Future Perfect*: Parks and Protected Areas in Their Second Century- Spring 2013

Parks and protected areas are entering their second century. Important markers of this history include the centennial of the U.S. Forest Service in 2006 and the upcoming centennial of the National Park Service in 2016. What will be the future of parks and protected areas in their second century and how can we prepare for the opportunities and challenges that are on the horizon? The 2013 Rubenstein School Spring Seminar Series will explore these questions by inviting presentations from park and protected areas scholars and practitioners from near and far.

One of the few things we know about the future of parks and protected areas is that it may be very different from the past. The new mantra in the National Park Service is that "they're not making any more Yellowstones." New parks are likely to be very different from existing parks, and existing parks will face new sets of issues. For example, parks and protected areas will probably require stronger partnerships between the public, private and non-profit sectors. Park and protected area managers will have to adjust to embrace the new and more diverse demographic of the country and the world. Parks and protected areas may require a more landscape scale approach, perhaps involving stronger international cooperation and involvement. What are the stories and narratives underlying parks that have yet to be given voice? What is the relevancy of parks and protected areas to youth? How can we use technology and social media to engage the public in planning and managing parks and protected areas? How can we most effectively market parks and protected areas? How will the parks and protected areas of the future be financed? What's the relationship between parks and urban areas? How do we adjust to climate change, both philosophically and pragmatically? And, of course, there's the eternal dilemma of how and how much we can use parks and protected areas without threatening their ecological and cultural integrity and the quality of the visitor experience.

The Seminar Series will consist of weekly public lectures on Thursdays at 4:00 pm in Room 102 of the Aiken Center for Natural Resources. The first lecture will be on Thursday, January 24th. The full schedule of speakers is shown below. The 2013 Rubenstein School Spring Seminar Series is a collaboration between the Rubenstein School and the National Park Service's Conservation Study Institute.

*Future perfect: in grammar, indicating a time to come

Last modified January 18 2013 01:38 PM