A method for scaling attitudes, based upon Fishbein's expectancy-value model, was developed and used in a study in Shenandoah National Park. Individual survey responses on a particular item were placed in one of four quadrants for analysis. Three strategies for developing interpretive messages were suggested to improve mean item scores. (BW)

The next year or two will determine just how hard state park and recreation agencies have been hit by the troubled economy and whether or not they can maintain quality services while expanding where necessary to meet their share of society's leisure needs. (JD)

Describes an aerobic activity set to music for children that mimics animal movements. Example exercises include walking like a penguin or jumping like a cricket. Stresses basic aerobic principles and designing the program at the level of children's motor skills. Benefits include reaching people who normally don't visit nature centers, and bridging…

Teachers wishing to teach experientially and to include environmental outdoor education in their classes must have the knowledge and skills to overcome barriers that may impede their way to this goal. Common barriers include senior administrative support, teachers' comfort and competence levels, scheduling outdoor explorations, terrain and sites,…

Reviews what current research says about the holistic health benefits of park and recreation services, focusing on: health benefits according to park users; physical activities in parks; stress reduction benefits of park use; social support, self-determination, and stress reduction; observing nature in parks and associated benefits; and the…

Investigates the development of park visitors' knowledge, values, and beliefs during their visit to the Midway Geyser Basin. Draws on prior work in the areas of museum and informal education, and public understanding of science and cognitive psychology. Interprets the results in terms of park visitors' knowledge systems, how the experience…

Discusses the results of a survey in which participants at evening campfire programs on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina were asked to rate their degree of interest in different types and topics of interpretive programs, and to rate different reasons for attending programs. (LZ)

Describes a program conducted by the Boston National Historical Park and the nonprofit historic sites along Boston's Freedom Trail to provide opportunities for teachers to learn more about local history and to interpret that history in their classrooms. Involves workshops and a summer teacher institute. (LZ)

Describes how a Brazilian city, Curitiba, is successfully curbing environmental degradation through recycling efforts, transportation, housing, and land use changes. These projects include tree planting, decreased automobile use, a simple technology that enables buses to run as quickly and efficiently as subways, and increasing city open space…

In Alaska's extensive parks and preserves, the National Park Service is in the difficult position of mediating between traditional Native subsistence practices and Western concepts of environmental conservation. Ethnographic research has raised awareness of the importance of harvest practices to rural Native groups for survival, cultural…

Explores how community parks and schools can cooperate to create natural environments for their schools. Examples are provided of schoolyard improvement partnerships for elementary schools. (GR)

A collaborative program of Indiana University and the National Park Service, the National Center on Accessibility provides research, training, and technical assistance to link the needs and preferences of people with disabilities to practitioners designing facilities and planning programs in parks and recreation. Research and recommendations…

In 1987, Frank and Deborah Popper, a planner/geographer team from Rutgers University, proposed the Buffalo Commons. If implemented, the Buffalo Commons would have preserved a large area of the Great Plains, including land in ten states, in a national park to be used by exiting Native American reservations, and for the reintroduction of buffalo.

A phenomenological approach was used to investigate the longitudinal recollections of participants of an out-of-school science program. The experience was a field trip to the Shenandoah National Park (USA) conducted in the fall of 2004. The science topic was geologic history and features related to the Shenandoah Valley. Two major themes relating…

As part of their course, the authors were asked to teach a mathematics lesson to a class of Y6 pupils. Since they did not know the pupils, they felt that the theme of the session was of the utmost importance, so they chose something which they hoped would stimulate the pupils' imagination and entice them into the session. They wanted to use…