BAKGRUND:Utomhuspedagogik är ett mycket viktigt komplement till barn/elevers lärande i både förskola och skola. Envariationsrik naturmiljö erbjuder barn en miljö som främjar barns hela utveckling och hälsa på ett sätt som ingenannan miljö förmår. Vi tar upp aktuell forskning kring utomhuspedagogik. Vår studie grundar sig påuppfattningar om hur människan förstår sin omvärld. Därför har vi inspirerats av fenomenografin som teoretiskutgångspunkt och ett utvecklingspedagogiskt perspektiv när det gäller barn och elevers lärande.SYFTE:Syftet med vårt examensarbete är att undersöka hur lärare uppfattar utomhuspedagogik inom förskola ochskolans tidigare år (förskola – årskurs 6).METOD:Undersökningen har utförts med kvalitativ forskningsmetod. Datainsamlingen genomfördes med skriftligaintervjuer, s.k. Self report och besvarades av 18 stycken pedagoger verksamma inom förskola och skola, 12stycken lärare på 3 förskolor och 6 stycken lärare på 3 skolor.RESULTAT:Resultatet visar att lärare använder utomhuspedagogik som lärandemiljö eftersom naturen har positiva effekterpå bland annat lärande och hälsa. Vidare påvisar studien att utomhuspedagogik är viktig och att lärare uppfattaratt det ett bra komplement till den traditionella inomhuspedagogiken/ klassrumsundervisningen. Vi fann teckenpå variation mellan förskola och skola . I förskolan använder man sig av utomhuspedagogik som ett pedagogisktverktyg medan skolan använder utomhuspedagogik som ett extra läromedel i en mängd sammanhang. Vi anseratt vi fått en djupare inblick och förståelse för utomhuspedagogikens betydelse när vi undersökt hurutomhuspedagogik beskrivs i aktuell forskning och vilka uppfattningar lärare som arbetar inom både förskolaoch skola har. Denna erfarenhet kommer vi att ta med oss till vår egen verksamhet där vi redan idag användeross av utomhuspedagogik Det har framkommit skillnader i lärarnas uppfattningar inom förskola och skola närdet gäller gårdens utformning. Vi anser att vårt examensarbete är relevant för läraryrket eftersomutomhuspedagogik visar sig vara ett utomordentligt bra redskap att använda för främjandet av barns/eleverslärande och utveckling.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Psychological Sciences / Laura A. Brannon / Sun exposure, with its link to the development of skin cancer and other health issues, can be a serious health hazard. In particular, those who primarily work outdoors and are consistently exposed to the sun’s rays are at elevated risk for such health problems. Previous research efforts have focused on appealing to these outdoor workers to practice sun protection behaviors, such as using sunscreen, wearing a hat, or wearing items of clothing that reduce the amount of skin exposed to the sun’s rays. In an effort to promote such sun protection behaviors, study 1 used a 3 X 2 between-subjects design to investigate the effects of tailored messaging and the inclusion of content regarding financial consequences of skin cancer on outdoor workers’ intention to practice sun protection behaviors. Results from study 1 suggest that tailored messaging was equally as effective as targeted messaging, with both being more effective than generic messaging. This finding indicates that some degree of personalization is necessary when promoting safe sun practices to outdoor workers, but that tailoring to individuals is unnecessary. Additionally, the inclusion of financial content in messaging resulted in participants having greater intentions to practice sun protection behaviors. In study 2, managers and supervisors of outdoor workers were studied in determining the importance of consequences related to employee well-being and financial consequences for employers when it comes to encouraging sun protection behaviors in their employees. Using a four-level between-subjects intervention, it was found that managers and supervisors who received messages that emphasized the financial consequences of employee sun exposure had greater intentions to encourage sun protection behaviors in their employees than those who received a message focused solely on employee well-being. This finding indicates that employers may be most concerned with financial consequences when it comes to promoting employee health. Together, studies 1 and 2 provide insight into the most effective methods for promoting sun protection for outdoor workers.

Children’s active outdoor play (AOP) is an unstructured physical activity that takes place outdoors during a child’s free time. Despite its association with health and well-being benefits (e.g. increases levels of physical activity, improves psychosocial skills), growing evidence suggests that children are playing less outdoors in comparison to previous generations (Clements, 2004; Witten et al., 2013). This trend is generating a number of studies aiming to examine its decline. Parents, especially mothers, are identified as significant actors in increasing children’s opportunities for AOP in order to prevent adverse health and developmental outcomes. Although parents have an important role in socializing children to leading healthy lifestyles, few studies have documented their difficulties in providing children with opportunities for AOP. Drawing on a Foucauldian approach, this qualitative study focuses on the social, cultural, and structural factors that shape children’s opportunities for AOP within the family context and examines the salient factors of contemporary motherhood that impact children’s AOP. Twenty-one mothers from the Ottawa-Gatineau region took part in an in-depth semistructured interview. The analysis shows that many aspects of contemporary mothering and the multiple roles occupied by mothers make it difficult to provide opportunities for AOP. A key finding is that mothers struggle to prioritize children’s AOP due to discursive conflicts that stem from their roles as risk managers, time managers, and screen time managers. Results provide crucial data for future initiatives aimed at increasing children’s levels of physical activity within a family setting. By focusing on the lived experiences of mothers, this study provides recommendations to promote AOP despite the challenges of contemporary family life.

The number of citizens living in urban areas worldwide is predicted to increase in future decades. However, this projected increase is mainly due to the magnetic power of so-called megacities. Worldwide, many intermediate cities, especially in the most developed countries, have had considerable population losses in the past decades and this trend is expected to continue. When a city loses a high percentage of its population within a short period of time, the traces of that loss become strongly apparent. Abandonment is followed by dereliction, such that the urban fabric can become randomly punctuated with uninhabited spaces where previously present human constructions have been destroyed, and social instability can ensue. The attraction of the city to newcomers then becomes increasingly compromised, and the cycle of decline is harder to overcome. Some cities have developed strategies to redress the situation, such as restricting urban sprawl, demolitions, urban agriculture, rightsizing infrastructure or permitting biodiversity sanctuaries. However, few academic studies have focused on the ways that residents, and potential newcomers, perceive this situation and react to it. Obtaining a deeper understanding of residents¹ perceptions might allow the development of targeted strategies to promote healthier, more attractive and safer environments for these communities, as well as enhancing their potential for newcomers. The research aim, therefore, is to understand the key factors that determine the attractiveness of these urban abandoned spaces for different stakeholder groups, namely, residents of depopulating, and growing, neighbourhoods, and house searchers. Three different methods were used sequentially to explore this quest: interviews with experts, focus groups and conjoint analysis. Conjoint analysis is one of the most robust methods to explore people¹s preferences, by presenting respondents with possible future change scenarios. The study was undertaken in Lisbon (PT) and Genoa (IT), two southern European cities that have experienced population decline, in some areas, in the last three decades. The results of the interviews and focus groups, for both cities, show that while people are naturally resilient to de-densification scenarios, one key concern, when discussing their neighbourhoods in this context, is related to community support. The results from the conjoint analysis corroborate the importance of having a close community for people living in depopulating environments, namely, in Lisbon. The results also show that good quality green spaces are an attraction factor for house searchers. These differences show how the provision of social support in depopulating urban environments might be a determining factor in the stabilization of these neighbourhoods and also, how the presence of good quality green spaces might enhance its attractiveness to newcomers. Social support, therefore, should be given serious consideration in any political, social, architectural intervention within depopulating contexts. Moreover, the presence of green spaces of better quality might be not only a key factor in attracting new residents, but simultaneously, play a crucial role in enhancing the physical and mental health of particularly vulnerable communities, and enhance social interaction.

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Several aspects of natural-resources education were explored in this study. First, a statewide survey of science, social studies, and elementary teachers was conducted to determine the current form and extent of natural-resources education in Utah. Returns were received from 51% of the surveyed teachers. The percent of time devoted to natural resources, the factors affecting natural-resources instruction, and the need to improve that instruction were assessed. Utilizing that information, the Natural-Resources Curriculum Framework was developed. The Framework is designed to provide educators with the essential concepts to be included in a comprehensive natural-resources program. Finally, examples of classroom support materials were created as extensions of the Framework. These materials, specifically designed for geography teachers, cover a wide variety of concepts involving natural resources.

The federally endangered Schaus’ swallowtail butterfly (Heraclides aristodemus ponceanus) populations have declined precipitously over the years. Despite tremendous efforts to augment the numbers of this butterfly through captive-bred releases and habitat enhancements, it remains imperiled and federally endangered. The dissertation’s objectives were: 1) to restore dry forest habitat in Biscayne National Park (BNP) for Schaus’ swallowtails; 2) to assess host plant (torchwood and wild lime) survivorship and growth in the restoration sites (BNP) and project dry forest habitat loss because of imminent sea level rise (SLR); 3) to quantify ant activity and record predator-prey interactions against Heraclides caterpillars in dry forest habitat in BNP; and 4) to implement a south Florida butterfly conservation curriculum unit at schools in Miami-Dade County, and evaluate students’ gained knowledge and attitudes toward south Florida environments, insects and butterflies, and conservation. More than 3,200 native plants were planted in restoration sites in BNP. Eighty-five percent were torchwood, the primary host plant for Schaus’ swallowtails. Canopy cover, ground elevation, and relative soil depth had a negligible effect on torchwood survivorship; however, ground elevation had a strong effect on growth. Dry forest habitat in Key Largo will succumb less quickly to SLR than in BNP because of higher elevation. Pseudomyrmex gracilis was the most common ant on Schaus’ swallowtail host plants, which aggressively attacked early instar caterpillars (86.7%). The predator exclusion experiment demonstrated that early instar caterpillars were least likely to survive when exposed to crawling and non-crawling predators. The controlled-experiment at three schools revealed the integrated insect curriculum unit significantly increased students’ content knowledge in the experimental groups. Pre- and post-surveys revealed students demonstrated favorable interest in animals and plants and were advocates for environmental stewardship; however, they reported less interest in insects. Service-learning and inquiry-based activities in dry forests, gardens, homes, and schools make imperiled insects and ecosystems salient, thus leading to potential advocacy for them. A better understanding of Schaus’ swallowtail dynamics in the Florida Keys presents an opportunity to preserve its existence and thwart extinction.

Concern for child wellness has led play professionals to explore natural playscapes as a means to enhance free play and consequently child development. For preschool-aged children, dramatic play is a particularly valuable free play that advances cognitive skills, social skills, and emotional intelligence. This study compared thedramatic play affordances of natural and manufactured outdoor play settings to determine which afford the most dramatic play for preschool-aged children. Twenty-four 3- to 5- year-olds were observed during daily playtime on a “natural playground” and an equipment-based “manufactured playground.” Behavior mapping identified settings that afforded the most solitary dramatic, sociodramatic, and complex sociodramatic play. The study suggests that environments designed with child-scale constructive play props, a sense of enclosure, and natural surroundings are more likely to support complex dramatic play. Intentional inclusion of these design elements may afford greater dramatic play in the preschool play yard.

This thesis was undertaken in order to explore aspects of the impact of outdoor recreation on water quality. It begins with a discussion of the rationale for monitoring and controlling such environmental degradation. Following sections include an investigation of water quality characteristics particularly indicative of recreational impact, a discussion of the potential contributions of various recreation activities to water pollution, a literature survey, a guideline for planning and implementing a water quality surveillance program, and recommendations for further research. Material for the thesis came from library research and was augmented by the author's personal experience as a water quality research technician.

Globalisation, localisation and tourism are processes that are closely interconnected. They relate to historical mobilities and non-mobilities of humans, ideas and capital that impact on environment, economy, culture, politics and technology. Yet, these impacts on local tourism destinations are not well researched. Small destinations are not researched in relation to the impact of globalisation and tourism overtime. The thesis develops an historical understanding of globalisation, localisation and tourism within the context of the Otago Peninsula in Dunedin, New Zealand. It portrays the �glocalisation� processes, the specific mix of local and global forces that shaped the Otago Peninsula and created the basis for the current conditions, especially for tourism. The research on the Otago Peninsula clearly identifies different stages of mobilities to the place, generally following a similar pattern to other places in New Zealand settled in the latest phase of colonialism. The first settlers, the Polynesians, were followed by white explorers, sealers and whalers at the beginning of the 19th century who exploited a local resource that was valuable to international markets. After the over-exploitation of the resource white settlers arrived to �conquer� nature and to improve on their living conditions in a new country. They provided the basis for the following mobilities by developing or facilitating a local, national, regional and international infrastructure. Towards the end of the 19th century the major European migration had ended. The next major mobility movement was recreationists from the close urban centre of Dunedin who used the infrastructure on the Otago Peninsula at weekends, as time, money and technology limited mobilities to places further away. From the 1920s onwards, when these limitations were reduced by, for example, a better infrastructure and new technological developments such as the car and more disposable income and time, New Zealanders started to more widely discover their own country. Finally, international travellers started to arrive in the 1960s after the main obstacle, the distance and time needed to travel to New Zealand and the Otago Peninsula, was reduced by technological development, especially airplanes. During all of these phases of mobility, the Otago Peninsula became increasingly interconnected with other places on the globe, creating the conditions for tourism. In this study, within the context of the phase model of mobilities, a variety of research methods were used to assess the impact of globalisation, localisation and tourism on the Otago Peninsula. These methods include literature, newspaper, local promotional materials and photographic images analysis, as well as participant observation and historical interviews. The research clearly highlights the changes to the Otago Peninsula created by historical events that happened as a consequence of human mobility. Internal and external conditions at different geographical scales, ranging from the local to the global, changed the economy, the environment, culture, politics and the use of technology on the Otago Peninsula. The place was (and still is) constantly glocalised. Consequently, international tourism, as one of the more recent forces, has to be managed within this historical framework of stretched social relations, the intensification of flows, increasing global interactions and the development of global infrastructure and networks.