Erik A Backlund
St. Lawrence University News
Submitted by ebacklun on Mon, 05/11/2009 - 17:15.
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies
Courses I teach regularly:
Introduction to Environmental Studies
Outdoor Recreation and Public Lands
Tourism and the Environment
My research interests:
My research is broadly directed at using social science to improve the management and delivery of outdoor recreation opportunities. My main focus is the use of longitudinal visitor monitoring to evaluate the visitor experience objectives of resoruce management plans. In a related vein, I am interested in the social correlates to outdoor recreation participation, especially inter-generational differences in activity participation. Since arriving at SLU, I have begun to work with students to examine the effects of climate change on NY's ski industry.
Sample student projects I have supervised:
Johanna Mackenzie - New York Ski Areas’ Adaptations to Climate Change
Examples of presentations, exhibitions, performances and published work:
Backlund, E.A. (2008). The effects of an aging population on the importance of experience outcomes at Grand Canyon National Park. Paper presented at the 14th International Symposium on Society and Resource Management, Burlington, VT
Schwartz, Z., Stewart, W.P., & Backlund, E.A. (In press). Monitoring visitor flows in destinations: The case of multiple use hiking trails in Grand Canyon National Park. Tourism Analysis, 14
My hobbies and/or personal interests:
Skiing, Mountain Biking