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Authors:Tracey Gaslin, Alexsandra Dubin, Jacob Sorenson, Nila Rosen, Barry Garst, Beth Schultz Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic completely upended the camping industry, posing unique and significant challenges to the camp industry, with many camps choosing not to operate in the summer of 2020. These cancelled programs resulted in staff layoffs and serious loss of revenue. Some state requirements necessitated camp closures, while other camps closed due to uncertainty about the ability to provide a safe, healthy camp experience that retained the essence of summer camp via the expected summer camp culture. The small portion of camps that did open were forced to be creative in how they offered programs. Some camps chose to run limited in-person programs, some offered family camps for family units, while others transitioned to virtual camp experiences. For these camps that did run in some capacity, several national organizations were able to gather data regarding operational challenges and benefits. This project examined the research findings from the American Camp Association, Association of Camp Nursing, Foundation for Jewish Camps, and Outdoor Ministries Connection. This cross-organizational analysis highlights the experiences of camps offering in-person summer programs and services in implementing nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission in 2020. Camps used a variety of NPI’s that involved both personal responsibility and community cooperation in order to create a camp experience that was socially distant and as sanitary as possible. This study also examines the experiences of camps offering virtual programs and services as a means to connect with individuals and support socialization needs of youth. These virtual programs varied widely, but all provided youth the opportunity to connect with like-minded campers and staff to have community building experiences despite isolation. In the context of many COVID-19 challenges, this study identifies positive outcomes associated with operating camp in the summer of 2020. These unexpected positive outcomes encompass health center operations, food service, programmatic changes, changes to the structure of camper units, and a shifting focus towards mental, emotional, and social health. Many of these positive outcomes are perceived by camp administrators as beneficial changes that will likely remain after the pandemic and continue to impact the camping industry for the foreseeable future. PubDate: 2022-12-26 DOI: 10.18666/JPRA-2022-11425 Issue No:Vol. 41, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:Suiwen (Sharon) Zou, Nicholas Pitas, Andrew Kerins, Mary Ellen Wuellner, Izabelle Jaquet Abstract: Although local park and recreation agencies rely on various types of funding, tax-based allocations are the most significant funding source. Unfortunately, tax-based allocations have not kept pace with growing user demands and maintenance backlogs. As such, successful tax referenda are becoming critical for sustained operations and capital investment. Among the various activities that may sway public opinion, strategic messaging through a variety of media may be one of the most important. Using a county-level public park agency’s 2020 tax referendum as a case study, the purpose of this study is to identify successful communication strategies of open space referendum campaigns that secure support from voters. Data were collected from the campaign’s official Facebook page to examine what message content and post type were effective in increasing voter awareness and engagement. Results from regressions showed that messages that explained the ballot in plain language (e.g., Simplify Ballot Language), demonstrated support or approval from local organizations or local champions/celebrities (e.g., Endorsement), broke down the total amount of tax being requested (i.e., Temporal Reframing), and emphasized the direct benefits if the referendum were passed (i.e., Direct Outcome) were most effective in increasing the awareness of the referendum. Among Facebook page followers, posts that demonstrated campaign efforts/activities (i.e., Demonstration) and acknowledged individuals’ or organizations’ efforts to support the campaign (i.e., Acknowledgement) effectively increased engagement. In terms of Facebook post types, photo posts and video posts generally performed better than link and shared video posts. The study has three main practical implications for open space referenda advocates and managers concerned with campaign communication: (1) solicit and demonstrate support from highly regarded local organizations or individuals; (2) emphasize the direct benefits and break down the total amount of tax being asked; and (3) use short videos and scenic images. PubDate: 2022-10-26 DOI: 10.18666/JPRA-2022-11551 Issue No:Vol. 41, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:Daniel Theriault Abstract: In response to worldwide protests for racial justice in 2020 and 2021, Dustin et al. (2021) called on recreation professionals to eradicate racial oppression. The focus of the present commentary is on the tools through which such an eradication might be carried out within summer camps. In particular, this essay builds on the work of Mariame Kaba (2020) and the generations of activists of color before her (e.g., Kelley, 2002) to assert that imagination is essential to any effort to end racism in summer camps. Three areas to which our imagination might be applied are presented: the benefits of summer camp, the shift from I to we, and the courage to experiment and fail. PubDate: 2022-10-24 DOI: 10.18666/JPRA-2022-11736 Issue No:Vol. 41, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:Jackie Oncescu, Megan Fortune, Julia Frigault Abstract: Rural communities often have fewer resources and supports to cultivate recreation participation, making participation in recreation less accessible for low-income citizens. Such barriers highlight the important role rural recreation practitioners have in terms of developing and delivering access provisions for these citizens. The objectives of this study are as follows: 1) explore the access provisions that recreation practitioners design and deliver to rural low-income citizens, and 2) discuss the implications of the access provisions in relation to the rural context and low-income citizens’ participation in recreation. This paper focuses on research conducted in 2019-2020 in Atlantic Canada. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 16 municipal recreation practitioners. Through the social ecological framework, the results revealed three access provisions designed for and delivered to rural low-income citizens: 1) one-on-one support for programmatic processes, 2) flexibility with financial policies and programs, and 3) building reach: the role of community partnerships. Based on these findings, this study discusses the benefits of these provisions in terms of supporting access to recreation for low-income citizens residing in rural communities. Considering the rural landscape, we recommend access provisions in rural communities encompass more personal, flexible, and community approaches as a means to supporting access to recreation for citizens of limited financial means. PubDate: 2022-09-22 DOI: 10.18666/JPRA-2022-11221 Issue No:Vol. 41, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:David Kahan, Thomas L. McKenzie, Olivia Kallai Abstract: Physical activity (PA) is associated with numerous health benefits; however, both children and adults in the US fall short of national PA recommendations. Diverse agencies have identified the importance of recreation professionals playing an active role in providing and promoting PA, including via recreation centers. Few studies have examined the contributions public recreation centers make in providing residents with opportunities for PA, and those that exist offer mixed results concerning the influence of neighborhood family income levels. Recreation center websites are a popular, cost-efficient, and flexible medium for providing information about PA and center programs. We completed a line-by-line analysis of the content of the websites of all public recreation centers (n = 58) in the city of San Diego, California. We extracted the days and hours the centers operated as well as PA facility types and programs they provided. Program details were identified, including content, frequency/duration for classes, participants targeted, and enrollment costs. Additionally, we generated information about local neighborhoods, including family median income levels. Diverse statistical analyses were conducted, overall, and by a median split for neighborhood income status. On average, centers had 4.5 PA facilities and were open 59 hours/week, with no differences by neighborhood income. Meanwhile, centers in higher-income areas provided significantly more programs (5.3 vs 2.3). Overall, 33 distinct facility types were identified, but only gymnasia and outdoor basketball courts were listed by over 50% of centers. Fifty distinct programs were identified, with dance, teen center, basketball, and volleyball mentioned most frequently. Family internet access and the use of websites by recreation centers to post information about programs have grown tremendously within the past decade. Our study is one of the few to conduct a detailed assessment of the content of all public recreation centers in a large city. While the results may not generalize to other cities, we believe our methods will. Website content can be a resource for identifying if current offerings meet program goals and subsequently address income and other disparities. When on-site staff do not have training in creating webpages, a centralized webmaster could help individual centers on content and technology. PubDate: 2022-08-20 DOI: 10.18666/JPRA-2022-11332 Issue No:Vol. 41, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:Adiyukh Berbekova, Emilie Cycz, Matthew Silva, Vincent P. Magnini, Muzaffer Uysal Abstract: Market segmentation remains one of the most important approaches used in tourism to provide crucial information regarding visitors’ profiles. Considering the importance of State and National parks to the tourism industry, there is an increasing interest in examining the motivations of park visitors. Drawing on the push-and-pull theoretical framework, this study employs a canonical correlation analysis and an overlapping segmentation approach to generate market segments of visitors to a State Park system in the United States. A total of 2822 past and current visitors were surveyed and consequently assigned to three overlapping market segments based on the results of canonical correlation analysis. The segments were labeled as “Connecting with Nature”, “Active Recreation”, and “Family Bonding”. Specifically, the “Family Bonding” market segment was found to have the most overlap with the other two groups. On the other hand, the segment of “Active Recreation” had the least overlap, suggesting that the members of this segment are uniquely defined and display a high degree of homogeneity. Additionally, 75 visitors were found to overlap across all three segments. Such findings suggest that this group of respondents score positively on all motivation items and share the same preferences of State Park systems’ attributes. Thus, park managers should refrain from assigning tourists to fit just one segment and target the potential visitors considering the substantial overlapping between groups. The study findings have important practical implications for State Park system managers and provide critical insights to inform future marketing strategies and to improve parks’ offerings. PubDate: 2022-06-12 DOI: 10.18666/JPRA-2022-11395 Issue No:Vol. 41, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:Thitikan Satchabut, David Scott, Gary Ellis Abstract: Effects of Outdoor Recreation Participation and InterpretationWe conducted a field experiment in Thailand to evaluate effects of appreciative and mechanized forms of recreation and interpretation on environmental concerns of park visitors. Research participants were randomly assigned to one of eight experimental conditions defined by recreation type (appreciative vs. mechanized), recreation activity (birdwatching, nature photography, motorcycling, and motor boating) nested within recreation type, and interpretation (interpretation provided vs. not provided). We measured three dimensions of environmental concern: specific environmental concern (SEC), worldwide environmental concern (WEC), and general environmental behavior (GEB). Appreciative activity participants and participants who received interpretation had significantly higher SEC scores than those who participated in mechanized activities and those who did not receive interpretation. Interpretation experiences elevated WEC and GEB, with the effect being more substantial among participants who participated in mechanized recreation activities. Appropriate cautions are advised against making management decisions based on results of individual studies, but within that context, we suggest the following: • Interpretation programs designed using Tilden’s (1957) classic principles of interpretation can be effective in elevating environmental concern. • Interpretation programs may be more effective if conducted as part of appreciative recreation experiences (e.g., hiking, birdwatching, nature photography). • For WEC and GEB, interpretation may mitigate detrimental effects of participation in mechanized forms of recreation (motor boating, motorcycling). • This study represents the first of its kind to document the proposed effects on environmental concern using experimental methods. PubDate: 2022-05-18 DOI: 10.18666/JPRA-2022-11206 Issue No:Vol. 41, No. 1 (2022)
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