 United
States Department of Agriculture -
Forest Service |
 Southern Research Station200 W.T. Weaver Boulevard Asheville, NC 28804 |
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 Ken Cordell, Pioneering Research Scientist |  Graph shows increase in outdoor recreation |
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Outdoor Recreation Increasing among American Adults, Survey Shows
Asheville,NC -- The USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) today unveiled the latest findings from a national survey showing the number of people participating in outdoor recreation grew by 4.4 percent from 2000 to 2007, or from about 208 million to 217 million. SRS published these and other results from the study in an article in the most recent issue of Forest History Today magazine. "Our research shows that not only are more Americans participating in outdoor recreation, the number of times they participated in many of the outdoor activities surveyed has grown," said author and lead researcher Ken Cordell, a pioneering scientist with SRS and one of the foremost authorities on recreational trends in the United States. "In general, the number of times people participated in any one or more of 60 outdoor activities increased by 25 percent from 2000 to 2007." As part of the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment (NSRE), researchers asked a cross-section of Americans, age 16 or older, about their participation in 80 outdoor activities. Twenty of the 80 activities are competitive sports or fitness activities and were not included in the Forest History Today article.
Researchers asked people about their outdoor activities in "general" such as walking for pleasure outdoors and attending family gatherings outdoors. Each of these activities experienced an increase of 14 percent in the number of times per year. Visits to farms or other agricultural settings as a recreation activity jumped 100 percent from 2000 to 2007.
Fifty of the 60 activities are defined as "nature-based," such as wildlife viewing or photography, kayaking, hunting, and fishing. Data show the number of people participating in nature-based activities grew 3.1 percent from 2000 to 2007, from 197 million to 203 million. The total number of times per year that respondents participated in nature activities jumped 32 percent during the study period. Of the 17 fastest-growing nature-based activities from 2000 to 2007, viewing or photographing flowers and trees was at the top. The number of people engaged in this activity climbed 25.8 percent, and the number of times over the last year people participated surged 77.8 percent during the study period. Second on the list is viewing or photographing natural scenery. This activity saw a 14 percent increase in number of people, with a 60 percent increase in times participated. Driving off-road is third on the list of fastest growing, nature-based activities. Between 2000 and 2007, the number of people using off-road vehicles grew 18.6 percent, and they participated 56.1 percent more times in 2007 than in 2000. Certain nature-based recreational activities declined between 2000 and 2007. Fewer people reported participating in mountain biking, coldwater fishing, and whitewater rafting. The research shows the number of people backpacking and mountain climbing also decreased during the study period; however, the number of times they engaged in these activities increased. Conversely, the number of times visiting prehistoric sites, saltwater fishing, and snorkeling declined, but the number of people engaging in these pastimes grew. The article also includes a short history of outdoor recreation in America to help set the context for what is happening today. The article concludes that while the activities people choose are changing with the times, it is clear that the general trend for nature-based outdoor recreation is up. The NSRE is an ongoing, random telephone survey of the outdoor recreation activities of Americans. SRS conducts the nationwide study in partnership with the University of Georgia and the University of Tennessee. CordellÂs article appears in the spring issue of Forest History Today magazine. Learn more about the magazine at: www.foresthistory.org/Publications/FHT/. CordellÂs findings are also featured in the most recent issue of the International Journal of Wilderness. The journalÂs Web site is http://ijw.wilderness.net/. Articles:The Latest Trends in Nature-Based Outdoor Recreation
Nature-based Outdoor Recreation Trends and Wilderness
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