Pictures of polar bears: Using visitor employed photography to identify experience indicators in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Jessica P. Fefer; Jeffrey C. Hallo; Robert G. Dvorak; Matthew T.J. Brownlee; Rachel H. Collins; Elizabeth D. Baldwin

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110779

Pictures of polar bears: Using visitor employed photography to identify experience indicators in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Jessica P. Fefer, Jeffrey C. Hallo, Robert G. Dvorak, Matthew T.J. Brownlee, Rachel H. Collins, Elizabeth D. Baldwin

Recreation Parks & Leisure Services

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to apply visitor employed photography (VEP) to recreation management to develop indicators of the wildlife viewing experience. VEP and semi-structured interviews were used at a popular polar bear viewing destination in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (Arctic Refuge). Visitors to the Arctic Refuge who participated in an on-site semi-structured interview were asked to participate in a VEP procedure after their visit. A sample of 24 semi-structured interviews, and 17 VEP responses were collected and compared to test the utility of VEP to develop indicators of the wildlife viewing experience. Results indicate that VEP offers additional and unique types of information from semi-structured interviews for identifying indicators of the wildlife viewing experience. Potential indicators that emerged from VEP include ‘time spent on the water viewing polar bears’, and the ‘number of vessels in view.’ Indicators emerged exclusively from the VEP procedure, demonstrating the utility of VEP for recreation management and scientific inquiry.

Original language	English
Article number	110779
Journal	Journal of Environmental Management
Volume	269
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110779
State	Published - Sep 1 2020

Keywords

Indicators
Interagency visitor use management framework
Normative theory
Park management
Visitor employed photography
Wildlife viewing

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10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110779

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title = "Pictures of polar bears: Using visitor employed photography to identify experience indicators in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge",

abstract = "The purpose of this research is to apply visitor employed photography (VEP) to recreation management to develop indicators of the wildlife viewing experience. VEP and semi-structured interviews were used at a popular polar bear viewing destination in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (Arctic Refuge). Visitors to the Arctic Refuge who participated in an on-site semi-structured interview were asked to participate in a VEP procedure after their visit. A sample of 24 semi-structured interviews, and 17 VEP responses were collected and compared to test the utility of VEP to develop indicators of the wildlife viewing experience. Results indicate that VEP offers additional and unique types of information from semi-structured interviews for identifying indicators of the wildlife viewing experience. Potential indicators that emerged from VEP include {\textquoteleft}time spent on the water viewing polar bears{\textquoteright}, and the {\textquoteleft}number of vessels in view.{\textquoteright} Indicators emerged exclusively from the VEP procedure, demonstrating the utility of VEP for recreation management and scientific inquiry.",

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author = "Fefer, {Jessica P.} and Hallo, {Jeffrey C.} and Dvorak, {Robert G.} and Brownlee, {Matthew T.J.} and Collins, {Rachel H.} and Baldwin, {Elizabeth D.}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's CFDA Program 15.687 Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), through CESU Network Master Cooperative Agreement (MCA) FWS number: 401814J023 . This award has been assigned USFWS document number F17AC00101 . This award is made under the authority of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act ([16 U.S.C. § 661, 16 U.S.C. § 742(f), and 16 U.S.C. § 753. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 The Authors",

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Pictures of polar bears: Using visitor employed photography to identify experience indicators in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

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Keywords

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