Tag: Parks

Meet Dr. Em Adams, assistant professor in parks, recreation and tourism management’s recreational therapy concentration!  

Em received her doctorate from Clemson University in parks, recreation and tourism management with a cognate area of recreational therapy and a certificate in clinical and translational science. After completing her degree, she spent several years as an assistant professor at Lehman College in Bronx, New York before rejoining the Clemson PRTM family last year.

Let’s get to know her!

Q: What courses do you teach in PRTM’s recreational therapy concentration?

A: I teach Assessment in Recreational Therapy (PRTM 3240) and Advanced Facilitation Techniques (PRTM 8720).

Q: What are you research interests? 

A: My research focuses on health equity and building resilience in individuals, families and communities who have experienced violence and trauma. I’m also passionate about reducing barriers to treatment for mental health and finding ways to reduce burnout and vicarious trauma among healthcare workers.

Q: Outside of work, what are your hobbies? 

A: I love music and any type of water activity.

Q: What words of advice would you share with undergraduate or graduate students in PRTM? 

A: Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself and make sure you’re taking time for self-care. Keep open lines of communication with your professors and ask for help as needed.

Em was recently named a fellow for the Society of Behavioral Medicine’s Diversity Institute for Emerging Leaders. This institute was designed to assist early-career scholars in fostering a deep understanding and application of the principles of diversity and inclusion in both their research and mentoring.

When Ron Walker was first offered the job of National Park Service (NPS) Director in 1973, he turned it down.

A former chief advance man to President Nixon, Walker had traveled across the country and around the globe, making sure everything was in place before a presidential visit. He had no experience with national parks and wasn’t sure why he was offered the role.

He was told to sleep on it before making a final decision. As he talked the opportunity over with his family, he recalled his time in the military, which taught him that you don’t say “no” to the President of the United States.

He accepted the job the next morning.

Over the next two years, Walker guided the NPS through a tumultuous time that saw 14 new park areas added to its mandate, including the first two national preserves.

According to Phil Gaines, professor of practice at Clemson University and retired director of South Carolina’s state parks, Walker is a legend in the parks and conservation field for several reasons.

“Ron Walker is one of the best examples of leading under fire that you can find,” Gaines said. “He’s also known for identifying and then developing staff from throughout the NPS system that had the potential to become great leaders.”

The Ron Walker Leadership Development program at Clemson University is designed in a similar way. The program brings together new and emerging leaders from state and national parks to strengthen their critical-thinking and decision-making skills. Participants spend four days at Clemson University, working as a group to discuss challenging park management issues and how to use research to inform their decision-making process.

Clemson faculty at the Institute for Parks developed the program to build transformative and effective leaders that are ready to fill leadership roles that are becoming vacant at unprecedented rates in parks systems across the country due to an aging workforce.

The United States Office of Personnel Management’s strategic plan estimates that 30 percent of the federal workforce reached retirement age in 2018. The Department of the Interior (which houses the National Park Service) is planning for 33.6 percent of their staff to reach retirement age by 2023.

Many of those starting to look towards retirement are in leadership positions, creating a possible leadership vacuum for the National Park Service.

The leadership development program is intended to fill those gaps, says Bob Powell, director of the Institute for Parks.

“Parks are facing increasingly complex challenges, and up-and-coming leaders need a wide range of skills to develop sustainable solutions,” Powell said. “When a participant leaves this program, we want them to return to their host park ready to apply approaches they’ve learned to challenges they’re currently facing and prepare for issues they are likely to face in the future.”

The first group of park leaders completed the leadership development program in October and are already seeing an impact on how they approach key issues on the job.

Priscilla Geigis, deputy commissioner for conservation and resource stewardship at the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, says that the program discussions have helped her look at issues a different way.

“I now want to find opportunities to use technology more regularly to gather information to help make informed decisions,” Geigis said. “I also want to collaborate with universities to not only see issues with a different lens but to also back up decisions with credible research.”

Matt Whitlow, an Outdoor Recreation Planner with the National Park Service, said that he found the discussions with researchers and practitioners in the parks field beneficial.

“Being immersed in multiple days of conversations with researchers and practitioners representing multiple levels of government agencies and learning how research is being conducted in different parks and park settings was one of the greatest benefits of the program,” Whitlow said.

Since completing the program, Whitlow has been reviewing and interpreting the laws, regulations and policies associated with his core responsibilities to ensure the work he does is rooted in both fidelity to the law and serves the long-term public interest.

Planning is currently underway for the second class of park leaders, who will attend the program at Clemson University in October 2020.

Geigis says one of the most valuable lessons she took away from the week was the need for park leaders to navigate change in a way that ensures parks can stay relevant while maintaining the park system’s core values.

“Being part of a rich legacy of park professionals is an honor, privilege and responsibility,” Geigis said. “I was impressed to meet with key leaders in the profession and hear them share their stories and offer advice about both navigating challenges and recognizing and seizing opportunities.”

Chris Lehnertz, President and CEO of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, was recently honored with the Fran P. Mainella Award by the Clemson University Institute for Parks in recognition of her long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion in our nation’s parks.

The institute presents the annual awards program, which is named for George B. Hartzog Jr., the seventh director of the National Park Service, to showcase leading figures in the field of conservation. Specific awards were named after visionary leaders that Hartzog respected and admired. Award recipients are following in Hartzog’s footsteps by making significant contributions to the management of parks and preservation of our natural, historical, and cultural heritage.

The Fran P. Mainella Award is named in appreciation of the dynamic career of Fran Mainella, the first female director of the National Park Service. The award recognizes sustained and innovative achievement by a woman in the management of America’s natural, historic and cultural heritage.

Brett Wright, dean emeritus of Clemson University’s college of behavioral, social and health sciences, presented the award to Ms. Lehnertz at a ceremony on October 22. According to Dr. Wright, Lehnertz has a passion for making parks relevant, accessible, inclusive and welcoming for all.

“Recognizing that 36 percent of our national parks are now in urban areas, Chris is committed to advancing the role these sites can play in supporting civic needs such as education and literacy, wellness and urban quality of life,” continues Dr. Wright. “She’s worked hard throughout her career to bring different perspectives, people and communities to our parks, to make these public lands and our nation as a whole, stronger and more united.”

Lehnertz has also made inclusion of the Bay Area’s more than seven million residents a focus of her new role as president and CEO of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.

“As the nonprofit partner of the National Park Service (NPS) at the GGNRA, the Parks Conservancy is committed to amplifying the park’s inclusion efforts,” she says. “I believe parks can spark powerful change. With community partners, we offer education and literacy programming, health and wellness activities, and youth leadership programs to serve our local residents.”

Lehnertz started her park career as deputy superintendent at Yellowstone National Park, later serving as the regional director for the Pacific West Region, and superintendent at both Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park. She successfully led several complex and challenging projects and issues, and was also deeply involved in multiple strategic planning efforts, many of which have resulted in crucial park accomplishments like the addition of lands to Joshua Tree National Park, policy on the Revisiting Leopold Report (2012) for resource stewardship in the 21^st century, a modern and sustainable design for a new transcanyon waterline at Grand Canyon National Park and plans for an Inter-tribal cultural site at Desert View in Grand Canyon. She also played a role in the addition of four new units to the national park system – César E. Chávez National Monument, Honouliuli National Monument, Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, and the Manhattan Project National Historical Park.

Before her work with the NPS, Chris fulfilled her passion for protecting the natural world in posts at the US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, the US Forest Service, and the Colorado Division of Wildlife. Throughout her career, she has worked to establish a people-first culture. She served five years on the NPS Safety Leadership Council, resulting in a new national system of safety designed to improve safety, health, and wellness in every park unit and for every NPS program. She has focused her career on establishing a culture of respect and inclusion in spaces where people could be safe, feel secure, and find support.

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The Clemson University Institute for Parks (CUIP) provides research, education, training, and outreach that enhances the management of the world’s parks and protected areas. It accomplishes this by providing park and protected area managers with innovative research to support science-based decision-making; and by developing current and future leaders in the park movement by providing interdisciplinary and transformative education and training programs. The Institute currently consists of 35 Fellows and 8 Scholars working on park-related research.

The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy is the primary nonprofit partner of the National Park Service (NPS) at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). The GGNRA spans nearly 84,000 acres, preserves nationally significant cultural sites such as Alcatraz and Fort Point, and is part of the UNESCO Golden Gate Biosphere reserve that includes vital marine, coastal, and upland resources at Muir Woods, Crissy Field and the Marin Headlands.

Visit the CUIP website for more information about the George B. Hartzog, Jr. Environmental Awards program and its recipients.

Dr. Ryan Sharp, associate professor in the park management and conservation program at Kansas State University, was recently honored with the Benton H. Box Award by the Clemson University Institute for Parks in recognition of his academic and instructional leadership in the environmental field.

The institute presents the annual awards program, which is named for George B. Hartzog Jr., the seventh director of the National Park Service, to showcase leading figures in the field of conservation. Specific awards were named after visionary leaders that Hartzog respected and admired. Award recipients are following in Hartzog’s footsteps by making significant contributions to the management of parks and preservation of our natural, historical, and cultural heritage.

The Benton H. Box Award recognizes academic professionals that exemplify Dr. Box’s distinguished career as an educator and administrator. Dr. Sharp shared this year’s award with Stephen C. Trombulak, Professor Emeritus of biology and biosphere studies at Middlebury College, for leadership in preserving our natural environment and inspiring in students the quest for knowledge and the development of an environmental ethic.

Matt Brownlee, associate professor of parks, recreation and tourism management at Clemson University, presented the award to Dr. Sharp at a ceremony on October 22. According to Dr. Brownlee, Dr. Sharp’s focus on finding solutions to complicated and multi-faceted management research problems in American parks, coupled with his ability to connect with park managers, is unmatched.

“I’ve had the great privilege of collaborating on a number of different research endeavors with Dr. Sharp, working in parks from Alaska to Georgia,” he says. “His ability to translate complicated academic theory and research approaches into pragmatic solutions is unrivalled in the research community.”

Dr. Sharp obtained his PhD in natural resources, recreation & tourism from the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia, his M.Ed. from Georgia College in outdoor recreation, and a BS in education from the State University of New York at Cortland. He was also part of the inaugural group of fellows for the George Wright Society’s Park Break program (now offered as a partnership between the Society and Institute for Parks), which brings a diverse set of graduate students to national parks for a week-long service-based learning experience. He’s since become an active champion for the program, helping to plan, fund, and administer severalpark break excursions. He was also designated an Institute for Parks scholar in April 2019 in recognition of his long history of working in park science.

Throughout his teaching career, Dr. Sharp has always found ways to get his students out into the field, to provide hands-on experiences and opportunities to connect with park professionals. He also includes a service component in his field courses, in hopes of instilling the value of contributing to their communities. Dr. Sharp’s students at Kansas State University have participated in projects across the U.S., such as Grand Canyon National Park, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, and Cumberland Island National Seashore.

“Ryan needs parks and, respectfully, parks need Ryan,” continues Brownlee. “We are lucky to have him in this world.”

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The Clemson University Institute for Parks (CUIP) provides research, education, training, and outreach that enhances the management of the world’s parks and protected areas. It accomplishes this by providing park and protected area managers with innovative research to support science-based decision-making; and by developing current and future leaders in the park movement by providing interdisciplinary and transformative education and training programs. The Institute currently consists of 35 Fellows and 8 Scholars, including Dr. Sharp, working on park-related research.

Visit the CUIP website for more information about the George B. Hartzog, Jr. Environmental Awards program and its recipients.

Dr. Carolyn Ward, Chief Executive Officer of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, was recently honored with the William C. Everhart Award by the Clemson University Institute for Parks in recognition of sustained achievements that provide creative insights and that foster an appreciation of our natural and cultural heritage.

The institute presents the annual awards program, which is named for George B. Hartzog Jr., the seventh director of the National Park Service, to showcase leading figures in the field of conservation. The awards are named for visionary leaders who make significant contributions to the management of parks and preservation of our natural, historical, and cultural heritage.

Dr. Ward received the William C. Everhart Award because of her longstanding commitment to connecting people to our country’s natural and cultural places and resources, and her contributions to the field of interpretation.

Bob Powell, director of the Institute for Parks, presented the award to Dr. Ward at a ceremony on October 22. According to Dr. Powell, Ward’s passionate leadership in the interpretation field has been instrumental in ensuring the field is evidence-based and moving forward.

“For many years, the philosophies and principles underlying the profession of interpretation have largely been followed based on faith and were largely untested,” he says. “She is a longstanding champion for the importance of research in informing the interpretation field as it evolves to meet the needs of the 21^st century public.”

Dr. Ward’s distinguished career has spanned three decades, from field interpreter at Hungry Mother State Park to CEO of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, the primary philanthropic partner to the Blue Ridge Parkway. With more visitors than Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon combined, the Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the most visited units of the National Park Service. Under Ward’s leadership, the foundation has provided over $14 million to support programs and projects that continue to help preserve and protect the parkway.

Dr. Ward was born in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Southwestern Virginia, graduated from Emory and Henry College, and received her master’s degree and PhD from Virginia Tech in Forestry. She is a decorated professor and award-winning researcher and author whose life’s work has been dedicated to building bridges and making connections. While working at Humboldt State University, Ward grew a modern and comprehensive interpretive program and conducted field research across the country. In 2009, she launched the ‘Kids in Parks’ program in partnership with the Blue Ridge Parkway and Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, which unites National Park Service, state parks, community groups, the Eastern Band of Cherokee, and nonprofit organizations around the goal of getting more kids moving outdoors and connected to public lands. The Kids in Parks program now features 200 trails in 12 states and has facilitated over one million adventures for kids and families.

“Dr. Ward’s sustained leadership, grit and determination has left a lasting legacy across the US and the World and has positively influenced countless agencies, managers, interpreters, as well as the general public,” continues Dr. Powell. “Carolyn is an important and powerful role model that has blazed a trail of success in a field that has been traditionally male dominated. I cannot think of a more deserving recipient for this award.”

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The Clemson University Institute for Parks (CUIP) provides research, education, training, and outreach that enhances the management of the world’s parks and protected areas. It accomplishes this by providing park and protected area managers with innovative research to support science-based decision-making; and by developing current and future leaders in the park movement by providing interdisciplinary and transformative education and training programs. The Institute currently consists of 35 Fellows and 8 Scholars working on park-related research.

Visit the CUIP website for more information about the George B. Hartzog, Jr. Environmental Awards program and its recipients.

Dr. Steve Trombulak, professor emeritus of biology and environmental studies at Middlebury College, was recently honored with the Benton H. Box Award by the Clemson University Institute for Parks in recognition of his academic and instructional leadership in the environmental field.

The institute presents the annual awards program, which is named for George B. Hartzog Jr., the seventh director of the National Park Service, to showcase leading figures in the field of conservation. Specific awards were named after visionary leaders that Hartzog respected and admired. Award recipients are following in Hartzog’s footsteps by making significant contributions to the management of parks and preservation of our natural, historical, and cultural heritage.

The Benton H. Box Award recognizes academic professionals that exemplify Dr. Box’s distinguished career as an educator and administrator. Dr. Trombulak shared this year’s award with Ryan L. Sharp, associate professor in the park management and conservation program at Kansas State University, for leadership in preserving our natural environment and inspiring in students the quest for knowledge and the development of an environmental ethic.

Robert Baldwin, endowed chair and professor of conservation biology at Clemson University, presented the award to Dr. Trombulak at a ceremony on October 22. According to Dr. Baldwin, Dr. Trombulak is a force for science-based landscape level management in the northeast United States and Canada.

“He has published over 90 scientific articles, many with Middlebury students, and his review of the ecological effects of roads has been cited 3,000 times,” he says. “For a single paper, that’s like winning the Heisman Trophy.”

Dr. Trombulak is a conservation biologist and landscape ecologist. He earned his BA in biology at UCLA and his PhD in zoology at the University of Washington in Seattle. He began his research career focusing on population and community ecology, including studies on elevational distributions of pinyon pines in the Mohave desert, territorial behavior of hummingbirds in the tropical dry forests of Costa Rica, thermoregulation of desert-dwelling beetles in the Great Basin Desert, competition between montane chipmunks in the Cascade Mountains of the Pacific Northwest, and phenotypic plasticity in life-history strategies of montane ground squirrels in both the Cascade and Sierra Nevada Mountains.

At Middlebury College, he developed a diverse and highly successful teaching program in conservation biology, vertebrate natural history, and environmental science.  His research program also expanded beyond ecology to embrace both conservation biology – with an emphasis on protected areas, conservation planning, and wildlands – as well as science pedagogy. He retired in June after 34 years in the field.

“I am so pleased that Steve has been recognized this award,” continues Baldwin. “Steve, like Dean Box, has set an example as a teacher and scholar, he has fostered learning environments as an administrator and also an environmental ethic, both in his community and abroad.”

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The Clemson University Institute for Parks (CUIP) provides research, education, training, and outreach that enhances the management of the world’s parks and protected areas. It accomplishes this by providing park and protected area managers with innovative research to support science-based decision-making; and by developing current and future leaders in the park movement by providing interdisciplinary and transformative education and training programs. The Institute currently consists of 35 Fellows and 8 Scholars, including Dr. Trombulak, working on park-related research.

Visit the CUIP website for more information about the George B. Hartzog, Jr. Environmental Awards program and its recipients.

Dr. Jenn Thomsen, assistant professor of parks, recreation and tourism management at the University of Montana, was recently honored with the Dwight A. Holder Award by the Clemson University Institute for Parks in recognition of her outstanding work as a conservation researcher and teacher in the environmental field.

The institute presents the annual awards program, which is named for George B. Hartzog Jr., the seventh director of the National Park Service, to showcase leading figures in the field of conservation. Specific awards were named after visionary leaders that Hartzog respected and admired. Award recipients are following in Hartzog’s footsteps by making significant contributions to the management of parks and preservation of our natural, historical and cultural heritage.

The Dwight A. Holder Award recognizes academic professionals that exemplify Mr. Holder’s illustrious career as an entrepreneur and public servant, which included leading South Carolina’s parks to a new era of service. Dr. Thomsen received this award for outstanding work and sustained achievement that fosters understanding, wise use and conservation of natural and cultural resources.

Wayne Freimund, chair of the parks, recreation and tourism management department at Clemson University, presented the award to Dr. Thomsen at a ceremony on October 22. According to Dr. Freimund, Thomsen has made a significant impact on the conservation field at a relatively young age.

“Jenn already has an impressive publication and teaching record, with a research focus that requires her to pull groups together on almost intractable issues, such as livelihood versus wildlife population management,” he says. “She does it masterfully, with an unparalleled ability to find the glue that holds several different collaborators together.”

Dr. Thomsen graduated with her M.S. in Wildlife Biology from Clemson University, where she also earned her PhD in parks and conservation area management. Her research largely focuses on stakeholder collaboration associated with large landscape conservation, sustainable tourism and protected area management. Her work has involved partnerships with the Center for Large Landscape Conservation and the IUCN Connectivity and Transboundary Specialist groups to conduct surveys addressing the challenges, opportunities and outcomes associated with stakeholder collaboration and how these groups evolve over time in their transboundary ecosystem management. She also contributes to UNESCO’s biosphere reserve network and serves on the National MAB Committee.

Her work in sustainable tourism and protected area management focuses on the management of resources that balances the environmental, social/cultural and economic needs of diverse stakeholders. Her research explores unique types of tourism, such as voluntourism in Peru and Haiti, whitewater ecotourism in Bhutan and safari hunting tourism in Botswana. She’s conducted research for the US Forest Service and National Park Service and is part of the INSAKA collaborative group that brings together partners of African universities to address social-ecological issues. Dr. Thomsen is passionate about her teaching and field experiences for students, and about engaging the next generation of conservation and protected area leaders.

“Jenn’s students love her, and her faculty and collaborators love working with her,” continues Dr. Freimund. “And now as the recipient of this year’s Dwight A. Holder award, she can be rest assured that her alma mater feels the same way. I can’t wait to see where she takes her already-impressive career.”

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The Clemson University Institute for Parks (CUIP) provides research, education, training, and outreach that enhances the management of the world’s parks and protected areas. It accomplishes this by providing park and protected area managers with innovative research to support science-based decision-making; and by developing current and future leaders in the park movement by providing interdisciplinary and transformative education and training programs. The Institute currently consists of 35 Fellows and 8 Scholars working on park-related research.

Visit the CUIP website for more information about the George B. Hartzog, Jr. Environmental Awards program and its recipients.

More than 140 park leaders in 40 states and one Canadian province recently signed up for the first installment of an interactive new webinar series developed by Clemson’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management department and the National Association of State Park Directors.

The webinar series leads discussions about key issues affecting state park leaders. Every webinar starts with an overview of academic research about the topic and on-the-ground examples of how the issue is being addressed in different parts of the country. Participants use that information to frame a dialogue about what solutions are working in their state and challenges they are still facing.

“We’re excited to blend the academic knowledge of our Clemson University team with the expertise of leaders of America’s State Parks to develop and deliver an interactive, engaging and timely webinar series,” said Wayne Freimund, Chair of the Clemson’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management department. “We’re also switching up the traditional webinar model to create something that makes sure everyone is engaged, contributing to and benefiting from the discussion.”

The first webinar on July 29 focused on capacity issues, including a case study from Maryland State Parks. An overview of current research was provided by Clemson University Associate Professor Dr. Matt Brownlee. Phil Gaines, Professor of Practice and retired South Carolina State Park Director, then led a discussion about how different states can balance creating a positive experience for visitors, while also protecting state-managed resources. The webinar was recorded and uploaded to the Clemson PRTM YouTube channel.

Linda Lanterman, President of NASPD and current Director of Kansas State Parks, says the new approach helps the association’s members come together without having to leave their park sites.

“Opportunities to share information, and discuss ideas and innovations are the cornerstone of our organization,” says Lanterman. “Having the chance to use technology to examine current issues and challenges in an engaging format is appealing, particularly with limitations on travel and time.”

Now that the first webinar is complete, the partners are working together to find ways to keep the webinars interactive and engaging for 100 participants – and provide opportunities for everyone to contribute to the discussion in a meaningful way.

Freimund says this is a good problem to have.

“The first webinar demonstrated a clear need for this type of programming,” says Freimund. “Now we need to work on refining the system to ensure these webinars can be engaging, relevant, and informative for larger groups of people.”

Clemson Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (PRTM) faculty and graduate students were recently invited to South Africa to share their expertise, research human/wildlife experiences in Africa’s longest standing national park and explore new potential collaborations.

The group, led by Department Chair Wayne Freimund and consisting of Associate Chair Lori Dickes, faculty members Lauren Duffy and Aby Sene-Harper, and graduate students E’Lisha Fogle and Temitope Arogundade, took part in the Insaka international research symposium about how Africa can best meet the multiple societal and ecological challenges that come with transformative conservation, conducted a visitor research project for Kruger National Park and explored the possibility of a promising new collaborative project focused on Garden Route National Park.

The Insaka Symposium

The Insaka Symposium brought together experts in a wide variety of disciplines, such as social science, tourism, human rights, community development and environmental science to try to better understand and address rapid social and ecological changes in South Africa. According to Freimund, the multidisciplinary makeup of the group provides a richer and more thorough understanding of challenges throughout the country.

“South Africa’s conservation issues are complex, multidimensional and require all hands on deck, with everyone working together to find workable solutions,” says Freimund. “It’s rewarding to work as part of a collective of international leaders in their fields, collaborating on possible solutions we can share with the country’s decision makers.”

Most of the team presented at the symposium, with Freimund and Dickes delivering keynote speeches. Their presentations shared findings from research conducted by the department in national parks throughout the United States and parts of Africa, and applied those learnings to a South African context. PRTM’s different areas of focus, including parks, community recreation, youth development, tourism and public administration, makes it well-suited to address the rapidly evolving social and ecological challenges the region is facing.

“We had a great scientific exchange and social capital building experience at the symposium, with the collective experiencing the breadth and depth of what Clemson had to offer and how a department like ours can fit into these large-scale problems in a constructive way,” continued Freimund.

The collective is now working together to apply for a National Science Foundation network collaboration grant involving the Insaka Consortia, Clemson and Montana universities, and potentially the University of Botswana, the Nelson Mandela University and other African partners. The grant proposal is focused on the Kafue River basin in Zambia, part of the Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Trans Frontier Park, which is the largest in the world.

Kruger National Park

After the symposium, the PRTM group traveled to Kruger National Park, one of the longest standing parks in Africa, to develop a study on challenges associated with human interaction with wildlife.

International and domestic tourism to the park is increasing, which brings a number of opportunities to the region, but also creates a tension between the park’s natural space and the humans wanting to experience it. Wildlife is migratory, making it difficult to create experiences for tourists. Human interaction can also pose challenges when animals feel at risk.

The group conducted research in the park to get a sense of wildlife interactions from a visitor’s perspective, and to better understand the complexities – and possible solutions for – human and wildlife experiences over time. The group is developing an app-based experience sampling method, where visitors send data throughout the day during their visit that describes where they are, what they are doing, how they feel about it, their perceived quality of their experience, among other questions. This will give researchers a better understanding of how to better manage incidents and create a better code of ethics for visitors, while also taking steps to enhance their visitor experience.

“Right now, the visitor experience at the park is based on the luck of the draw. For example, you could have an awesome experience of nature if your car drives beside a lion next to the road, or you could stumble into a long traffic jam if dozens of people get there before you,” says Freimund. “The first is a very positive experience. The second isn’t. Developing a visitor app for the park can help flag some of these issues and help help us better understand how the positive and negative episodes affect the overall experience and impression of the park.”

Garden Route National Park

The group’s final visit was to Garden Route National Park, near the town of George, where they explored the possibility of a new research collaboration with the Sustainability Research Unit at Nelson Mandela University, the Knsyna Basin Project and South Africa National Parks.

The group is exploring a number of key opportunities and challenges facing the park and region, such as municipal park development, tourism as an economic generator, youth development and conservation.

“The area’s national parks are open access, similar to national forests throughout the United States,” says Freimund. “There are opportunities to help visitors explore the health and cultural benefits of nature and expand the park’s recreational use and community engagement, while also managing its conservation. We have a great deal of experience in managing those issues, making a partnership a good fit.”

After a successful first meeting, the collective is working together to explore potential opportunities for collaboration, including research projects, student and faculty exchanges and a possible visit to Clemson. The group has struck a committee to look for ways to facilitate an exchange moving forward.

Watch the video below for more pictures of the group’s experiences!