If they Treated the Whole World like a National Park: Environmental Education by Teachers and Rangers

2002 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 47-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deirdre Slattery ◽  
Alison Lugg
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Education ◽  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Nature Study ◽  
The Two Cultures ◽  
Potential Activity ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Community Issues

AbstractThis paper considers the role of rangers and education officers who present and represent their park on school trips to national parks, and their interactions with teachers who organise those trips. These shared encounters are commonplace events. They have an important potential and actual role in environmental education, but have not been the subject of much research. Both the teachers' environmental education objectives and the possibilities offered by parks are wide: nature study, ecology, parks as natural and cultural heritage, land management and community issues, recreational activities and their consequences. However this breadth of potential activity possibly exacerbates a gap between the two cultures that meet on such encounters, a gap that needs to be addressed if the participants are to be able to maximise their shared and separate concerns.Using semi-structured interviews, our research looked at the strengths and limitations of several school visits for both teachers and ranger. In this paper we report particularly on the importance of the ranger in the process. We suggest that the role of the ranger is an undervalued and under-supported link in effective environmental education.

The Impact of Concessioners on Sustainability in and around U.S. National Parks: A Case Study of Grand Teton National Park Concessioners

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Qwynne Lackey ◽  
Kelly Bricker
Keyword(s):  
Social Exchange ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
National Park ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Private Industry ◽  
Grand Teton National Park ◽  
The Impact

Concessioners play an important role in park and protected area management by providing visitor services. Historically, concessioners were criticized for their negative impacts on environmental sustainability. However, due to policy changes, technological advances, and shifting market demands, there is a need to reevaluate the role of concessioners in sustainable destination management in and around parks and protected areas. The purpose of this qualitative case study situated in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP), which was guided by social exchange theory, was to explore U.S. national park concessioners’ influence on sustainable development at the destination level from the perspective of National Park Service (NPS) staff, concessioners, and local community members. Sustainability was examined holistically as a multifaceted construct with integrated socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental dimensions. Twenty-three participants completed semistructured interviews. Researchers identified four thematic categories describing concessioners’ influence on sustainability; motivations and barriers to pursuing sustainability initiatives; and situational factors that facilitated concessioners’ sustainability actions. While participants commented on the negative environmental impacts of concessioners and their operations, these data suggest that concessioners were working individually and collaboratively to promote environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural sustainability in and around GTNP. Some concessioners were even described as leaders, testing and driving the development of innovative sustainability policies and practices. These actions were motivated, in part, by contractual obligations and profit generation. However, concessioners also had strong intangible motivators, such as intrinsic values and a strong sense of community, that drove their positive contributions to sustainability. Based on these data, we recommend that those involved in future theoretical and practical work with concessioners acknowledge the importance of both tangible and intangible motivators when attempting to promote higher levels of sustainability achievement and collaboration. This will become increasingly important as land management agencies continue to embrace strategies beyond the traditional “parks as islands” approach to management. Additionally, future work should explore more specifically the role of policy, conceptualizations of sustainability, and private industry sponsorship in promoting concessioners’ contributions to sustainability, especially in collaborative settings. This work is needed to understand if and how these observations generalize to other contexts.

scholarly journals The Impact of Mobile Phone Uses in the Developing World

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 20-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvain K. Cibangu ◽  
Mark Hepworth ◽  
Donna Champion
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Impact

In recent years, the rise of information and communication technologies (ICTs) contrasted with the dire living conditions of the world's poorest has been the subject of debate among industry and academia. However, despite the amount of writings produced on mobile phones, Western bias is surprisingly unbridledly prevailing alongside the fêted dissemination of mobile phones. Expansive literature tends to present the rapid adoption of mobile phones among rural individuals, with little to no indication of how local values and voices are respected or promoted. We undertook semi-structured interviews with 16 rural chiefs to inquire into ways in which mobile phones enabled socio-economic development in the rural Congo. Rather than using quantitative, large-scale, or top-down data, we sought to give voice to chiefs themselves about the role of mobile phones. We found that Western bias dominates the literature and deployment of mobile phones more than usually acknowledged. We suggested some paths forward, while bringing the African communal Utu or Ubuntu culture to the center stage.

A Public's Awareness of Regional Parks and Park Management Agencies with Implications for Management-oriented Interpretation

2006 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-64
Author(s):  
Carin E. Vadala ◽  
Robert D. Bixler ◽  
William E. Hammitt
Keyword(s):  
Resource Management ◽  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
National Park Service ◽  
South Florida ◽  
Park Management ◽  
Evaluation Strategies ◽  
Park Service ◽  
Management Issues

South Florida summer residents (n=1806) from five counties (Broward, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties) were asked to recall the names of two units of the National Park Service and, when prompted, to recognize each of the four national park units located in south Florida. Only 8.4% of respondents could name two units of the National Park Service, yet when prompted many more stated that they had at least heard of the national parks in south Florida. Interpreters may be able to help raise visitor awareness of resource management issues by including information about the role of the agency in their talks or as part of their interpretive theme. Suggestions for further research and evaluation strategies are provided.

scholarly journals Factors influencing local attitudes and perceptions regarding jaguars Panthera onca and National Park conservation in Panama

Oryx ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 282-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Fort ◽  
Clayton K. Nielsen ◽  
Andrew D. Carver ◽  
Ricardo Moreno ◽  
Ninon F. V. Meyer
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Land Ownership ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Panthera Onca ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Level Of Education ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Attitudes And Perceptions

AbstractThroughout its range in Latin America the jaguar Panthera onca is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, and conflict with humans. Protected areas in Panama harbour some of the last remaining suitable habitat for jaguars and are vital to conservation. However, no previous studies had assessed which factors in particular affect the tolerance of rural Panamanians towards jaguars and National Park conservation, which is important to jaguar persistence. Whether these factors are consistent with previous research on human–carnivore coexistence is unclear. To address this we estimated the number of instances of depredation of cattle by jaguars, and assessed attitudes and perceptions of rural Panamanians. We conducted semi-structured interviews in two disparate study areas: Cerro Hoya National Park and Darién National Park. Depredation events were more frequent in the latter, but only residents of the former reported conflict between people and coyotes Canis latrans. Positive perceptions of jaguars and National Parks, and criticism of park management, increased with level of education and land ownership. Men were more open to receiving help on their farms to mitigate impacts of jaguars, and more tolerant of the presence of jaguars, than women. Residents from both study areas indicated high appreciation for their respective National Parks. We provide recommendations to improve community outreach and education initiatives, and suggest priority areas for future mitigation efforts concerning human–jaguar interactions in Panama.

scholarly journals Some peculiarities of functional zoning in specially protected natural territories: case study of the Tunkinsky National Park, Russia

2021 ◽  
Vol 885 (1) ◽  
pp. 012051
Author(s):  
D G Budaeva ◽  
V D Sharaldaeva ◽  
L B-Zh Maksanova
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Organizational Conditions ◽  
Functional Zoning ◽  
Functional Zone ◽  
Functional Zones ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Gps Tracks

Abstract As the global ecosystem protection agenda continuous to unfold, the topic of functional zoning of protected areas’ remains the subject of intensive discussions. The paper discusses the essence, specific features, key factors and actions taken to improve the functional zoning of national parks in Russia. On the example of the national park “Tunkinsky” it is shown how the functional zoning has changed since its creation and what factors influenced this process. The paper presents analysis of natural, historical, cultural, socio-economic, tourist-recreational and organizational conditions for functional zone allocation in the Tunkinsky National Park, as well as changes in the composition, naming, and area of the functional zones in the national park. Using the data from geolocation services, such as photos with a given geolocation posted by tourists in social networks, and GPS tracks of tourist routes, the authors prove the validity of changes in the functional zoning of the National Park, with an increase in the recreational zone, providing an optimal combination of nature conservation, tourist and recreational and economic functions was proved.

scholarly journals Ecology - Based Environmental Education at the Kazdagi (Mt. Ida) National Park in Turkey

2020 ◽  
Vol 131 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-67
Author(s):  
S. Abdullah ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Education ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Education Program ◽  
National Park ◽  
Human Action ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Cultural Resources ◽  
Western Turkey ◽  
Sustainable Environment ◽  
International Environmental Problems

Aim of this study is to examine and evaluate the ecology - based environmental education program which was applied in years between 2003-2006 Kazdagi National Parks in the Western Turkey. Ecology - based environmental education aims at using natural and cultural resources of Kazda ð ı National Park to teach graduate research assistants and scout teachers about the nature. The expectation is to increase the environmental awareness of participants in general. At the end of the education program, it is expected that the participants will develop a better understanding of local, regional, national as well as international environmental problems; will be able to discuss and provide alternative solution to global ecological crises; and will take action in their individual lives towards creating a more sustainable environment for future. The main or purpose of the project will be to teach natural interactions in an ecosystem. Emphasis will be given to human action that has been interrupted that interaction and made natural environments less sustainable. Therefore, particular emphasis will be given to cultural ecology of the protected area and the participants are expected to develop a thorough understanding of human and environmental interaction.

scholarly journals Formation of legislation on local referendums in Ukraine: problems and perspectives

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 5-11
Author(s):  
V. V. Kravchenko ◽  
A. O. Yanchuk
Keyword(s):  
Local Community ◽  
Additional Protocol ◽  
Democratic State ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Legislative Activity ◽  
Community Issues ◽  
Legislative Improvement ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Right

The article deals with the issues related to the definition of the conceptual framework of the new legislation of Ukraine on local referendums in the context of the requirements of the Additional Protocol to the European Charter of Local Self-Government on the right to participate in local government affairs, which was ratified by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on September 2, 2014. The proposals on the legislative consolidation of the subject of local referendums, the order of their appointment, the legal force of decisions taken at referendums, etc. are formulated.The authors emphasize that legislative regulation of the initiation, organization and conduct of local referendums requires significant legislative improvement. To date, enough legislative initiatives have been developed in the field of initiation, organization, holding of local referendums and the implementation of their decisions. To implement such work in the current legislative field, a coordinated and coordinated work of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the President of Ukraine is necessary.The article concludes that the adoption of the Law «On Local Referenda» has long been overdue, and therefore the adoption of any legislative initiatives in this direction will be a step forward towards the development of a legal, democratic state in which citizens will be able to exercise their right to participate in the management of state affairs not only through state authorities and local self-government bodies, but directly – through a referendum.Consideration in the legislative activity of the Parliament of the directions of improvement of the legislation on local referendums given by us will significantly increase the role of the local referendum in the mechanism of solving local issues by the territorial community, will help to create real ways of direct solving local community issues by a territorial community.

scholarly journals An Investigation of Prospective Teachers’ Attitudes Towards National Parks and Views on Ecology-Based Environmental Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
Hilmi Demirkaya ◽  
Dilek Erduran Avcı ◽  
Hasan Genç ◽  
Huriye Deniş Çeliker ◽  
Bekir Yıldırım ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Education ◽  
Environmental Education ◽  
Social Studies ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
National Park ◽  
Educational Practice ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Faculty Of Education ◽  
Teachers Attitudes

In this study, it was aimed to determine prospective social studies and elementary education teachers’ attitudes towards national parks and views on ecology-based environmental education. In this study, which was conducted following the stated purpose, an educational practice was carried out in Termessos National Park (Antalya) for two days in 2018 with a total of 26 prospective teachers enrolled at faculty of education at Akdeniz University, of whom 11 from social studies education and 15 from elementary education. In the study, in which a mixed research design was employed, the “Attitude Towards National Parks Scale” developed by Deniş, Genç, and Demirkaya (2008) was used as a data collection tool. Pretest and posttest analyses of the data were conducted using SPSS to determine the effect of ecology-based environmental education given in the specified national park on the prospective teachers’ attitudes towards national parks. In the qualitative part of the study, the participants’ views on ecology-based environmental education were elicited through interviews conducted before and after the practice education with the help of the “interview form for ecology-based environmental education,” which was developed by the researchers. The data obtained were subjected to content analysis, which is one of the qualitative analysis techniques. The results revealed that the practice “Ecology-based Environmental Education in a National Park” positively affected the prospective teachers’ attitudes towards national parks and contributed positively to their views on ecology-based environmental education.

Place branding and local food souvenirs: the ethical attributes of national parks’ brands

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-175
Author(s):  
Lucia Pizzichini ◽  
Valerio Temperini ◽  
Gian Luca Gregori
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
National Park ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Place Branding ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tourist Destinations

Purpose This paper aims to identify what ethical attributes tourists associate with national parks’ brands shown on food souvenir labels and the influence of such attributes on purchase motivations. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory study was carried out involving a total of 102 Italian tourists, who were interviewed at two different souvenir shops in Italy. Respondents were first asked to describe what images and values they were associating with the visited Italian National Park. The second level of questions related to the association of food products with national parks and the purchase motivations of food products branded with the national park’s label. The ethical attributes associated with the national parks’ brands and their relevance in purchase motivations were detected and analyzed through content analysis. Findings The analysis of the national park brand allows highlighting the food souvenir role in communicating ethical values that influence the perceived quality of food as well as tourists’ purchase motivations. The analysis reveals interesting implications for the enhancement of local productions in tourist destinations, more specifically, how the place brand can act as a valuable communication tool. Particular attention is given to the crucial role that national parks’ brands play in strengthening the value proposition of small businesses located within parks. This vision must be implemented from the perspective of mutual promotion of local food and tourism in these parks. Originality/value The results of this paper contributed to the literature by filling the gap regarding the role of place brands in promoting food souvenirs.

scholarly journals The Nature of Imagination in Education for Sustainability

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Education ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Environmental Knowledge ◽  
Education For Sustainability ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Way Of Knowing

The importance of imagination in education has a significant history (Egan, 1986, 2001; Eisner, 1976; Greene, 1988; Steiner, 1954; Warnock, 1976); however, scholarship is often theoretical, and the involvement of imagination in understanding sustainability is often overlooked (Jones, 1995; Judson, 2010; Stewart, 2009). Imagination has rarely been the subject of Environmental Education (EE) and research. Its nature is contested, and its workings can be concealed by formal notions of knowing and learning. Contemporary environmental philosophies argue that education can often contradict its aims through limited understandings of environment and knowledge (Orr, 1991, 1992; Weir, 2008; Whitehouse, 2011). This thesis reconceptualises imagination as a way of knowing and learning in environmental terms. The study investigates the role of imagination in Education for Sustainability (EfS) contexts and critically analyses how imagination is involved in understanding sustainability for teachers and learners. The possibility of imaginationasenvironmental knowledge, and as essential to resolving environmental problems, is applied in this research.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document