Business
Rock climbing is a recreational activity that, though historical outdoors, has become more popular than ever in an indoor context (Long, 2024). The following article addresses the business of rock climbing and its implications for outdoor recreation of the same type. Excerpts from Long (2024): [Rock climbing] began as a
Business
In my experience, shoe and boot cleaners are few and far between at state and local parks. And, when they are present, there's no signage explaining how or, more importantly, when and why you should use them. Cleaning your shoes before entering and leaving a park is a
Business
In our project kickoff with the ODNR, we were told that State Park visitation is good for the economy. In the results of our survey of Ohio state park managers, several park managers expressed concerns and frustrations with lack of funding and issues due to limited budget. Marty Schladen (2025)
Business
As littering is a huge problem in state parks, especially state park beaches like in Alum Creek, I was thinking about how you can address large amounts of trash. I went to middle and high school in a suburb of Philadelphia, and my family now lives in a suburb of
Science & Tech
When visiting metro parks, I encountered several interactive educational stations. In my experience at science museums, as well, interactive exhibits have always been popular. They're engaging, and turn concepts tangible. Considering an interactive component to help educate state park visitors on low-impact practices, I looked for writing on
Science & Tech
Generative AI is seemingly more common than ever. As designers, it's often at least at the back of our minds. I had heard that generative AI is bad for the environment, so I wanted to find out how exactly it is. The UNEP (2025) and MIT News'
Science & Tech
After being told by our contacts at ODNR that the Alum Creek State Park Beach is constantly facing littering problems, I looked for information on how litter affects wildlife in those types of areas. Excerpts from National Geographic (2016) As the oceans fill with plastic debris, hundreds of marine species
Science & Tech
Trying to think of ways to get people to relate more personally to the problem of littering, I looked into the effects of plastic pollution on human health. Excerpts from Greenpeace (2025) 99% of plastics are made from fossil fuels, and they are harmful at every stage of the plastics
Science & Tech
While discussing waste management with Tracey Coe of ODNR, she pointed our group to the following article on successful anti-littering campaigns around the world by Zero Waste Scotland (2023). Excerpts from Zero Waste Scotland (2023) A finely-tuned litter prevention campaign gets people talking. It tackles the challenge of changing behaviour,