary protected area along the German-Czech border, where the first wolves re-established in 2015. Primarily, we applied aspects of attitude theory, focusing on the components of attitudes (ABC Model of Attitudes) to examine support for wolves from national park visitors (locally and nationally) and if the visitors' attitudes towards wolves differ. We found substantial support for wolves recolonising Germany and Czech Republic (84.5 %), and agreement that wolves belong in these national parks (89.6 %). Attitudes varied most by country of residence, with Czech visitors more supportive than Germans. Transboundary management which recognises the human dimensions of large carnivore conservation is crucial to supporting coexistence. We highlight the importance of understanding the diverse sociocultural backgrounds across Europe which may influence attitudes towards wolves, and nature conservation areas to support long-term transboundary management policies, coexistence goals, and education.