Understanding Visitors’ Motivations Behind Environmental Stewardship in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Loncán F. 2023. Understanding Visitors’ Motivations Behind Environmental Stewardship in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. University of North Carolina
ABSTRACT: As the most visited national park in the United States, Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) increasingly deals with the environmental consequences of overcrowding. With no entrance fee, GRSM cannot limit the number of people in the park; however, it can attempt to change the behaviors of those who visit. An ethnographic study was conducted in August 2023 over the course of 8 days to identify what motivates park visitors to engage in environmental stewardship behaviors. Observations and interviews were conducted at the most populated trails and visitor centers within the park - Laurel Falls Trail and Sugarlands Visitor Center in Tennessee and Clingmans Dome Trail and Oconaluftee Visitor Center in North Carolina. Six categories of visitors were identified and seven motivations behind environmental stewardship were revealed. Based on these insights, a communications recommendation guide was created for GRSM leadership to leverage these motivations to promote further environmental stewardship in the park.
- Type
- Academic
- Authors
- Loncán, Florencia
- Date of Issue
- 2023
- Publisher
- University of North Carolina
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- Clingmans Dome, environmental stewardship, GRSM-02225, Laurel Falls, Oconaluftee, overcrowding, social science, Sugarlands, thesis, visitation