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Geographer Hobson Bryan noted that outdoor recreation activities serve as “windows to the environment”; outdoor recreation acts as the lens through which most people interact with, appreciate, and ultimately understand natural areas. Outdoor recreation participation in Canada is fairly ubiquitous; as some estimates suggest that up to 70% of Canadians spend time outdoors to experience nature.

Discover how our interactions with nature shape our lives and influence conservation. In this talk, Dr. Howie Harshaw will explore the importance of public access to natural areas, the benefits of outdoor recreation, and the challenges Canadians face in connecting with nature. Drawing on survey data and examples from birdwatching to hunting, we’ll examine how people value, use, and impact natural spaces—and why managing these areas ultimately means managing people’s relationships with them. Join us to uncover the intricate relationship between human actions, conservation and our shared natural world.

Speaker Info:
Dr. Howie Harshaw is a professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation. He examines the human dimensions of natural resources, with an emphasis on outdoor recreation in an effort to understand the relationships that people have with nature, and to investigate the interactions of resource development and quality of life. Howie integrates social science into the planning and management of natural resources, and has worked regularly in interdisciplinary teams to provide theoretically-based empirical research contributions to broader landscape-based projects examining sustainability issues.