Nancy Qwynne Lackey

Appreciative Inquiry was employed to understand the mutual impact of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and nearby communities’ relationships with tourism. Specifically, the goals of this study were to: understand the role of Theodore Roosevelt National Park related to stimulating regional tourism; to ascertain gateway community resident perceptions of benefits from tourism as it relates to economic development and quality of; and, to explore nearby communities’ relationships with the park and how those communities may help influence quality visitor experiences, advance park goals, and develop and leverage partnerships. Results include a collection of emergent themes from the community inquiry related to resource access and tourism management, citizen and community engagement, conservation, marketing, and communication between the park and neighboring residents. These findings illuminate the need to understand nearby communities’ relationship to public lands and regional sustainability support between public land managers and these communities.

Ecotour guides play many roles within ecotourism, making them an important part of the industry. However, ecotour guides often do not possess all the skills necessary to fulfill their roles. Training programs can help ecotour guides improve their skills, though it remains unclear which training methods are most effective. The purpose of this case study was to explore how a specific guide training program based in South Africa influences guides, and which training methods and characteristics account for that influence. Participant observation and semi-structured interviews were employed to illuminate the guide training’s methods and characteristics, which included experiential learning, role modeling, employment of exceptional instructors, diverse learning experiences, and feedback to improve program outcomes. Two outcomes in particular – transformation of program participants and increased environmentally responsible behavior – stood out, and two program limitations were also identified. These findings can assist in the development of training programs and help shape future research questions, including the need to further investigate the temporal components of ecotour guide training, the longevity of learning outcomes, and the occupational pressures that may limit an ecotour guide training program’s success.

The demand for mental health services around the world has risen dramatically. Many researchers and practitioners are looking for alternative mental health treatments, including nature-based recreation. However, reviews examining nature-based recreation’s therapeutic effectiveness are limited. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of available research regarding the potential mental-health benefits of nature-based recreation. Following the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines, a global standard established to ensure consistency and quality in literature reviews, a systematic search generated 51 articles for review. Most articles (n = 46, 90%) observed at least one positive association between nature-based recreation and mental health, including improvements in affect, cognition, restoration, and well-being, and decreases in anxiety and depression symptoms. Trends regarding the setting, population, methodology, and theoretical orientation of existing research, as well as recommendations for future research, are discussed in this review.