Changes in visitors' environmental focus during an appreciative recreation experience.

Recreation that involves learning about nature, or viewing, observing, studying, identifying, or photographing nature (e.g., birds, plants, or wildlife) may be termed appreciative recreation. The number of people participating in appreciative recreation and outdoor activities is increasing and researchers project this trend to continue through the year 2050 (Bowker et al., 2006). For example, results from the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment (NSRE) indicate that from 2000-2001, there were 95.2 million participants viewing/photographing wildlife; a 55.8% or 34.1 million increase from the 1994-1995 survey (Cordell, 2004). Viewing and photographing wildlife ranked third in participant numbers, only behind "walking for pleasure" and "family gatherings." Similarly, between 2004 and 2007, NSRE researchers found that 35.4% of all people 16 years and older in the U.S. were birders or birdwatchers (Cordell et al., 2008).The authors of this manuscript conducted a study of this growing population of appreciative recreationists for three important reasons. First, a significant increase and projected growth in any group of recreationists should warrant some level of investigation on its own. Specifically studying appreciative recreationists (as opposed to all outdoor recreationists in a particular setting) is important because outdoor recreationists are extremely diverse, based on their motivations, amount and frequency of engagement in an activity, and their desired outcomes from participation (Manning, 2011). Therefore, land managers and leisure providers often require a comprehensive understanding of a specific population (e.g., appreciative recreationists) to sufficiently address their particular needs and preferences and to ultimately provide high-quality experiences (Hendee & Dawson, 2002; Manning, 2004). Researchers and managers may need more information than currently exists to fully understand and effectively plan for appreciative recreation experiences. This study addresses this need and helps inform researchers and leisure providers about the dynamic nature of the appreciative recreation experience.Second, although the notion that on-site outdoor recreation experiences include multiple dynamic phases is generally accepted, it is largely based on investigations of recreation activities such as hiking, paddling, and camping (Borrie & Roggenbuck, 2001; Hull & Michael, 1995; Hull, Michael, Walker, & Roggenbuck, 1996; Hull, Stewart, & Yi, 1992; Lee, Datillo, & Howard, 1994; Mclntyre, 1998; Mclntyre & Roggenbuck, 1998; Stewart, 1998; Walker, Hull, & Roggenbuck, 1998). However, for the most part, researchers have not empirically investigated the multiple phases of appreciative forms of recreation. The appreciative recreation experience may differ from other recreation experiences because the recreationist's focus may be centered specifically on natural features, as opposed to the physical elements of the activity (e.g., proper oar position during white-water rafting, or maintaining balance while rock climbing). Additionally, the appreciative recreation experience may differ in the speed of the activity. For example, viewing or studying flora and fauna may be kinesthetically slower than traditional outdoor recreation activities, such as river kayaking. As a result, the multiphasic nature of the on-site appreciative recreation experience may differ from results presented in previous studies. One area that may likely be different is the level of and potential change in the environmental focus of appreciative recreationists during on-site experiences.Third, understanding the multiphasic nature of the appreciative recreation experience may result in substantial implications for land managers and naturebased leisure providers. Stewart (1998) emphasized this point in a JLR special issue and posited that investigating the multiphasic nature of leisure experiences can provide significant managerial information beyond studies that ignore leisure process and context. …