Connecting Latinos with nature

Abstract

Experts around the world have identified ecosystem services that benefit humans. Ecosystem services provided by natural areas include cultural (such as providing outdoor recreation locations) and regulating (such as protecting water quality) services. It is important to understand both public perceptions about the importance of particular ecosystem services and the availability of natural areas to provide these ecosystem services. This study of Latino recreationists to Forest Service day use sites in two canyons in southern California examined these perceptions. These Latino respondents strongly agreed with the importance of managing natural areas for several of the cultural services items and almost all of the regulating services items. In order of importance, they felt it was most important to manage natural areas for regulating services such as protection of water quality, protection of wildlife, improved air quality, and protection of plants, as well as cultural services such as swimming, visitor safety, camping, day hiking, picnicking at developed sites, scenic values, stream play, and watching wildlife. The Latino respondents also felt that more areas needed to be set aside for particular regulating and cultural services. In order of most needed, these included protection of water quality, protection of wildlife, improved air quality, and protection of plants, as well as visitor safety, watching wildlife, swimming, camping, picnicking in developed sites, scenic values, stream play, and educational purposes.

Parent Publication

• Recreation visitor research: studies of diversity

Citation

Chavez, Deborah J. 2008. Connecting Latinos with nature. In: Chavez, Deborah J.; Winter, Patricia L.; Absher, James D., eds. Recreation visitor research: studies of diversity. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-210. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 157-162. Chapter 13.