PHD, Kent State University, 2016, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Geography

This dissertation investigates how large organization inscribe their institutional message on the physical landscape creating a unique place. In northern New Mexico is a 137,000 acre ranch that was donated to the Boy Scouts of America between 1938 and 1942 by Mr. and Mrs. Waite Phillips, an Oklahoma oilman. This land was to be used to forge leaders in a wilderness setting. Philmont Boy Scout Ranch is primarily a backpacking destination with high adventure, and team building activities. By using archival research, corporate interview techniques, and participant observations I was able to find out what activities occur at Philmont and why these activities are important to a distinct sense of place. Philmont must get information about the location out to the end consumer, the Scouts, and the market the place through word of mouth marketing and the use of the Boy Scouts of America's publications Boys' Life and Scouting. I was able to identify how Philmont markets the place to the end consumers. A sense of place is fluid and changes over time. The managers of Philmont must walk a tight rope maintaining a sense of history while staying current to the lives of their consumers. I identified an undercurrent of preservation that pervades activities that occur at the ranch. Through the creation, marketing and preservation Philmont Boy Scout Ranch and the Boy Scouts of America have created and maintained a unique place.

Committee: James Tyner Ph.D (Advisor) Subjects: Geography

MA, Kent State University, 2020, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Geography

Wildlife corridors promote biodiversity, abate landscape fragmentation and – in areas of urban development – are often refuges for fauna. Yet, they appear at odds with their main goal of conserving wildlife's natural habitat, especially when applied to a real-world context, because they are typically located in areas prone to anthropogenic disturbances. The literature varies over how concurrent use affects wildlife. One such space where this occurs is urban parks where wildlife movement overlaps spatially with recreationists. Park visitors utilize formal trails and depart from them to create informal trails. Many negative consequences toward wild biota have been attributed to informal trails, which contribute to anthropogenic-induced fragmentation and, indirectly, disturbances within the matrix. The overlap of trails with wildlife corridors begs the questions: are wildlife using the shared corridors within the reservations or should landscape, resource and trail managers be directing their efforts elsewhere to facilitate wildlife movement? Also, to what degree, if any, will wildlife move through corridors shared with humans? To answer these questions, baseline and biodiversity data needed to be established first. Employing round-the-clock, passive, remotely triggered camera pairs in two urban parks in greater Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A., scenarios were tested along a continuum of wildlife-anthropogenic interfacing that occurs on trails. Formal and informal trails in Cleveland Metroparks were studied, in addition to an area with restored informal trails. Examining the majority of terrestrial, animal wildlife, likelihood of Verified Use was established for each species, guild, and as a whole. Verified Use was defined as any species being detected on both cameras in the pair within a +/- five minute window. I found that non-consumptive, anthropogenic use of trails did not necessarily hinder terrestrial wildlife's movement as suggested in the literature. In situ, not (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: David Kaplan (Advisor); Timothy Assal (Committee Member); Emariana Widner (Committee Member); Patrick Lorch (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Geography