Outdoor Recreation Activities Research Articles

Human disturbance and habitat structure drive eurasian otter habitat selection in heavily anthropized river basins

Assessing habitat selection is essential to protecting threatened species but also to understand what factors influence species that, although globally not currently in decline, act as flagships of their ecosystems and remain highly vulnerable to human impacts, such as the Eurasian otter. This paper examines otter habitat selection at the river reach scale in two heavily anthropized river basins. Both river basins encompass a wide spectrum of human pressures and biogeographic units, which offers an excellent opportunity to assess otter responses to anthropogenic activities in different scenarios. Through two modelling approaches (structure-agnostic way and a priori hypothesized habitat factors) we demonstrate that otters currently inhabiting these human-dominated landscapes show a trade-off between a preference for highly productive areas and for well-structured and safe areas. We suggest that habitat simplification and human disturbance, which were of minor relevance to the dramatic decline of otter populations in the 20th century, are emerging as potential threats in the context of worldwide increasing land use intensification. Furthermore, we found that otter habitat requirements were remarkably more stringent for breeding site selection than for occurrence, particularly concerning variables related to human disturbance. The results of this work provide tools for integrating ecological criteria oriented to effective otter conservation into river management in human-dominated landscapes, as well as serving as methodological support for lowland river restorations. Our results suggest that long-term otter conservation in anthropized rivers will depend on ensuring the availability of habitat patches that maintain sufficient structural complexity away from intensely outdoor recreational activities.

Dynamic estimation of urban heat exposure for outdoor jogging: Combining individual trajectory and mean radiant temperature

Limited research has been devoted to exploring individual heat exposure within urban environments for those engaging in jogging activities, particularly in developing countries. Therefore, we proposed an analytical framework to investigate the differences in individual heat exposure among different motion, temporal, and spatial jogging patterns. We combined massive jogging trajectories and modeling mean radiant temperature to estimate heat exposure dynamically, using Chengdu, China, as a case. The findings indicate that mean radiant temperature varies over time and across spaces due to changing radiation and complex urban environments. Individual jogging behaviors exhibit significant temporal fluctuation and spatial heterogeneity, necessitating dynamic exposure assessment. Jogging patterns influence the heat exposure. Regarding motion patterns, looping jogging (847 °C·min) has lower sum heat exposure than non-looping (1003 °C·min). From temporal dimensions, weekend joggers face higher heat exposure than weekdays. For spatial patterns, joggers along east-west (1049 °C·min) experience higher heat exposure than along a south-north direction (866 °C·min); roadside jogging exhibits the lowest sum heat exposure and park jogging demonstrates the highest one because of the duration of jogging. Heat emission, building shade, and physical activity collectively affect heat exposure. These findings provide valuable insights for urban planners and decision-makers for promoting outdoor recreational activities and enhancing healthy urban environments.

Being “outdoors” in a new country: associations between immigrant characteristics, outdoor recreation activities, and settlement satisfaction in Canada

ABSTRACT Many immigrants in Canada experience rapid mental health deterioration as they integrate into their host country. Participation in outdoor recreation, and natural environments at large, have been suggested as a health-promoting activity that facilitates immigrants’ adaptation, fostering mental health and wellbeing. We used cross-sectional data from the Canadian General Social Survey 2016 (n = 15,876) to explore the associations between immigrant characteristics (i.e. status, length of settlement, and migration programme), participation in outdoor recreation activities, and settlement satisfaction (operationalised as satisfaction with life in Canada and with the local environment). Our findings suggest that immigrants engage in significantly fewer outdoor activities, and settlement satisfaction varies according to the length of settlement and immigration programmes (i.e. refugees, family reunification and economic immigrants). Participation in outdoor recreation activities was associated with significantly higher levels of settlement satisfaction. Participation in a broader range of outdoor activities moderated the association between immigrant characteristics and satisfaction with the local environment. Our findings have implications for recreation professionals and settlement agencies.

Racial equity facilitators of active outdoor recreation in parks and protected areas: Scale development, testing, and validation

Active outdoor recreation (AOR) can provide valuable benefits, but racial inequities can constrain participation for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Despite their potential value for park managers, limited attention has been given to assessing and understanding factors which can facilitate more equitable AOR participation. This national study included the development, testing, and validation of a new scale focused on facilitators of AOR in local parks and protected areas, including both general and racial equity oriented intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural facilitators. The scale performed well in a racially and ethnically diverse sample, exhibiting strong fit in confirmatory factor analysis, measurement invariance by race/ethnicity, gender, income, and participation status, and expected relationships with constraints, negotiation, motivations, and participation frequency. Findings demonstrate the potential utility of the scale as a tool for identifying effective and equitable facilitation strategies and examining the unique contributions of facilitators in the constraint negotiation model.

Retirement status after the age of 60 years modifies the association between anger expression and the risk of cardiovascular disease: The Circulatory Risk in Communities Study.

Anger expression is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This positive association was confined to individuals with lower perceived social support and outdoor recreational activity. However, the effects of retirement status remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether retirement status after the age of 60 years modifies the association between anger expression and the risk of cardiovascular disease in the Japanese population. This longitudinal study included 499 community-dwelling retired and employed workers aged 60-79 years, who completed a cardiovascular risk survey in 1997. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals of incident cardiovascular disease (ischemic heart disease and stroke) according to anger expression in retired and employed workers after adjusting for potential cardiovascular risk factors. A total of 37 participants experienced incident cardiovascular disease during the mean follow-up period of 14.8 years (standard deviation 5.5 years). In retired workers, anger expression was associated with an increased cardiovascular disease risk, whereas no such association was observed in employed workers. The respective hazard ratio per one-standard deviation increment of total anger expression was 1.77 (95% confidence interval 1.29-2.43) and 1.03 (95% confidence interval 0.64-1.66; P for interaction = 0.036) among retired and employed workers, respectively. A positive association between anger expression and the risk of cardiovascular disease was confined to retired workers, suggesting that continuing work after retirement age could reduce anger expression-related cardiovascular disease risk. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 385-389.

Preference-based jogging route selection in downtown Tokyo

ABSTRACT Jogging has become a popular urban outdoor recreational activity because it is inexpensive and easy. Although there are positive responses to leisure-route planning from many regions, the routes with features preferred by joggers are not commonly considered in urban planning. This article explores and evaluates methods for determining optimal urban jogging routes while considering joggers’ preferences. This study combines information about road width, green space, riverbank scenery, and various points of interest with jogging heat map data and uses a decision tree analysis to study joggers’ preferences. Next, routes with high potential considering three different patterns of points of interest and road width are selected using the vehicle routing problem analysis in ArcGIS. This method for preference-based route selection can be used to identify which links in urban road networks are attractive to runners and provide policymakers with useful information for designing built environments.

Promoting Sustainable Tourism: Assessing Student and Non-Student Youth Involvement in Outdoor Recreation Activities in Morogoro, Tanzania

Tourism, especially recreational activities, continues to be a major sector contributing to the country's foreign currency and national income. This study aimed at assessing the participation of both students and non-student youth in outdoor recreational activities so as to add knowledge by assessing students' and non-student youth’s awareness of the benefits of outdoor recreational activities, attitudes towards participating in outdoor recreational activities, and levels of satisfaction from participating in outdoor recreational activities among them. The study used a cross-sectional design, and purposive sampling was employed to include 120 respondents. Data were collected using questionnaires comprised of both closed and open-ended questions and data were analyzed using SPSS computer software together with an independent T–test to compare means of variables but descriptive data were analyzed and presented in frequencies and percentages. The results show that 55.7% of respondents were aware of the benefits of outdoor recreational activities that help in healthy and physical gains. The Majority of respondents about 44% responded that their attitude in participating in outdoor recreational activities is due to having fun with friends and family. Also, results found that there were no significant differences between male and female satisfaction in participating in outdoor recreation activities at (t88 = 1.329, P = 0.187). Finally, this study recommends that responsible actors and policymakers should do the promotion of outdoor recreation activities by raising awareness of the benefits of participating in various recreational activities.

Food for Active Outdoor Recreation: Convenience, Sustainability, and Gender Perspectives

Given increases in outdoor recreation participation observed in Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic, recent increased public recreational initiatives, and a societal focus on the 17 sustainability goals of Agenda 2030, an exploratory study was initiated to consider the role of food in the outdoor recreation experience. Specifically, the question of how food may serve as a factor in sustainable outdoor recreation was explored. The study was designed to consider patterns in outdoor recreation participation and self-reported food choices/preferences among active outdoor participants. The survey methodology used questions about outdoor recreation participation and food choice preferences to investigate this intersection of food and outdoor recreation. For example, taste, activity function, ease of use, and sustainability were considered. Unsurprisingly, taste emerged as the strongest outdoor recreation food preference factor. Results show how highly active outdoor participants perceive food’s role in 1-day and multiday outdoor recreational experiences. For example, over 90% of all respondents indicated that food was a part of their enjoyment of the outdoor recreation experience. Increased interest in the nutritional value of food used in multiday outdoor recreation activities was also reported–with 99% of respondents indicating its importance. However, the most interesting results indicated a relationship between gender and food choice/preference factors. A review of the results opens the door to further inquiries into gender and persistent gender roles as a food/outdoor recreation factor. The discussion of the results also considers the breadth of potential sustainability factors, individual and collective, and the need for more definitional clarity regarding sustainability within the context of outdoor recreation food.

Temporal Dynamics of Negative Air Ion Concentrations in Nanjing Tulou Scenic Area

Negative air ions (NAIs) are crucial for assessing the impact of forests on wellbeing and enhancing the physical and mental health of individuals. They serve as pivotal indicators for assessing air quality. Comprehensive research into the distribution patterns of NAI concentrations, especially the correlation between NAI concentrations and meteorological elements in tourist environments, necessitates the accumulation of additional long-term monitoring data. In this paper, long-term on-site monitoring of NAI concentrations, air temperature, relative humidity, and other factors was conducted in real time over 24 h, from April 2020 to May 2022, to explore the temporal dynamic patterns of NAIs and their influencing factors. The results showed that (1) the daily dynamics of NAI concentrations followed a U-shaped curve. The peak concentrations usually occurred in the early morning (4:30–8:00) and evening (19:10–22:00), and the lowest concentrations usually occurred at noon (12:50–14:45). (2) At the monthly scale, NAI concentrations were relatively high in February, August, and September and low in January, June, and December. At the seasonal scale, NAI concentrations were significantly higher in winter than in other seasons, with higher concentrations occurring in the summer and autumn. (3) Relative humidity, air temperature, and air quality index (AQI) were the primary factors that influenced NAI concentrations. Relative humidity showed a significant positive correlation with NAI concentrations, while air temperature and AQI both exhibited a significant negative correlation with NAI concentrations. Higher air quality corresponds to higher NAI concentrations. Our research provides new insights into NAI temporal dynamics patterns and their driving factors, and it will aid in scheduling outdoor recreation and forest health activities.

Quality of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Avalanche Victims with a Single Rescuer: A Prospective, Crossover, Manikin Pilot Study.

Tanaka, Shota, Koshi Nakagawa, Yosuke Kanagawa, Takashi Katsurahara, Kazuki Kozakai, Ken Tsuhako, Fumitaka Yoshikawa, Soh Gotoh, Kensuke Osanai, Madoka Sono, Hironori Inoue, Shuji Sakanashi, Hiroyuki Takahashi, and Hideharu Tanaka. Quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in avalanche victims with a single rescuer: a prospective, crossover, manikin pilot study. High Alt Med Biol. 25:60-67, 2024. Background: Winter outdoor recreational activities such as off-piste skiing have gained popularity and, as a result, the number of avalanche-related deaths has increased. However, the quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at avalanche sites remains unclear. Our study compared the quality of CPR performed in a simulated avalanche burial on a snowy mountain with that performed indoors. Methods: Ten prehospital health care providers participated in the crossover pilot study. Various methods, including over-the-head CPR (OTH-CPR) and standard CPR, were used to perform avalanche resuscitation, with five rescue breaths, followed by 30 chest compressions and two breaths. The quality CPR was judged by four variables of chest compression and ventilation. Results: The OTH-CPR performed indoors was better in quality: 5.33% [95% confidence interval (CI) -14.2 to 3.5] higher in adequate compression depth (94.3 ± 10.6% on the snow vs. 99.3 ± 1.1% indoors), 3.4% [95% CI -16.1 to 22.9] higher in adequate compression rate (70.4 ± 38.0% vs. 76.1 ± 35.7%), and 2.3% [95% CI -6.4 to 1.72] higher in adequate recoil (96.9 ± 4.8% vs. 99.2 ± 1.6%) than OTH-CPR on the snow. In terms of ventilation quality, OTH-CPR performed indoors had a 50% higher ventilation score [95% CI -73.0 to -27.0] than OTH-CPR on the snow (1.4 ± 4.3% vs. 45.9 ± 32.6%, Cohen's d = -1.81). Conclusions: Chest compression quality was slightly impaired in the avalanche scenarios on the snow than in indoor settings. Asphyxiation is the main cause of avalanche-related deaths; however, low ventilation quality was observed on snow compared with the indoor setting.

Teaching a Successful Badminton Unit: Skills and Strategies for Secondary Physical Education

Lifetime participation in physical activity is a major goal of physical education. For this reason, teachers should focus on instructional units that provide students with knowledge and skills in content areas that can be used throughout their adult lives. Examples of lifetime activities include outdoor recreational activities, cycling, water sports, winter sports, racquet sports, golf, fitness pursuits, and some team sports. One lifetime activity physical educators could consider teaching is badminton. This article provides middle and high school physical education teachers with the basic but necessary information to teach an effective badminton unit.

Towards a Healthy Urban Lifestyle: Examining Residents’ Motivators to Outdoor Recreation in Nassarawa-Kano

Outdoor recreation is currently one of the most influential domains where participation directly affects individual health, families, and communities. This expectation can motivate individuals in many ways to engage in outdoor recreation activities. This paper investigates residents’ motivators for outdoor recreation in Nassarawa, Kano, as stimuli for promoting a healthy urban life. The study employed a descriptive survey design to collect information from residents using a structured questionnaire (n=400). Cluster and systematic random sampling techniques were utilized to administer the questionnaires to target respondents. A total of 386 completed questionnaires were retrieved and used for the analysis, resulting in a response rate of 96.5%. Data collected were analyzed using frequencies, mean scores, ranking, and cross-tabulation. The findings revealed that maintaining good health condition (M=4.15), keeping physically fit (M=4.09), and having fun (M=3.92) were the most agreed-upon motivators for participation in outdoor recreation in the study area, ranked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, respectively. The study asserts that these motivators influence residents’ participation in outdoor recreation in Nassarawa, Kano metropolis across different age groups and have significantly impacted the physical, mental, and social health of the residents. The study concludes by recommending that greater participation would contribute to more vibrant and healthy communities. Therefore, efforts should be made to enlighten people further about the importance of outdoor recreation participation as a promoter of social cohesion.

Public conservation connection and support between ocean and terrestrial systems in the United States.

Terrestrial and ocean ecosystems are increasingly under threat from an array of anthropogenic pressures. And while threats mount, how people view and value nature is changing. In the United States (U.S.) in particular, there is a shift away from viewing nature as something to 'dominate,' as evidenced in the decline in hunting. However, it is unclear if or how opinions around environmental issues and conservation need might differ when comparing ocean versus terrestrial ecosystems, especially given the prevalence and continued importance of wild capture fishing in the U.S. We employed two national parallel surveys, one focused on oceans, the other land, receiving responses from nearly every state in the U.S. (N = 1,973). While we found only slight, but statistically significant more concern for ocean habitats and animals over terrestrial ecosystems, this did not translate to increased willingness to monetarily support more ocean conservation actions. Using Random Forest models, we also found the best predictor of conservation need was feeling most impacted by environmental issues personally (self and/or community), regardless of ecosystem type. In fact, land versus sea (survey) had the lowest rank in the models, underscoring the importance of general nature-based interactions. Instead, the number of outdoor recreational activities was a highly ranked variable explaining the level of reported impact to self/community, with people who participate in 2 or more activities scoring higher levels of impact, on average. Notably, people who hunt and fish, versus only do one or the other, reported higher levels of impact and participated in more activities overall, providing a more nuanced finding regarding the nature 'dominance hypothesis.' Voting, not political affiliation, was also important in explaining responses, and governmental mechanisms to fund conservation were favored over voluntary. Overall, our results add to the strong existing literature that access and connection to nature is key, but uniquely broad connection may "float all boats," especially when diversified.

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.

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.

Heat illness presentations to emergency departments in Western Sydney: surveillance for environmental, personal and behavioural risk factors.

To pilot surveillance to describe environmental, personal and behavioural risk factors for people presenting to hospital emergency departments (EDs) with heat illness. We conducted a retrospective case series and telephone interview study of people presenting to EDs across South Western Sydney, Western Sydney and Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health Districts with heat illness over the 2017/18 and 2018/19 summer periods (1 December to 28 February). We used the Public Health Rapid Emergency Disease Syndromic Surveillance (PHREDSS) 'heat problems' syndrome to identify people with heat illness and medical records to find contact details. We developed a detailed questionnaire instrument to guide the telephone interview. A total of 129 individuals presented with 'heat problems' (57 in 2017/18 and 72 in 2018/19). The median age was 44 years (range 1-89 years). Most attended hospitals via the NSW Ambulance Service (58%) or private car (40%). Of the total, 53% were classified as triage category 3 (potentially life-threatening), 27% as category 4 (potentially serious) and 16% as category 2 (imminently life-threatening). The main supplementary codes were heat exhaustion (35%), heat syncope (39%), and heat stroke (30%). The majority were discharged from the emergency department after completing treatment (73%), with 21% requiring admission. A total of 38 follow-up interviews were completed (29% response rate). Almost all individuals were exposed to heat outside their home environment: 11 (29%) were engaged in paid work, 5 (13%) in outdoor housework, and 10 (26%) in outdoor recreational activities. Our pilot surveillance study successfully collected home, local environment and behavioural risk factors on a small cohort presenting with 'heat problems' to EDs in Western Sydney during the summer months. Most were exposed to heat outdoors while engaged in work or recreation outside the home, and were preventable.

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.

Experiences of People Living with Dementia and their Care Partners in Participating in Outdoor Activities

AbstractBackgroundThere is increasing evidence for non‐pharmacological interventions to prevent dementia and delay disease progression. Outdoor recreational activities, such as visits to local parks, may help improve behavioural symptoms of dementia, cognition, and quality of life for both people living with dementia (PLWD) and their care partners. However, little is currently known about the experiences of PLWD and care partners about participating in outdoor activities. Understanding their experiences will help inform interventions and policies to promote participation in outdoor activities. Our objectives are to understand the experiences of PLWD and care partners in participating in outdoor activities.MethodsWe conducted semi‐structured interviews with PLWD and care partners, either alone or in dyads. Self‐reported characteristics of PLWD and care partners were recorded by online surveys. Interviews were recorded and transcribed for analysis. Interview questions included questions about the following topics: individuals relationships to outdoor activities; how these relationships may have changed over time; their current patterns of outdoor activities; perceived benefits of outdoor activities; potential risks of outdoor activities; and facilitators and barriers to participating in activities. The transcripts of interviews were coded by two independent members of the research team to identify common themes.ResultA total of 10 participants (7 care partners; 3 PLWD) have participated in interviews to date. Themes identified from interviews include: 1.) Outdoor activities help people maintain a sense of identity and connection with their lives before being diagnosed with dementia; 2.) Both a diagnosis of dementia, stage of dementia, and physical changes associated with aging impact on the types of activities people participate in; 3.) Outdoor activities are associated with psychological benefits for PLWD and care partners; 4.) There are unique considerations for PLWD and care partners that need to be considered when designing outdoor spaces or programs for PLWD.ConclusionOutdoor activities are important to PLWD and care partners and help maintain connections to individuals' identities and are perceived as important to maintaining quality of life. The design of outdoor spaces and activities programs for PLWD and care partners need to incorporate their perspectives to maximize participation and benefits associated with outdoor activities.

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.