Recreational values and perceived threats

This study revealed that the Craigieburn and Castle Hill conservation areas possess a number of characteristics which recreationists value and appreciate. These characterist ics were portrayed as being very important to recreational experiences. Importantly, the recreational values discussed in this thesis bear similarities to the values described by Schwartz (1994) in his value structure model (see Figure 2.1). While the data generated in the current study were not necessarily intended to ‘test’ this model, Schwartz’ (1994) work provides a useful

framework for considering some of the various dimensions of the ‘people-park relationships’ apparent in this study, and may also be useful in capturing the range of values in future people-park research. The remainder of this section revisits this model and discusses the connections between the recreational values for the Craigieburn area and Schwartz’s spectrum of values. Table 7.1 provides an explanation of which of these values can be linked with the current study, demonstrating the connections through study examples.

Table 7.1 Value types based on values spectrum by Schwartz (1994) and comparisons to values identified among recreationists

Value type Values identified in study Examples from study

Hierarchy

Legitimacy of hierarchical role and resource allocation

Social power; influential Desire to find solutions to problems e.g. wilding pines; recreation enhancement ideas

Conservatism

Close-knit, harmonious relations

Social order; honouring elders; preserving public image; clean; respect tradition; devout; wisdom

Upholding ski club legacy; preserving ‘small’ club image; passion for club; desire to limit large-scale development

Harmony

Harmony with nature

World of beauty; protecting environment; unity with nature

‘Getting back to nature’; concern about nature; being part of the place

Egalitarian commitment

Transcendence of selfish interests

Helpful; equality; social justice; loyal; accepting my portion; responsible; freedom

Access to conservation areas; variety of activities; caring about environment, wildlife, geological features

Intellectual autonomy

Pursuing individual interests or desires

Broadminded; curious Considering wider impacts of development

Affective autonomy

Pursuing individual interests or desires

Enjoying life; varied life; pleasure

‘Getting back to nature’; enjoying recreational activities

Mastery

Mastery through self- assertion

Choosing own goals; independent; capable

Ability in recreational

activities; freedom to choose activities

Schwartz (1994) identified seven different value groups (Table 7.1) each of which

encompasses a certain number of related values. As discussed in Chapter 2, some of these value groups are more closely related to each other than others. For instance, values located within the ‘conservatism’ group are more likely to be related to those found in the ‘harmony’ group. In the case of most recreationists in this study, recreational values appear to align most closely with the groups ‘conservatism’, ‘harmony’, and ‘egalitarian commitment’.

When conveying the characteristics they valued about the recreational settings in the

to ‘get back to nature’ and experience tranquillity. These valued attributes could be linked with the values described in Schwartz’s values spectrum as ‘world of beauty’ and ‘unity with nature’. The desire to ‘get back to nature’ would suggest an appreciation of the natural world, and seeking to find peace within these places may be interpreted as seeking ‘unity with nature’. These values are also consistent with those found in other studies of recreationists (Dillard & Bates, 2011; Mace, Bell, & Loomis, 2004; Weber & Anderson, 2010). The recreationists’ desire to spend time in natural settings may also have influenced their protective feelings for the conservation areas and the wider Craigieburn region, a point of discussion in the following section. These values can also be linked to those found within Schwartz’ ‘egalitarian commitment’ group, such as ‘social equality’, ‘freedom’, ‘helpful’, and ‘responsibility’. Some recreationists emphasised how they valued the ability to recreate on a large area of conservation land without the barriers of private land and restrictions, which relates to the values of ‘social equality’ and ‘freedom’.

Another finding from this study that resonates with Schwartz’ ‘harmony’ values are the sentiments among some recreationists of being “part of the place”. For instance, one skier emphasised the importance of Mount Cheeseman to her personally, not just as a recreational setting, describing it as “her mountain”, suggesting a strong feeling of unity with nature, or, more specifically, a particular natural feature. Another Mount Cheeseman Ski Club member spoke of his desire to “keep the ski field going” in the same way that older members did. These sentiments resonate with ‘honouring elders’ and ‘respecting tradition’ found in the ‘conservatism’ value group. Another example of ‘conservatism’ is found in Chapter 6, where recreationists some displayed a preference for small-scale developments, rather than large commercial operations, with one skier claiming that the nature of the planned Porter Heights expansion is “not what the Craigieburn is used to”. This could be taken to suggest that some recreationists believe that the ‘low key’ recreational activity of the Craigieburn is part of a ‘tradition’.

While the emphasis lies on the value groups ‘conservatism’, ‘harmony’, and ‘egalitarian commitment’ in this study, some similarities are also present between recreationist values and the groups ‘hierarchy’, ‘intellectual autonomy’, ‘affective autonomy’ and ‘mastery’, and these similarities can be demonstrated through a number of examples. For instance, as discussed in Chapter 6 (see 6.3.1), some recreationists showed a desire to find solutions to localised problems, or contribute to the development of recreational facilities in some manner. Long- term Craigieburn recreationists informed that they had witnessed the spread of wilding pines

a way to clean them out”. The use of ‘we’ in this statement may be interpreted as an

eagerness for users of the Craigieburn area to somehow mobilise and rectify the pine problem, which could be compared to the ‘hierarchy’ values of ‘social power’ and ‘influential’ values described in Schwartz’s spectrum. Another example of this connection was the desire of some mountain bikers to have the opportunity to be part of developing new tracks.

Many of the recreationists who shared their anxiety about environmental impacts also indicated a long association with the area, which in turn had resulted in a strong sense of attachment and guardianship, and there was an apparent feeling of helplessness among recreationists about certain environmental impacts. These feelings of guardianship are

consistent with previous studies of recreationists, where it has been found that the stronger the feelings of attachment and identity, the more likely a person will behave in a pro-

environmental manner, or have concerns about the environme nt (Hinds & Sparks, 2008; Scannell & Gifford, 2010).

This point reinforces the importance of being aware of and understanding stakeholder values, as well as maintaining good levels of communication between stakeholders and protected area managers. Another important point from this research is that recreationists do not only

identify with the two formally protected conservation areas, but also the entire Craigieburn region itself. While recreationists are aware of the designation of the conservation areas as protected land, this does not mean they do not feel attachment to and protectiveness for the wider landscape. However, Booth, Gaston, and Armsworth (2009, p.3196) highlighted an important point regarding public awareness of protected areas:

“Public support is vital if conservation efforts are to be successful. However, support for conservation efforts will only be engaged and maintained if the nature and goals of conservation activities are widely known, understood, and accepted”.

While it has been demonstrated that some Craigieburn recreationists are aware of and support the designated statuses of the conservation areas they use for their pursuits, there were those who did not show an awareness of their conservation purposes. There may be an opportunity in the future for the Department of Conservation to increase awareness among the public about the protected areas under their management, through various medians of

communication, in order to facilitate awareness of the significance of the conservation areas to different stakeholder groups, the conservation activities currently taking place, and future management directions. Such communication may become more important as changes, such as commercial developments, come to the Craigieburn area.

Although the values in Schwartz’ spectrum can be linked to the recreational values found in this study, there are some aspects that are not represented in the spectrum. For example, a number of recreationists in this study displayed frustration and opposition to some aspects of activity in the Craigieburn area, such as the forthcoming Porter Heights expansion. While the model by Schwartz includes values relating to positive aspects of life, such as enjoyment of life and acceptance of responsibility, it does not appear to specifically address any such values related to conflict, discontent, or disagreement. Values leading to such sentiments are often central in the outdoor recreation, and are important aspects of management. Models similar to Schwartz’s spectrum may be useful for documenting and analysing outdoor recreationists’ values, as well as those of other stakeholder groups.