Increasing visitor use in U.S. national parks leads to myriad challenges, one of which is the large amount of waste generated. In this research, visitors to three parks were surveyed to identify potential leverage points for communicating with visitors that may help increase desirable behaviors in visitors as part of the Zero Landfill Initiative…

This investigation hypothesizes that the effects derived from the reintegration of adult wilderness education will connect adults in unique ways to nature landscapes. The study is based on two cases: a five-year wilderness program that the author designed in a remote part of Canada, and a Yellowstone wilderness program that occurs yearly. The…

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…

Purpose: The System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) is a valid, reliable method for understanding how people engage in physical activity (PA) in various permanent settings (e.g., parks) and contexts. However, its utility, reliability, and validity in temporary spaces has not been examined. Temporary spaces can provide PA…

College students report using negative or non-effective behaviors to cope with personal, social, and academic stress that differ from mental health professional recommendations to meditate, exercise, and journal. Although the benefits of active and passive interactions with nature to reduce stress have been extensively documented, green spaces are…

Do more natural settings improve students' learning? We collected surveys immediately following 283 U.S.-based environmental education (EE) field trip programs for youth and used land cover data to examine the relationship between levels of naturalness, defined as the percentage of natural land cover of the EE field trip site, and student learning…

The Pacific Crest Trail is a National Scenic Trail that runs from Mexico to Canada. Use of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) has increased in the past 20 years. It is important to understand how an increase in use can impact the environment and sustainable practices, land management practices, and the hiker experience. Participants included 15 land…

This paper develops a cosmopolitical approach to multi-species inquiry in environmental education and its associated research. Drawing on Isabelle Stengers' concepts of "etho-ecology" and an "ecology of practices", the paper explores ethical and political questions of what it means to think-with nonhuman animals as sentient…

Out-of-class learning environments are important learning environments because they improve students' mental and physical health as well as providing them with cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skills. However, it is necessary to make a plan, implement and evaluate the teaching processes appropriately to efficient benefit from out-of-class…

In this article, the authors discuss the possibilities and benefits of inquiry-based learning at National Park Service (NPS) parks, historic sites, and their companion websites. They also stress that you can extend the guidance and resources that may be provided by any historic monument or park close to your school, whether it is a part of the NPS…

The National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) has long recognized that collaboration among institutions is important to honors education. In addition to its annual NCHC conferences, which offer a large forum for sharing ideas, NCHC has fostered and supported a variety of collaborative programs such as Honors Semesters and Faculty Institutes, the…

This study examined frontcountry state park visitors' attitudes toward and support for common Leave No Trace practices. Understanding state park visitors' attitudes toward Leave No Trace practices and support of the program can inform the development of effective educational communication strategies and specific messaging, for park and protected…

This practice-based approach argues service learning can teach social justice in parks & recreation management education. The US parks system creation and history is rooted in injustice. Use of US parks and park service employment remain inequitable today. Significant work must be done in the provision of recreation and park services to all…

This article explores the activity of canyoning in the natural territory of the Mercantour National Park (France). The investigation refers to the sociology of logics of action to understand the disparity of its development. The 85 canyons are explored according to their interest and their use. The interviews conducted with professionals and other…

Leave No Trace (LNT) principles help reduce outdoor recreation users' impacts on the natural and social environment. Rock climbers and climbing organizations have recently embraced LNT principles yet, there is a distinct dearth of research associated with LNT practices and rock climbers' adherence to LNT principles in their self-reported…