As teachers, one of our most important responsibilities is to help students develop dynamic and useful views of science. Using current issues to create learning experiences can help generate student interest in science and help students appreciate its significance in both personal and societal contexts. This article presents a lesson based on news…

What drives governments with similar revenues to publicly provide very different amounts of goods for which private substitutes are available? Key examples are education and health care. This paper compares spending by Brazilian municipalities on pre-primary education--a good that is also provided privately--with spending on public infrastructure…

This study combined the activity involvement and place attachment scores of trout anglers at Montauk State Park (Missouri, USA) into a typology of recreation specialization. The framework was used to explain anglers' knowledge of park resources. Highly specialized anglers were more knowledgeable about the park than those who were less specialized.…

Field trips are a basic and important, yet often overlooked part of the student experience. They provide the opportunity to integrate real world knowledge with classroom learning and student previous personal experiences. Outdoor guided field trips leave students with an increased understanding, awareness and interest and in science. However, the…

This article describes the environmental education (EE) program developed in the neighboring community of Serra da Canastra National Park based on a research project focused on the maned wolf conservation. The article assesses three tools used to foster the community's participation in discussing local issues: (1) communal production of a book…

This dissertation focused upon non-formal and informal learning practices and knowledge production amongst [adult] participants involved in local sea turtle conservation practices along the US Atlantic coast. In the United States, adult learning and adult education has historically occurred within non-formal settings (e.g., through community-based…

Outdoor recreation participation has increased over the past decades and is projected for further growth. Given the increase, it is important to assess recreationists' environmental values, activity style, general, and site-specific attitudes and behaviors to promote environmental stewardship, and to develop effective strategies in natural…

As a nature interpreter who has had the pleasure to teach, learn from, and explore with many people of all ages, it is clear to this author that these young people represent among the best hope for the future of a valuable natural place in the heart of the City of Toronto that is constantly threatened--High Park. The park is multi-use: one can…

A favorite destination for kids and adults alike, waterparks provide hours of family enjoyment. From an indoor hotel pool with water slide and spray hydrant to acres of outdoor water play opportunities like those found at Disney's Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, plenty of fun is ready at hand. Waterparks vary in size, venue design, variety of…

"Leadership for Recreation, Parks and Leisure Services" presents new perspectives on the importance of leadership in the profession. Integrating theory with practice, the book provides foundational perspectives in the study of leadership at all levels--direct service, supervisory, managerial and community/civic--in recreation, parks and…

The ASTM E1557/UNIFORMAT II standard is a three-level, function-oriented classification which links the schematic phase Preliminary Project Descriptions (PPD), based on Construction Standard Institute (CSI) Practice FF/180, to elemental cost estimates based on R.S. Means Cost Data. With the UNIFORMAT II Standard Classification for Building…

A case study is an excellent way to help students think like scientists as they work to solve a dilemma. This article describes a case study of elk in Yellowstone National Park. Students read short narratives, based on scientific research data, about the puzzling question of why some elk live substantially longer than others in certain areas of…

In 2005-2006, the National Park Service Office of Interpretive Planning at Harpers Ferry Center, in collaboration with the author, conducted an evaluation project to (a) assess the appropriateness and quality of specific elements of National Park Service (NPS) interpretive plans, (b) determine where improvements in planning might be made, and (c)…

Now that you have finished reading this journal issue and understand what interpretive planning is and when to apply it, how can you get started and just "do" it? This article provides an annotated list of practical handbooks and internet resources that provide guidelines for museum practitioners to engage in interpretive planning at institutions…

The 1988 fires at Yellowstone National Park burned 1.4 million acres in the tri-state areas of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho--encompassing the greater Yellowstone area--and burned some 800,000 acres within the park itself (Franke 2000). This article discusses this extraordinary fire event and contains helpful resources for bringing the science of…