| Aldo Leopold claimed that the outstanding advance of modern ecology would be the "inevitable fusion" of social and natural sciences. When the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska called for "rigorous social science" to assess bear viewing, a conjoint constitution framework inspired by Freudenburg, Frickel, and Gramling (1995) enabled the examination of the active interplay of social and environmental factors. A combination of 844 recorded minutes of stakeholder interviews and 260 online surveys were utilized to assess the nature of current bear viewing opportunities, significant influences, and the attitudinal, behavioral, and educational outcomes of bear viewing. The number of bears seen, composition of bears, and previous bear viewing experiences at locations outside of Kodiak were associated with overall trip satisfaction, while proximity to bears was associated with specific learning outcomes. Visitors reported overall positive changes in attitudes towards bears, intentions to perform behavior that will benefit bears, and knowledge about bears and related subjects. High quality bear viewing with conservation benefits will require ongoing monitoring of social and physical factors, which are constantly changing and interacting in new ways. |
