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Research Focus

Outdoor Recreation

Outdoor recreation like jogging, biking, camping, boating, fishing, etc. is an important and meaningful part of many people’s lives. At the same time, managing parks and natural places for both people and nature presents special challenges. In some cases, there may be conflicts among recreationists and some recreational uses can also take a toll on the environment.

We study outdoor recreation in order to understand the meaning of these recreation activities in people’s lives and to think about how different recreation needs and priorities can be accommodated in public spaces. Therefore, managing parks and natural places for both people and nature presents special challenges.

Selected Research

• What Attracts and Repels Visitors to Urban Recreation and Environmental Education Sites?
• Eating Sport-caught Fish from an Industrial Urban Area: Anglers Consider the Risks
• Talking with Hmong Americans about Their Culture and Use of Public Lands
• Rapid Issue Tracking: Taking the Pulse of Media Attention and Public Discussion
• Private Landowner Attitudes toward Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Access in Minnesota