Fostering Pro-environmental Behavior Among National Park Visitors: Testing Communication Strategies for Campfire...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Management
• Conservation Psychology
• Ecotourism

Background:

• Campfires are a popular visitor activity but can cause ecological damage, particularly to ancient trees.
• Managing visitor behavior is crucial for minimizing environmental impacts in natural areas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of passive (pamphlets) and active (face-to-face) communication strategies on campfire behavior.
• To reduce the use of ancient trees for firewood by visitors in natural areas.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental field study integrating social and natural sciences.
• Utilized visitor interviews, surveys, observations, and environmental assessments.
• Employed multiple regression analysis accounting for visitor volume, characteristics, and weather.

Main Results:

• Both passive and active communication strategies reduced tree damage incidents by 57% compared to control periods.
• Visitors were more likely to refrain from campfires or use provided firewood when communication was present.
• Passive and active communication strategies demonstrated similar effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• Simple, low-cost communication methods are effective tools for environmental management.
• Direct interaction is not necessarily superior to passive communication for influencing visitor behavior.
• Effective communication strategies can significantly mitigate ecological damage in natural areas.