Rec 1000 - Recreation & Leisure Today

Rec 1000 - Recreation & Leisure Today

Exam #2 - 40 points (10 points/question)

Fall, 2002ANSWER KEY

Please answer the three questions listed below. You can choose the 4th question from the list of questions listed as Your Choice.

Required questions:

1. How is a municipal (city) parks program fundamentally different from a federal government parks program in providing recreation services? How does each benefit society?

Municipal Parks / Federal Parks
Community Based toward promoting social welfare. That is, City parks programs focus on providing programs as activities and events that promote building a sense of community and the well-being of its individual members.
Thus, these programs benefit society by promoting social welfare and the improved sense of well-being of the community members and the tourists who visit the city. / Natural Resource based. That is, Federal parks programs primary purpose is to manage and preserve federal lands. These lands are for the benefit of all U.S. citizens (not just local community members). Their programs focus on management/protection of healthy ecosystems - which include the natural features and inhabitants.
Programs are directed toward interpretation of those resources, providing services to enjoy the resource - such as camping facilities, trails, overlooks, & roadways along with educational programs (known as Interpretation).
These programs benefit society by protecting and managing natural resources as healthy systems and allowing citizens to enjoy them through appropriate recreational activities.

1. Describe how the following agencies provide recreation programs and services. What is the primary purpose of each?

Agency / Purpose / Rec. programs/services
MN DNR (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources) / To manage and protect the natural resources of Minnesota (state lands). Also, to provide appropriate recreational opportunities within those lands. / The DNR has seven divisions: Trails & Waterways; Wildlife; Fisheries; Parks & Recreation; Enforcement; Forestry; Waters; & Ecological Services.
Through these services and programs, the DNR protects wildlife and plant populations, maintains healthy ecosystems within the state, enforces laws protecting those resources, educates the public about those resources, and preservesnatural areas for the health of the lands and the enjoyment for Minnesota citizens.
NPS (National Park Service) / To preserve and protect highly significant natural areas (known as national treasures) in the U.S. including Historical sites, natl. lakeshores, monuments & seashores). To manage designated wilderness areas within NPS boundaries. / Provide Interpretive education programs about the natural resource and/or cultural site.
Manage through biodiversity and enforcement practices appropriate recreational activities including hiking, camping, wildlife viewing along with protection and preservation of the natural resource and its native inhabitants.
Hunting and motorized sports are prohibited except in rare and unusual circumstances such as in Voyageurs Natl. Park.
USFWS (United States Fish & Wildlife Service) / Federal agency charged with protection of federally protecting species including migratory birds & fish, and protection of threatened, rare, and endangered species. USFWS also protects wildlife and fishery habitats in efforts to protect the species. / These federal wildlife refuge=s allow fishing, hunting, and camping. They provide some education programs, but focus primarily on species protection, habitat restoration on federal lands, enforcement to protect those species, and appropriate recreation activities within those lands. The USFWS does not manage state lands, but may cooperate with the DNR on enforcement issues - usually related to interstate transport of illegal fish and game.
USFS (United States Forest Service) / The USFS manages forests & grasslands on federal (USFS) lands. They permit extractive industries such as logging, mining, and grazing. Part of their management is to practice conservation efforts to maintain healthy forests and grasslands. Within USFS lands are wilderness areas (same is true for NPS, BLM, and USFWS) where they are responsible to manage the wilderness according to congressional mandate. / The USFS manages for healthy forests and grasslands for extractive industry, but includes managing for healthy wildlife populations, wilderness protection, and ecosystem management practices. Within these lands they also manage for a wide range of recreational activities from motorized to non-motorized activities; ski resort industry; trails; roadways; and wilderness travel. While research is a vital part of their efforts, fishery management is not.

1. What are the differences between Outdoor Education; Outdoor Recreation; Adventure Education; and Adventure Recreation? Explain how each type benefits their audience.

Outdoor Education: OE is the umbrella under which the other areas occur. The primary aspect of outdoor education is to teach people about the natural world, in the natural world, and for the natural world. However, this includes teaching physical skills for the sake of skill development as well as nature education. Outdoor education is about learning in and about the outdoors.

Outdoor Recreation: Recreational activities in the outdoors (natural setting) for the sake of recreation. Learning, while it may occur, is not the primary purpose of the activity.

Adventure Education: AE is the activity and skill development in a nature based setting where an element of risk is involved. The risk may be perceived or real, and the participant will likely have a limited amount of control over the outcome of the activity (the extent of the limit is dependent upon the amount of real risk and the extent of the person=s skill). Adventure education is provided to teach a person skills as well as a certain extent of personal growth ranging from simple self awareness to psycho-therapeutic outcomes.

Adventure Recreation: A nature based activity where the participant is exposed to a certain degree of risk and where they may seek skill development, thrill, or some degree of personal growth. Adv. Recreation is different from Adv. Education in that the participant is not actively seeking to learn but is rather seeking the experience through the challenge, setting, skill, and partners involved in the activity.

Your Choice (Choose one question below ):

1. Based on how Therapeutic Rec. was defined in this course, What makes a recreation activity ATherapeutic@? Give specific examples of program types that are considered to be therapeutic recreation.

Therapeutic recreation is the use of recreation based activities for therapeutic outcomes. The therapy may range from physical skills development including motor dexterity, balance, strength, and/or agility. It may focus on mental health ranging from learning healthy social skills (at-risk youth), personal growth, and/or resolving complex psychological issues. It can focus toward emotional development such as teaching a person how to stay on task, follow instructions, and communicate in a positive manner.

In all circumstances, therapeutic recreation is a deliberate effort that has prescribed treatments with clearly defined outcomes. It is a clinical type of application that requires a specialized training for the therapist. It is not simply doing a recreational activity where one learns something or one feels good after the activity.

1. What is the AWilderness Preservation System@, and who manages it?

The Wilderness Preservation System is the system of agencies that are charged with managing federally legislated Wilderness areas according to the Wilderness Act which was enacted by Congress in 1964. The agencies comprising the WPS are: USFS; NPS; BLM; and, USFWS. Wilderness can only be designated through congressional (federal) mandate.

The WPS is comprised of over 100 million acres of land (4% of total federal lands) in the US. There are approximately 500 designated wilderness areas in the US. Finally, not all lands within each of the agencies are designated wilderness. For example, the Superior Natl. Forest is 3 million acres, with the BWCAW comprising 1 million (1/3) of those lands. There is no other wilderness in Minnesota, even though we have BLM lands, USFWS wildlife refuge=s and the Chippewa National Forest.

1. Choose three of the following agencies and describe the following:

A. What is their primary purpose?

B. Who do they serve?

C. How are they part of the recreation industry?

GSAAmerican Camping AssociationAmerican Red Cross

BSAChurch CampsAmerican Canoe Association

YMCA/YWCA4-H

1. Based on what your text, class discussions, and the article on Play, explain how APlay@ is beneficial to persons well-being?

The above two items were thoroughly covered in your text books and in the article and class discussions. There were no significant problems with your responses to these two items. If you have a question, please see me!

Thanks

Ken