Teaching an online course was always something I resisted. Like many of the colleagues I have talked to, I was worried that the lack of face-to-face interaction would significantly take away from the quality of the education for the students. With a class like Recreation Programming, I knew that students needed hands-on experience with running a…

Park managers use personal interpretation to achieve a variety of outcomes for park visitors and the natural environment. This project examines whether these outcomes are achieved, the factors influencing how the outcomes are achieved, and the overlap among these factors across the outcomes. Based on interviews with visitors in three Alberta…

In addition to regular job duties, such as tree care, mulching, irrigation, and pesticide management, urban park workers have faced environmental changes due to drought, wildfires, and West Nile virus. They simultaneously have endured expectations to manage growing, diversifying park usage and limitations on career development. An integrated…

From our perspectives at the University of Louisville, we address the need to provide structures for graduate student participation in community-engaged scholarship. Architectures of participation such as the ones we describe in this piece--the Community Engagement Academy and the Digital Media Academy--offer graduate students the opportunity to…

West Virginia University's Extension Service partnered with the Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Resources Program to improve guide performance in West Virginia's tourism industry. The result of this partnership is a West Virginia Interpretive Guide Training program aimed at providing low-cost, widely available training to guides throughout the…

This article describes the thinking behind and the implementation of the Design Your Own Park (DYOP) Competition, a collaborative project of a university, a city, and a fund-raising organization to empower neighborhoods and restore outdoor play citywide in Binghamton, New York. The city makes vacant lots and other neglected spaces available for…

During the last few years the Italian school system has seen significant changes but geography continues to be considered a boring and un-useful discipline by public institutions. The main problem is the widespread geographic illiteracy and the fact that very often people do not know the objectives, methodology and tools of geographical studies.…

Environmental interpretation has its roots in conservation. Today most interpreters recognize its importance in conserving natural and cultural resources. Nonetheless the field has invested little in contemplating how interpretation can be a mechanism for conservation. Meanwhile in the biological conservation field, the Conservation Measures…

Environmental education programs for schools in the peripheral zone of protected areas in Madagascar are still needed in numerous locations. My research investigated the status of environmental education and communication (EE&C) programs at Masoala National Park, Madagascar, as well as the attitudes of local residents toward the park and park…

Standards are suggested for urban parks and recreation agencies in serving ethnic minorities with limited financial resources. Goals involve (1) recognizing the value of recreation as a social service; (2) seeking feedback from clients; (3) confronting the harsh realities of impoverished neighborhoods; (4) making facilities accessible; and (5)…

The article discusses ways that recreation and parks programs could and should serve the Hispanic community and includes descriptions of religious and cultural activities of this ethnic group. (CB)

A computerized information system can be used by park management to project facility maintenance requirements. The benefits and uses of a computer system that records and analyzes data on budgeting, resources, scheduling, and maintenance are discussed. (DF)

This article describes both a short- and long-term strategic marketing planning approach for the parks and recreation manager. Both plans involve a needs assessment, objective development, marketing plans, and evaluations. Also discussed is a continuum of stragetic program options ranging from developing new programs to terminating existing…

Suggestions are made for financing and implementing solar energy programs in recreational parks. (JD)

Advocates of parks and recreation must face the challenge of seeing beyond traditional boundaries, embracing new alliances, and translating hopes into actions. Vision, strategy, and grassroots strength and strong leadership skills are critical to the future of parks and recreation. (CJ)