Senior Degree Project: An Introductory Bibliography
As I begin my journey into understanding why America’s young people are not visiting national parks and other outdoor spaces as much as they could and should be, it is vital for me to collect a strong reference base of previously accumulated knowledge surrounding this issue and its satellite inquiries. This is an introductory list of the sources I have collected for this purpose so far as well as a mind map breaking down the information into hierarchical streams of thought.
Five Ways to Make the Outdoors More Inclusive. (n.d.). Retrieved December 4, 2020, from https://www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/rei-2018/five-ways-to-make-the-outdoors-more-inclusive/3019/
This Re:Think article sponsored by REI is a very valuable source of information because it clearly breaks down five ways in which communities, the government and parks themselves can create more inclusive and authentic recreational outdoor spaces. The five steps include: teach the full history of the American outdoors, make all visitors feel welcome and secure, create underlying policies on diversity and fairness, increase economic accessibility to create more access points for all, and make open spaces more representative , culturally relevant, and cool. Each step has a detailed action plan associated with it, making the system easy to understand This action plan for change was developed through a brainstorming session undertaken by a diverse and highly qualified group of outdoor enthusiasts, inclusive outdoor recreational program founders, university faculty and former government officials, making this a very reliable source. The article is relevant to my work because this system addresses some potential solutions to segments of my inquiry regarding getting more young people outdoors, including creating safer, more inclusive, and culturally relevant spaces.
National Park Visitation Tops 327 Million in 2019. (n.d.). Retrieved December 8, 2021, from https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/2019-visitation-numbers.htm
This news release is from the National Park Service Office of Communication, making the source both reliable and authoritative regarding the statistics present in the article. Included is a simplified breakdown of the number of visitors to America’s national parks and the spread of this data by park. Some important information highlighted was that there were well over 300 million recreation visits to national parks in 2019, Great Smoky Mountains National Park was the most visited park with a staggering 12.5 million visits (more than twice the number as the second most visited park), and that visitor spending in these parks contributed over $40 billion dollars to the U.S economy. This article is important for my research for many reasons, but one in particular is that it mentions a subtopic I want to explore: the fact that the National Park Service is allowed by the government to collect and retain revenue. The article states that about 80 percent of this money stays in the park where it was collected while the remaining money is used to benefit parks that do not collect fees. So, while financial barriers exist which may bar certains folks from enjoying these spaces, there are indeed important reasons why parks charge admission and other fees to visitors.
Tidnam, H. (2016, August 29). National parks are beautiful-but the way they were created isn’t. Retrieved December 8, 2020, from https://timeline.com/national-parks-native-americans-56b0dad62c9d
This blog was written in regard to the tumultuous relationship and history that exists between National Parks and Native Americans. For example, the article states that when the 2.2 million acres which became Yellowstone was “gifted” by the United States government to its citizens, 26 indigenous tribes were living there at the time but were eventually expelled from their sacred homeland. While this source is technically an opinion piece, the author references many historical events, books, and laws, making this writing a relatively reliable reference that shares a raw and important viewpoint. Sources like this one are extremely necessary to my project because in order for me to properly understand how to encourage folks to utilize these spaces, I need to first recognize the faults in the parks system. These faults include how these areas were stolen from indigenous groups with no regard for culture or history, that this history is not actively shared in the parks, and that present day Natives may not feel respected or safe in these parks.
Park Finder. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://findyourpark.com/park-finder
Park Finder is a website and app created out of collaboration between the National Park Service, the National Park Foundation, and other park organizations. While there are many different aspects to this site, its main duty is to serve as a park generator. You can filter information by activity, state, ZIP code, or even just park name to find the perfect public space for you! The results include all types of public federal destinations including national parks, historical sites, memorials, and parks. The site also features blog posts, image galleries, volunteering portals, and even a quiz that can suggest the best national park for you to visit. This website is a reliable source of information because it is run by the organizations that oversee all national parks. Exploring a website such as this one is necessary for me to understand the tools that are already available to my audience and to break down what works, and doesn’t, with a resource such as this one.
Falgoust, A. (2017, December). Young People’s Perceptions of Nature and Interactions with National Parks. Retrieved January 5, 2020, from https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/301297429.pdf
This thesis, written by a University of Southern Mississippi student, examines the potential reasons why young people are not visiting and using national parks as much as their older counterparts do. It also breaks down possible solutions to this predicament, including utilizing social media and instilling a passion for nature in young people. The author states that common barriers young folks face that make experiencing these spaces difficult include money, transportation, and technology. This source is useful because it breaks down data from other diverse and credible sources and has a large amount of detailed survey and focus group research included. A thorough thesis such as this one is an important reference for my project because it reiterates that this is an widespread issue that many people are working to remedy and that there is ample data supporting the hypothesis that young people do not interact with the outdoors at the same rate as other generations. This is a highly reliable and trustworthy reference because there is a detailed citation section at the end of the paper.
National Parks Next Generation. (2017, September 29). Retrieved December 8, 2020, from https://www.doi.gov/ocl/national-parks-next-generation
This is a highly reliable source because it was published by the U.S. Department of the Interior which references a statement made by Lena McDowall, the Deputy Director for Management and Administration, regarding “encouraging the next generation to visit national parks.” This statement outlines the many ways the National Park Service has been encouraging younger generations to enjoy parks and other outdoor spaces, both historically and in recent years, through partnerships with organizations, evolving access and accommodations, and educational initiatives. Some interesting strategies discussed in the article that are already being implemented include increasing WIFI and cellular coverage into more areas of National Parks and having video cameras installed for remote enjoyment. This reference is an important source of information for me because it outlines how the parks themselves are facing this issue and how the federal government is already using resources to help encourage youth to experience these public lands.
OutdoorAfro: Homepage. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://outdoorafro.com/
Outdoor Afro is a country-wide network and initiative which “celebrates black connections and leadership in nature.” Reviewing a functioning outdoor program such as this one is vital to my research because it gives me a sense of what steps are already being taken to get people more involved in the outdoors. How groups such as Outdoor Afro are actively advocating for inclusive, safe, and fun experiences in nature for everyone is important for me to understand as I move toward creating a solution that is comprehensive and applicable to a diverse audience. Recognizing that folks from different races, backgrounds, and circumstances than my own interact with the outdoors and federal lands differently than I do is imperative to creating a solution than can work for anyone. This is a reliable source that has been functioning since 2009 and has consistently been growing since then; the non-profit organization now houses over 40,000 participants. This site is clearly doing something right by getting so many folks to actively seek outdoor experiences, so diving deeper into their process and functionings will only benefit my own process.
How Does Nature Impact Our Wellbeing? (n.d.). Retrieved January 5, 2021, from https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/how-does-nature-impact-our-wellbeing#:~:text=Being%20in%20nature%2C%20or%20even,the%20production%20of%20stress%20hormones.
The University of Minnesota published this short blog regarding the idea that being outdoors is indeed good for your health! This hypothesis is broken up into four key concepts: nature heals, nature soothes, nature restores, nature connects. Each topic is supported by case and field studies from a wide variety of labs and universities, making the findings and the conclusions made in the article both convincing as well as reliable. A detail from the article that was particularly interesting was where they said studies show that viewing nature scenes lights up the areas of the brain associated with empathy and love, encouraging connections between people. Findings like these are very important to my research as I try to collect and verbalize all of the reasons spending time outdoors is necessary. This resource was also reviewed by two PHD University faculty members and has a thorough citations list, so all claims made in the article are validated and are invaluable concepts for me to utilize in my own research.
MacGillivray, G. (Director). (2016). National Parks Adventure [Video file]. MacGillivray Freeman. Retrieved January 20, 2021, from https://nationalparksadventure.com and https://www.netflix.com/watch/80217040?trackId=13752289&tctx=0%2C0%2C8887ffc09c5e5cd070fa6c4e1a55f3a175171830%3A68678b741b964a535cf163b98864c8ef99c6be73%2C8887ffc09c5e5cd070fa6c4e1a55f3a175171830%3A68678b741b964a535cf163b98864c8ef99c6be73%2C%2C
This short documentary film was released in 2016, directed by Greg MacGillivray and narrated by Robert Redford. While there are instances of data and historical facts in this piece, the importance of this work really lies in its ability to cinematically showcase the beauty of the National Parks. Something like this is an interesting experiment in whether a digital system can effectively influence more people to go out into nature after experiencing it through technology. An artistic resource such as this one is important for me to observe because it reminds me of why I am pursuing this project in the first place: these parks are historic, lively and breathtaking spaces that are meant for every person to enjoy. A detail I need to take into consideration when referencing this film was that there were many instances in the documentary where they spoke of Native Americans and their appreciation and devotion to these places, but the film definitely lacked any raw or uncomfortable history regarding the true displacement of these groups off of their ancestral lands.
The Outdoor Foundation. (2016). Outdoor Participation Report. Retrieved January 20, 2021, from https://outdoorindustry.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-Outdoor-Recreation-Participation-Report_FINAL.pdf
This 2016 participation report by the Outdoor Foundation is a detailed and thorough breakdown of activity, demographic, and frequency data regarding the outdoor activity habits of the American public. Over 32,000 interviews and about 15,000 surveys were conducted online in order to accumulate all of the data present in the report. Some interesting points of information that were collected included why youth populations don’t participate in outdoor activities more often, most popular outdoor activities among diverse groups, and what motivates Americans to get outside. Something that really stood out to me was when the article showcased that 40% of participants aged 18–24 selected “I am not interested” as the main reason they don’t participate more in outdoor activities. This is a highly reliable and incredibly useful resource because of the large sample size of participants used in the study. This type of data is important for me to reference in my project so I can be more confident in drawing conclusions regarding why more young folks do not utilize national parks.
