Degree
MES (Master of Environmental Studies), Tourism Policy and Planning
Thesis title
Lived Experiences of the Trails: Perspectives from Three Southwestern Ontario Trail Organizations
Year of defence
2013
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative thesis was to describe common elements of sense of place in the lived experiences of volunteer trail managers. Through a triangulation of data gathered from secondary research, interviews with trail managers, and participation observation of hikers, the study drew out the essence of the trail managers’ sense of place towards their trail experience and connected this back to ongoing management challenges faced by their trail organizations. Some of these challenges include declining membership, limited lines of communication, and problematic relationships with private landowners. Themes around this common sense of place related to meanings, relationship/ attachments, emotions, and behaviours towards the trail experience. Interrelationships between sense of place, phenomenology, and trail management were also highlighted.
Biography
