A study of park visitors' use of interpretive programs at Lake Wissota State Park, WI

Abstract

The main purpose for the establishment of state parks has been to preserve important features and unique habitats. Additionally, to serve, educate, and fulfill the recreational needs for the public are also aims of the parks. Most of the state parks in Wisconsin, including Lake Wissota State Park (the study area), provide the interpretive programs because these are seen as a tool to protect the natural surroundings and to fulfill visitors’ expectations. Interpretive programs provide park visitors opportunities to experience the geological, biological, and historical heritage through a variety of educational and recreational programs in the parks. This study determined the park visitors with the use of interpretive programs at Lake Wissota State Park, which is situated on the shores of 6,300-acre Lake Wissota in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, USA. The specific objectives of the study were: 1.) To study the demographic characteristics of park visitors both those who attended and those who did not attend the interpretive programs; 2.) To identify the reasons people attend the interpretive programs; 3.) To determine the use pattern of visitors who attended and those who did not attend the interpretive programs; 4.) To assess the park visitors’ satisfaction level with the interpretive programs; 5.) To identify the preferred interpretive themes, preferred time of day, and preferred days of week for participating in the interpretive programs; 6.) To identify the obstacles that prevent people from attending the interpretive programs. Questionnaires were used as the primary data collection instrument for this study. The questionnaires were developed based on previous surveys of Clements and Ness (1995) and the Division of Parks and Recreation, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (1995). Two kinds of questionnaires, one for park visitors who attended and the other for park visitors who did not attend the interpretive programs (park programs with the guidance of a naturalist or interpreter), were used to address the objectives of the study. The subjects were park visitors who visited Lake Wissota State Park in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin on Saturday and Sunday during June 10 and July 15, 2000. Adult groups or group leaders were sampled rather than individual park visitors. The locations for distributing the surveys were the family campground, beach area, and nature center. The total number of respondents was 215, which included 75 respondents who attended the interpretive programs and 140 respondents who did not attend the interpretive programs. The findings of this study were intended to 1.) Improve better interpretive programs to meet park visitors’ needs; 2.) Encourage more follow-up procedure for the interpretive programs at Lake Wissota State Park; 3.) Motivate more research in this field since there is a limit of the resources.