Applied Park Science Lab

The Applied Park Science Lab conducts research in the fields of visitor use management and recreation ecology. Visitor Use Management (VUM) is a research field focused on understanding, planning, and managing how people access and experience parks, protected areas, and other outdoor recreation spaces. It aims to balance visitor opportunities with resource protection by addressing issues such as crowding, environmental impacts, access, and quality experiences through indirect and direct management strategies. Recreation ecology is the scientific study of how outdoor recreation activities affect natural environments and ecosystems, and how those impacts can be managed or mitigated. It focuses on understanding the relationships between visitor use and ecological change, such as soil erosion, vegetation loss, wildlife disturbance, and water quality degradation, while developing strategies to sustain both resource integrity and high-quality visitor experiences.

Research
The Applied Park Science Lab conducts a leading program of global research in national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges, state parks, zoos and aquariums.
Education
Award winning faculty in the Applied Park Science Lab provide the highest level of educational development to help address current and future issues related to natural resource protection and the wise use of those resources.
Training
The Applied Park Science Lab provides numerous opportunities for professional development, delivering hands on trainings which link educational learning objectives to real world problems.

Partners

The Applied Park Science Lab at Kansas State University is proud to collaborate and partner with the following organizations:

Clemson University
Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism
Kansas State University - WOEM
Old Dominion University - PRT
University of Utah - PRT
Park Solutions Lab at Clemson University
Michigan State University
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
U.S National Park Service
U.S. Forest Service