| Abstract |
Understanding the efficacy of educational programs to influence visitors’ behavior while recreating in Parks and Protected Areas has been a frequent focus of outdoor recreation research. In an era of escalating demand and scarce resources, tailoring educational programming to reduce biophysical impacts and improve visitor experiences is increasingly important. The Grand County Trail Ambassador Program in south-eastern Utah, United States represents an innovative partnership between a county-level government and federal land management agency to reduce recreation-related social and environmental impacts and visitor risks. This study uses a quasi-experimental design to evaluate how the Leave No Trace (LNT) focused Trail Ambassador program influences visitors’ experiences and behavioral intentions to follow LNT principles. Our findings show that the presence of Trail Ambassadors improved visitors’ experiences and influenced behavioral intentions to practice LNT principles in the future. Broadly, our findings support the effectiveness of the Grand County Trail Ambassador Program and suggest opportunities for further improvements to the program to influence visitors’ LNT behaviors in the future. |
| Authors |
Iree Wheeler   , Wayne Freimund , Anna B. Miller , Christopher Monz
|
| Journal Info |
SAGE Publishing | Journal of Interpretation Research
|
| Publication Date |
3/12/2025 |
| ISSN |
1092-5872 |
Type |
article |
| Open Access |
closed
|
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.1177/10925872251325533 |
| Keywords |
Visitor pattern (Score: 0.92789614)
|
