USM Students Gain Appreciation for “Nature Tourism”
November 3, 2009
Matt Sabasteanstski, Pineland Farms Educational Center’s outdoor recreation director, describes the dairy production operation at the farm to USM Introduction to Nature Tourism students.
Ecotourism, defined by The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people,” is becoming an increasingly popular segment of the worldwide tourism industry. In fact, according to TIES, “Worldwide ecotourism and nature tourism were growing three times faster than the tourism industry as a whole.”
USM Professor of Recreation and Leisure Studies David Jones is one of a growing number of people who believe that ecotourism also has the potential to become an increasingly significant factor in the Maine tourism industry. For the past several years, Jones has taught “Introduction to Nature Tourism,” a course that is over-enrolled each semester it is offered. Currently, students are able to minor in Nature Tourism. Jones is also developing a proposal for an ecotourism certification program.
“This course has proven to be extremely popular with students from across the university, not only among recreation and leisure studies students, but also with students from business, environmental science, geography and anthropology,” said Jones.
In addition to traditional in-class readings, writing assignments and tests, students take field trips to Pineland Farms Educational Center (see photo) where tourists are able to engage in various outdoor recreation activities and also learn about Maine’s agricultural heritage. Additionally, students hear from professionals in the field of nature tourism in Maine. So far this semester, Phil Savignano, senior tourism officer for the Maine Office of Tourism; Shannon LeRoy, Appalachian Mountain Club program manager; and David Herring, Maine Huts and Trails’ executive director, have made presentations to the class.
By semester’s end, student groups must develop and present a plan for the launch of a nature tourism business. A few of this semester‘s plans include an organic farm stay operation, guided nature photography tours, and whale watch and lighthouse tours.
Students also engage in class activities that force them to look at tourism from a range of perspectives. Earlier this semester, students participated in a mock Land Use Regulatory Commission (LURC) hearing. The fictitious resort company, Happy Acres, Inc., was seeking permission to develop a resort on land just beyond a 100-foot buffer zone at the edge of a protected wetlands.
Students were assigned roles as LURC commissioners, developers, landowners, local business owners, and concerned environmentalists, as well as local proponents and opponents. “Think beyond your own position,” Jones told students. After an additional period of fact-finding, the “commissioners” ruled in favor of the proposal, with the stipulation that the developers work with environmentalists to ensure that the resort incorporates the agreed upon green features.
“This course has given me an understanding of how Maine’s natural resources can be economically and environmentally sustainable in terms of tourism,” said Ryan Coffin, a senior business major from Carmel.
“The course really helps students look at the tourism industry in a different way,” said Jones. “I hope that they leave the course able to think about ways to promote sustainable tourism here in Maine and elsewhere, yet in a way that builds appreciation for local and regional cultures while also providing meaningful employment.”
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The University of Southern Maine (USM) offers its 10,000 plus students more than 115 areas of undergraduate and graduate study. USM’s location in southern Maine, a region cited as one of the most liveable in the country, offers a range of educational, cultural and recreational opportunities.
