These nature-related activities generated both direct and indirect benefits. Direct benefits are economic values that people place on the utilization of a resource. In this study, indicators of direct benefits were obtained in response to the question on how much value people place on nature-related activities.
Indirect benefits are indicators of the economic activity generated by the use of a resource.
In this study, indicators of indirect benefits were obtained in response to the question on the magnitude of the economic impacts that result from expenditures by participants in nature-related activities. These two distinct types of benefits are illustrated in Figure 6 . For people sightseeing in natural areas, their satisfaction could come from a sunset or the sight of the beautiful leaves in the fall. In order to experience these kinds of interactions with nature, Canadians are prepared to pay for the enjoyment they receive from those nature-related activities. This economic value is a reflection of the importance that participants attach to nature-related activities, and it is comparable with the economic values of other goods and services that people depend on to meet their needs.