Visitor Safety Research Articles

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on SCUBA diving experience in marine protected areas.

Faced with the need for isolation of most people to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, a great concern for the well-being of the population has resurfaced. Considering the numerous benefits of outdoor activities to human health and well-being, we assessed whether the quality of the experience of recreational divers in a marine protected area (MPA) was impacted during the pandemic. We applied a semi-structured questionnaire to divers, collected their socioeconomic profile, preferences, motivations, experiences, and compared the results with those obtained in the previous season. We found that the quality of the recreational diver's experience remained high even during one of the world's biggest health crises. This suggests that the combination of contact with a preserved environment and the adaptation of regulations in favor of visitor safety was enough to stimulate positive experiences. Therefore, we highlight the importance of investing in adaptive management so that MPAs continue to promote ecosystem services such as human health and subjective well-being.Management implications•Quality of experience for recreational divers remained high and was unaffected after the first major wave of COVID-19 cases.•Through adaptive tourism management, MPAs can promote positive experiences even in challenging contexts.•High impact of environmental attributes on the quality of divers' experience reinforces that threats to ecosystems are social impacts.•Socially unequal access to benefits generated by MPAs may negatively influence population's support for these areas.•Efforts are needed to strengthen the equity of distribution of positive social impacts in MPAs.•Potential to provide positive experiences for users must be seen beyond economic value, but as an investment in the population's subjective well-being.

Analysis of the airborne mercury and particulate arsenic levels close to an abandoned waste dump and buildings of a mercury mine and the potential risk of atmospheric pollution

The project SUBproducts4LIFE is a research project financed by the European Union within the framework of the LIFE programme which proposes to demonstrate innovative circular economy concepts by the reuse of industrial subproducts/waste (coal ash and gypsum from coal power plants, blast furnace slag and steelmaking slag from steel factories) for the remediation at a real scale of contaminated soils and brownfield areas related to Hg mining. The area it is developing includes the waste dumps and demolition waste of the metallurgical plant of the abandoned mercury mine La Soterraña in Asturias, Northern Spain. Before this restoration research project takes place, this paper aims to evaluate airborne mercury and arsenic levels in land strongly contaminated with arsenic and mercury. The goal is to evaluate the air quality and compare it with international literature under reference levels. The study sampled gaseous mercury with a high-resolution direct reading device (LUMEX RA-915) and arsenic and mercury particulates with an IOM sampler, Casella personal pump, analyzed in the laboratory, to ensure the Health and Safety of workers, visitors and pedestrians walking near the mine and near the villages. The study concludes that As and Hg levels in the air are below 1 μg/m3 for the general public and villages near the mine. For works in the rubble area in the mine, it is recommended that workers use personal protective equipment and control measures are used to keep arsenic and mercury levels as low as technically possible.Article HighlightsGaseous Hg and airborne Hg and As particulates are measured in a strongly contaminated mercury mining and metallurgy site.High concentration of gaseous Hg is present in the strongly contaminated soils; therefore protective measures must be adopted for workers.Apart from an area with demolition rubble of a metallurgical plant, airborne Hg-As contamination is not harmful to workers or the general public.

Cruising on choppy seas: the revitalization of Jamaica as a cruise destination post COVID-19

PurposeThis article focuses on critical areas that must be adjusted and adopted in the post-Covid era. It explores strategies that are needed for the post-Covid period in cruise tourism in the Caribbean with special reference to endemic gaps in the sustainable development of cruising in Jamaica which resulted in the pre-pandemic status quo. The article aims to recommend ways of creating a road map for greater sustainability for cruise tourism in the Caribbean, the most tourism-dependent region of the world.Design/methodology/approachThe main approach is via the frame of sustainable development pillars. The methodology involved interviews with tourism and cruise industry executives and content analysis of company documents of the Jamaica Tourist Board. Additional primary data were collected from a large cruise line serving the Caribbean market. This exercise was primarily to derive insights on their customer satisfaction data. Primary data were also collected on Covid testing by Baywest Medical in Montego Bay Jamaica.FindingsIt is clear from the data that the cruise industry in Jamaica has not maximized its potential. This is largely due to the posture of large private cruise lines, which have negotiated solely in favour of their bottom line. It was also found that Jamaica has suffered from its own slow approach to the diversification of its ports and surrounding communities. Additionally, another major finding revealed that the matter of visitors has been inadequately addressed; despite cruise line data indicating a need for safer, more seamless spaces. The major strength identified is the creation of “resilient corridors” in Jamaica, which have worked well in support of the return of stopover arrivals since 2021. In fact, reported Covid cases related to the corridor have a positivity rate of less than 1% while the national figure is 9.9% for the month of July 2021, according to the Ministry of Health and Wellness.Research limitations/implicationsThis article highlights gaps in the current construct of Caribbean cruising and plots a path to bridging those gaps. The major limitation is that it focuses on the case of Jamaica. Future research should consider other islands in the region and seek to gather data directly from guests when the industry reopens, as opposed to the current approach of guest comments through cruise line documents.Practical implicationsThe practical implications are that policy-makers will be able to apply the recommendations for creating a partnership of equals, greater port and product diversification, visitor safety improvement and optimizing the resilient corridors. This will have a significant economic impact arising from greater flows of guests and extended time spent on shore.Social implicationsThe absence of cruising has had a major impact on the socioeconomics of communities in closeness, proximity to cruising, as evidenced in craft markets and ground transportation. These groupings are considered to be particularly vulnerable.Originality/valueThis paper is the first to excavate the specific hurdles, which must be tackled in the post-Covid era in Jamaica. It is of particular value to local policy-makers, local businesses and cruise lines serving the Caribbean region.

Geotourism Hazards and Carrying Capacity in Geosites of Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat Karst, Indonesia

The protection of resources and the safety of visitors are two essential elements in the sustainability of any tourism destination. The Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat karst has the potential to be developed as a UNESCO Global Geopark based on the diversity and unique nature of its geological heritage. Proper management efforts should be carefully planned to ensure sustainability of the geosite. Intact natural conditions can be a potential hazard to visitors and, conversely, the presence of visitors can interfere with the natural preservation of the sensitive karst area. Physical, biological, and human activities that may endanger visitors should be identified and limiting the number of visitors received by each geosite should also be considered. This paper aims to identify the potential tourism hazards of physical, biological, and human activities and to calculate the tourist’s carrying capacity of three geosites (Tewet cave, Nyadeng lake, and Bloyot cave) in the Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat karst. The identification of potential hazards was conducted in each geosite and analyzed and assessed using management options referencing UNEP, NPSA, and APEC, whereas the carrying capacity was assessed with reference to the Cifuentes formulation. Meanwhile, the carrying capacity was assessed at three levels, namely physical carrying capacity (PCC), real carrying capacity (RCC), and effective carrying capacity (ECC). The highest physical and biological hazards were the ravines in the Tewet cave, as well as a moderate level of risk, such as slippery, steep terrain and the presence of crocodiles. Meanwhile, the potential hazards faced by Nyadeng lake and Bloyot cave were classified as low risk. The carrying capacity assessments indicated that Bloyot cave is able to accommodate the largest number of visitors on a daily basis. Therefore, the carrying capacity results of each geosite can serve as a reference for managers to limit the number of visitors to the site in order to ensure the sustainability of Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat geosites.

Diagnosis of safety and health conditions at work in the tourism sector during Covid 19. Guachetá – Cundinamarca

According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), tourism is defined as a social, cultural and economic phenomenon, in which a movement of people between countries or in the same place of residence is generated, occasionally due to personal, work or professional aspects. The present investigation is of an observational type, cross- sectional, quantitative approach, and descriptive scope. A data collection instrument was designed with sociodemographic and occupational variables, health conditions, and occupational health and safety conditions. The results allow us to observe that of the total population only 25% have a contributory health regime, 16.7% have affiliation to the occupational risk insurer, there is a lack of knowledge about biosafety measures. identification of hazards and risks in their workplaces, and a negative impact due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Additionally, biological, chemical, ergonomic and psychosocial risks are identified, for which it is necessary to carry out a mapping of the companies in order to be able to implement the protocols, processes and procedures that guarantee the safety and health of visitors and tourists.

Minimum risk of intestinal parasitic infection to the visitors of Ghandruk, Kaski, Nepal: a pilot survey.

Ghandruk is one of the famous destinations of both international and domestic tourists situated in Kaski, Nepal. Travel-related diseases are an important aspect that one should consider before making a travel plan. Among diseases, zoonotically important ones make serious worries among visitors. In order to assess the existence of the zoonotically important parasitic disease in Ghandruk, a pilot survey was carried out by examining representative stool samples (n=51) of local residence, domestic animals, pet animals in Ghandruk. Samples were examined using direct smear as well as concentration methods. A questionnaire survey was conducted to see the associated risk factors among residents and their livestock of Ghandruk. None of the faecal samples from residents (n=14) found positive for any kind of intestinal parasites (IPs), while samples from most of the livestock: chicken (86%, 6/7), pigeons (75%, 3/4), cow (66%, 2/3), mule (60%, 3/5), and dog (60%, 3/5) showed heavy infection, except goat and buffalo indicated no infection. Eimeria spp., Ascardia spp. and cestodes spp. were the most prevalent IPs in livestock. Periodic deworming, walking outdoor with sandals/shoes, frequent use of soap and water for handwashing as reported by most of the residents (>80%) could be the main reason behind zero prevalence of IPs in them. The heavy infection among livestock may be incriminated to the contaminated vicinity and free-range livestock and poultry which were noticed in contact with river, sludge, and toilets during our field observation. Conclusively, it indicates that the residents of Ghandruk are conscious about their health, but have not paid satisfactory attention to the hygiene of their domestic animals including livestock, poultry and even pet. Though the observed parasites in livestock are of minimal zoonotic importance regarding safety of visitors, it is deemed necessary for at least to apply some preventive measures to mitigate the burden of parasites in their animals.

Generation of Dense and High-Precision Digital Elevation Model Using Low-Cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and Space-Borne TanDEM-X to Measure Exposed Area Change Due to Tidal Invasion

Tidal flats are internationally protected areas because of their environmental, geological, and economic value. Nevertheless, these are areas where casualties are common among visitors. To ensure the safety of visitors, efforts must be made to understand the geomorphologic characteristics of tidal flats. It is necessary to use three-dimensional topographic data to clearly determine when an exposed tidal flat rapidly disappears as a result of periodic tidal fluctuations. Digital elevation models (DEMs) created using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imaging and commercial photogrammetric software to measure tidal flats are produced using ground control points (GCPs). It is difficult to conduct field surveys and readings of image coordinates that correspond to these because tidal flat areas are difficult to access. The distribution of GCPs affects the accuracy of a DEM because the entire test region cannot be covered during a survey. Without GCPs, the DEM generated with the UAV images and photogrammetric software using the structure from motion (SfM) technique probably has nonlinear distortion such as a bowl shape. This paper proposes a practical method of least-squares three-dimensional (3D) surface matching with a polynomial model (LS3D-PM) to correct a distorted DEM. For this LS3D-PM matching, a global TanDEM-X DEM was used instead of a field survey to collect the GCPs in a tidal flat. Practical testing was conducted using the proposed method. The root mean square error with respect to the height decreased from approximately 1.0 m to 0.1 m, and the bowl-effect error was eliminated. With the DEM corrected using the proposed method and the classified orthoimages, the exposed tidal flat changes due to seawater invasion were estimated at different times during flood tide. This method has non-trivial technical values for quick and relatively precise DEM generations at a low cost compared to that of other techniques, particularly in emergency situations such as tsunamis, landslides, and earthquakes.

ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ЗАХИСТУ ЛЮДЕЙ ВІД НАДЗВИЧАЙНИХ СИТУАЦІЙ, ПОВ’ЯЗАНИХ З ПОЖЕЖАМИ В БУДІВЛЯХ, ЯКІ НАЛЕЖАТЬ ДО ОБ’ЄКТІВ КУЛЬТУРНОЇ СПАДЩИНИ

Purpose. Ensuring the protection of people from emergency situations related to fires in buildings belonging to cultural heritage sites by means of mathematical modeling of dynamic processes and phenomena characteristic of fire. Methods. The FDS software complex, which numerically solves the Navier-Stokes equation for low-speed temperature-dependent flows, was used to determine the dangerous factors of fire. An analytical model of the movement of people during a fire was used to calculate the evacuation time. Results. Based on the results of the simulation, the values of fire hazard factors in the volume of the building have been calculated, and the dependence of the indicators on time has also been determined. The obtained data illustrate the spread of dangerous fire factors in premises with a complex planning scheme. They are necessary for the rational placement of people in order to increase their safety in the event of an emergency. Due to mathematical modeling, we get information about which security measures should be given special attention. Scientific novelty of the obtained results lies in the fact that for the conditions of precisely such parameters of the volume-planning decisions of the building, the time of the onset of the critical value of dangerous fire factors and the time of evacuation of people from the premises have been determined. Practical significance of the obtained results lies in the possibility of using the principles and approaches presented in the work for similar cultural heritage sites to determine the necessary evacuation time, which allows increasing the safety of visitors and staff during an emergency situation. In this type of premises, special emphasis should be placed on equipping with visual indicators of evacuation routes.

DİŞ HEKİMLİĞİ FAKÜLTESİNİN İŞ SAĞLIĞI VE GÜVENLİĞİ YÖNÜNDEN İNCELENMESİ: RİSK DEĞERLENDİRMESİ ÖRNEĞİ

Risk management, which has an important place in the criteria of the Ministry of Health Quality Standards in Health, is a guide in terms of preventing or minimizing the other risks identified regarding the safety of patients, relatives, visitors, employees, facilities and environment and services provided in the hospital.
 In this study, we tried to determine the existing or potential risks by performing a risk analysis in a dentistry faculty. In the evaluation, a total of 47 risks and the hazards that cause these risks, 20 of which are at significant level, 26 of which are at medium level and 1 of which is at an intolerable level, and the precautions to be taken for each risk are specified. Considering the identified risks and recommended measures, the improvements to be made play an important role in increasing the service quality by providing significant positive results in patient and employee safety.

Food safety vs health and safety

Food safety vs health and safety

The Associations Between Visitation, Social Media Use, and Search and Rescue in United States National Parks.

Search and rescue (SAR) is vital for visitor safety in US national parks, which are popular destinations for tourists. Previous studies have described SAR and seasonal visitation patterns, but not in the context of overall visitation. In addition, studies on the association between SAR and developed park areas remain limited. Concurrently, social media can be valuable for sharing information about conservation awareness and the joy of being outdoors. However, social media can potentially be an avenue for users to share risky and dangerous behaviors performed during attempts to obtain photos and videos. The associations between SAR and social media have not been discussed in existing literature. Variables included recreational visits, developed site stay visits, backcountry visits, SAR incidents, and tweets. Data from 2017 were obtained from National Park Service visitor use statistics, the SAR incident dashboard, and the University of California, Irvine, Cloudberry application. Correlation analysis was performed using nonparametric Kendall rank correlation coefficients. Recreational visits were correlated with SAR incidents (rτ=0.415, P<0.001). Developed site stays were similarly correlated with SAR incidents (rτ=0.447, P<0.001), as were backcountry visits (rτ=0.428, P<0.001). Backcountry visits had a stronger correlation with fatalities (rτ=0.380, P<0.001) compared to developed site stays (rτ=0.304, P<0.001). Tweets were correlated with SAR incidents (rτ=0.468, P<0.001), recreational visits (rτ=0.403, P<0.001), and fatalities (rτ=0.367, P<0.001). Our findings demonstrate associations between national park visitation, SAR incidents, fatalities, and Twitter use and provides a concept framework for future prospective studies to further investigate the relationships between visitation, SAR, and social media.

Is leaning trees of Vatica pauciflora (Korth.) Blume related to their crown architecture?

Vatica pauciflora (Korth.) Blume (Dipterocarpaceae) or locally known as resak rawa is an important tree. It is categorized as vulnerable regarding the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species. We can find the resak rawa tree collection in the Bogor Botanic Gardens, which serves as a place for research and tourism. Due to the diversity in individual tree anatomy within species, understanding correlation among individual tree traits, particularly crown architecture and tree leaning, is of great interest. That will be important because the leaning trees and crown architecture will affect the risk level to the safety of visitors. We can also use the architecture of the tree crown to understand the factors that influence tree growth. This study aims to investigate the correlation between the leaning trees and the crown architecture of V. pauciflora. Eight heritage trees of the species in the Bogor Botanic Gardens at the age of 54–105 years old were purposely, sampled in this study. The variables observed were height, trunk and crown diameter, leaning tree, live crown ratio, and direction of the main branches. The results show that crown shapes will follow the leaning trees with a correlation of 0.97. The main branches will be longer in the direction of the leaning trees (y=0.9956x+11.312; R²=0.9431). Suggestions to the management of V. pauciflora are to provide information boards to visitors and pruning the crown in the direction of the leaning trees is needed. The findings could be used to formulate mitigation measures as to the risk and safety of visitors.

Risk perception and preparedness of backcountry visitors in Australia’s Snowy Mountains

ABSTRACT Effective management of National Parks requires an understanding of visitors to provide safe and enjoyable visitor experiences. Risk and preparedness of snow-based recreation is not well understood outside of the context of avalanches. This study investigated the risk perception and preparedness of snow-based backcountry visitors in the Snowy Mountains of Australia through the theoretical lens of recreation specialisation. The recreation specialisation index was an appropriate tool for segmenting snow-based backcountry visitors into intermediates and experts along behavioural, cognitive and affective dimensions. We identified an overall low perception of risk and discuss the reasons and implications of this. In contrast, level of preparedness was of a high standard among both intermediate and expert snow-based backcountry visitors. This pertained to pre-trip planning and the carrying/use of safety equipment and trip notification behaviour. The findings provide insights for land managers to enhance visitor safety and risk management for snow-based backcountry visitors.

Modern fire safety systems in shopping and entertainment centers

Currently, the number of shopping centers in Russia is increasing. For their construction, new combustible materials and design solutions are used. This creates a high fire load and requires fire safety measures. To ensure the fire safety of visitors, structural features of buildings are essential; it is also crucial to take into account the psychophysiological characteristics of people in these buildings and their level of familiarity with the main structural elements of the building, willingness to find the fire sign and do their best to leave the building. The article describes promising fire safety systems for shopping centers, their advantages and disadvantages. A specialized system of fire extinguishing means consisting of interconnected software controls and structures and a gas fire extinguishing system and smoke curtains are described.

Smart Interconnected Infrastructures for Security and Protection: The DESMOS Project

This paper presents “DESMOS”, a novel ecosystem for the interconnection of smart infrastructures, mobile and wearable devices, and applications, to provide a secure environment for visitors and tourists. The presented solution brings together state-of-the-art IoT technologies, crowdsourcing, localization through BLE, and semantic reasoning, following a privacy and security-by-design approach to ensure data anonymization and protection. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the solution was tested, validated, and evaluated via two pilots in almost real settings—involving a fewer density of people than planned—in Trikala, Thessaly, Greece. The results and findings support that the presented solutions can provide successful emergency reporting, crowdsourcing, and localization via BLE. However, these results also prompt for improvements in the user interface expressiveness, the application’s effectiveness and accuracy, as well as evaluation in real, overcrowded conditions. The main contribution of this paper is to report on the progress made and to showcase how all these technological solutions can be integrated and applied in realistic and practical scenarios, for the safety and privacy of visitors and tourists.

Studi Tentang Keamanan dan Keselamatan Pengunjung Hubungannya dengan Citra Destinasi (Studi Kasus Gembira Loka Zoo)

Image is one of the essential elements for a tourist destination and a description of the impression of a tourist destination. A good image will motivate tourists to visit a destination. The research uses Gembira Loka Zoo as an object. The purpose of this research was to identify the factors related to the image of a destination, especially in the management of the security and safety of visitors conducted by travel managers Gembira Loka Zoo. The method used in this research related to the security and safety of visitors is descriptive Research is Descriptive to investigate population and samples. The population is tourists who visit Gembira Loka Zoo and the samples are 100 respondents. In addition, researchers also conduct observation, Questionnaires and documentation in the data collection. The analysis technique used there are several steps that include the instrument of accession test, validity, reliability, hypothesis, coefficient of determination and F test and T. The result showed a Gembira Loka Zoo has a good image of tourist mind and the result showed a significant correlation between Gembira Loka Zoo Image and tourist visiting motivation. With this research is expected that manager can improve all of the aspects of Gembira Loka Zoo so it can be motivate tourist to visit.

Studi Tentang Keamanan Dan Keselamatan Pengunjung Hubungannya Dengan Citra Destinasi (Studi Kasus Gembira Loka Zoo)

Image is one of the essential elements for a tourist destination and a description of the impression of a tourist destination. A good image will motivate tourists to visit a destination. The research uses Gembira Loka Zoo as an object. The purpose of this research was to identify the factors related to the image of a destination, especially in the management of the security and safety of visitors conducted by travel managers Gembira Loka Zoo. The method used in this research related to the security and safety of visitors is descriptive Research is Descriptive to investigate population and samples. The population is tourists who visit Gembira Loka Zoo and the samples are 100 respondents. In addition, researchers also conduct observation, Questionnaires and documentation in the data collection. The analysis technique used there are several steps that include the instrument of accession test, validity, reliability, hypothesis, coefficient of determination and F test and T. The result showed a Gembira Loka Zoo has a good image of tourist mind and the result showed a significant correlation between Gembira Loka Zoo Image and tourist visiting motivation. With this research is expected that manager can improve all of the aspects of Gembira Loka Zoo so it can be motivate tourist to visit

Determinants of visitor climate change risk perceptions in Acadia National Park, Maine, USA

Nature-based tourism is one of the most economically important industries in the state of Maine, USA. Climate change impacts are projected to affect important tourism assets in Maine, which could result in behavioral shifts related to destination selection, seasonal visitation, and activity participation. Risk perceptions can be important predictors in visitor travel decisions. Recent tourism studies have focused on the effects of climate impacts on risk perceptions, but few have examined the social-psychological drivers of climate change risk perceptions. Drawing on social-psychological theories, we address this gap by understanding visitor climate change risk perceptions in Maine. We surveyed visitors to Acadia National Park in the summer of 2018 to assess the impact of socio-demographics, cognition, experience, and socio-cultural factors on visitor climate change risk perceptions. We used two-stage cluster probability sampling and intercepted 1317 visitors on site; 480 participants completed the online follow-up survey. Using hierarchical regression, we explained 45.5% of the variance in visitors’ climate change risk perceptions at a nature-based tourism destination. Visitors identifying as female, having higher levels of belief in climate change, more first-hand experience with climate impacts, and a higher altruistic values orientation amplified risk perceptions. Understanding determinants of climate change risk perceptions within an outdoor recreation setting has implications for offering high quality visitor experiences while maintaining the integrity of the natural resource base upon which visitation relies. Risk perceptions can be important predictors of visitor travel behavior. Climate change is expected to impact nature-based tourism visitor experiences and travel decisions, natural and cultural resources that serve as attractions, and visitor safety in protected areas. Understanding the drivers of climate change risk perceptions are important for managing visitors and their recreation behaviors while providing satisfactory tourism experiences. If park managers and other tourism stakeholders want to convey information about climate change with the goal of influencing perceptions and behaviors, we suggest that they focus on visitors’ past experiences with climate change impacts and appeals to altruistic values, rather than solely providing climate change facts. Understanding how to motivate visitor compliance with park policies and visitor resource use guidelines will be critical in maintaining positive visitor experience in nature-based tourism settings and protecting the integrity of natural and cultural resources from changes in visitation, such as increased tourist numbers. • Climate change risk perceptions will likely influence visitor behaviors. • We sampled visitors to Acadia National Park to measure social-psychological factors contributing to climate change risk perceptions. • Identifying as female, belief in climate change, experience with climate impacts, and altruistic values increased visitors' risk perceptions.

DANGER! NO HIKING! Risky hiking decisions, framing of normative warning messages, and self-exempting beliefs

Natural resource managers are often dismayed that visitors disobey warning signs, which can contribute to accidents and injuries. This study examined whether normative content within signs as well as internal beliefs of the hiker predicted responses to warning messages. College students ( N = 198) with recent hiking experience read four hypothetical risky hiking scenarios (e.g., getting too close to a cliff edge or bison) and were shown warning signs that varied norm type (injunctive versus descriptive) and framing (positive versus negative). Participants rated likelihood to hike and get hurt, and responded to scales measuring self-exempting beliefs and risk attitudes. Signs with descriptive norms and negative framing were most effective. Self-exempting beliefs were better predictors of likelihood to hike and get hurt ratings than risk attitudes. Results suggest that visitor safety might be enhanced by framing warning messages to include descriptive normative information and to target self-exempting beliefs.

Sonic Tomograph as a Tool Supporting the Sustainable Management of Historical Greenery of the UMCS Botanical Garden in Lublin

The mission of botanical gardens is to work towards the conservation and sustainable use of plant diversity. In the case of gardens established on the premises of former manor estates, actions are also being taken to properly manage existing natural resources, e.g., historic tree stands. This article is based on the case study of the Botanical Garden in Lublin. To assess the health condition of the trees growing in the oldest part of the park—Kościuszko Redoubt—sonic tomography examinations were performed. The article presents the practical application of a newer form of digital imaging, put to the service of assessing the health of old trees in an important public space. The Redoubt is the only work of defense architecture in Poland related to the activity of General Tadeusz Kościuszko, the hero of Poland and the United States of America. It has survived in an excellent condition, preserved without significant changes, as an earth structure with ramparts; an interior, i.e., a yard; a cannon post located on an inaccessible cliff; and a brick basement serving as a shelter for soldiers and a warehouse. The entire surroundings also survived: ravines masked with a wild green, embankments with a safe hidden access road to the Redoubt, and a shaped defense line. The Botanical Garden area is located in the Sławinek district, in the valley of the Czechówka River, and includes a fragment of it and the slope adjacent to the west, cut by three loess ravines. The Botanical Garden was established in 1965, where there was a manor farm earlier, and then in the 19th century, a spa that was destroyed during World War I and II. Good soils and a varied microclimate provide the right ecological conditions for the high biodiversity of plants. With an area of 21.15 ha, the Garden area has the character of a landscape park with the theme of a manor garden from the turn of the 18th/19th century and a spa garden. The primary purpose of the work was to investigate the effectiveness of the use of computer tools in the sustainable management of historical greenery in the Botanical Garden. Research has shown that diagnostics with the use of sound waves allow for an accurate diagnosis and quick protective measures against the tree, improving the safety of visitors to the botanical garden. Moreover, the obtained results and a historical query were used to prepare an application to recognize Redoubt as a monument.