Visitors at Grand Teton Park in Wyoming were tracked by scientists with GPS devices. (Photo : Wikimedia)
Scientists usually tag wild animals in order to track where they navigate themselves or to monitor their migrating patterns and other behavior such as feeding and mating habits but in an ironic twist of fate, researchers are now applying something similar to humans who visit National Parks in the US.
A team led by Peter Newman from the College of Health and Human Development in Pennsylvania State University and Kevin Heaslip of Virginia Tech conducted a study in collaboration with Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming in order to examine where tourists' usually go around in parks whether they are driving, hiking or biking.
The study period was between 2013 to 2014 where the human subjects were tagged with GPS devices but was carried out on a voluntary basis. Among all those who were asked to participate in the study at Grand Teton Park, 80 to 90 percent agreed to have GPS devices attached to them where almost everyone returned the devices after the duration of the research.
The main goal of this study is to find out what kind of experience the visitors are looking for when visiting a park. The participants were also asked to answer surveys where researchers examined their answers to what the participants actually did during their park visit.
For example, when a visitor indicated in the questionnaire that he or she seeks solitude, the GPS device will indicate if the participant actually veered off the common visitor track in order to be alone. When the participant indicated they prefer hiking then the GPS will also reveal which trails the hiker are most likely to trek along.
This new study will help park managers to adjust the park's structure and orientation in order to respond to the visitors' needs such as parking lots, restrooms or other locations of interest for a more enjoyable interaction with nature.
