David Newsome

Inadequacies in public protected area networks dictates that private land will play an important role in the conservation of biodiversity in the coming decades. Household gardens are a key example of private lands that can serve as refuges for biodiversity, with birds as a popular flagship for garden biodiversity. Discussion has focused heavily on the species of plant a resident might select to attract birds to their garden. In this paper, we describe additional and important factors that should form part of this broader conversation on gardens for birds and biodiversity, with a specific aim of drawing attention to species that are at risk of localised extinctions in modern urban landscapes – urban adaptors. We present our commentary in two themes: (a) mitigating threats to birds in the urban environment and (b) enhancing the habitat value of the urban environment for a broader range of bird species. We provide a synthesis of the research of recent years that has explored the urban environment and its ability to support birds, but importantly, we extend on this by bringing together topics that have been somewhat lacking in the discussion to date. In a new approach to this conversation, this paper brings together key topics that can no longer be considered in isolation if we are to make significant conservation gains in the environments were most Australians now reside.

This study focused on visitors undertaking recreational activities at two important wetland conservation reserves with two main aims: to understand if visitors recognize the significant role of wetlands as vital bird habitat, and to understand the importance of birds as part of the visitor experience. We surveyed 511 visitors at two internationally significant urban wetlands in Perth, Western Australia. Results indicated that respondents valued wetland areas for exercising, aesthetic values, utility of infrastructure and general amenity, as well as the presence of birds. Some respondents perceived that the wetlands were important for birds and the presence of birds was generally rated highly. Results further indicated that while birds were generally not the focus of visitor experience, birds were an important component of that experience. We conclude that most visitors will generally support management actions aimed at conserving the wetlands and birdlife, and management actions do not need to consider a range of differing views across different recreational activities. Thus, understanding the extent that different recreational users of urban wetlands value birds and bird habitat provides vital insights into management approaches for conservation.

Purpose

This study aims to provide an overview of the current socio-political geopark situation in Australia and set this into a global context. In addition, the authors consider this information to be useful for all stakeholders involved in geopark research and development. An analysis of constraints is set alongside stakeholder views collected from remote rural Western Australia. The authors also place Australia in a global context in regard to the future of geoparks.

Design/methodology/approach

Vital contextual information regarding the tourism significance of geoparks is sourced from key literature. The authors analyse and report on the situation surrounding the current lack of enthusiasm for the geopark concept by the federal government and states in Australia. The authors also report positive rural community stakeholder views on geopark development from regional Western Australia.

Findings

While Australian federal, as well as state governments have yet to accept geoparks, stakeholder research in Western Australia supports the idea of geopark development. Learnings articulated in this viewpoint are relevant to any country pursuing and initiating the geopark concept. The authors posit that global geopark development can become a vital strategy in post-COVID-19 tourism recovery planning.

Originality/value

Australia currently does not have a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)-recognised geopark. Accordingly, the authors present a case for geopark development, while at the same time exploring the socio-political reasons behind the lack of geopark implementation in Australia. The authors consider the future of geoparks in the global context and reiterate the point that geoparks are important for COVID-19 recovery of tourism and in regard to UNESCO's Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.

City road verges often represent existing green space and provide opportunities for ecological enhancement. Urban greenspace improvement initiatives at the residential verge scale require genuine community support and engagement for success. We examined a community-based voluntary assisted verge greening program designed to enhance greenspace connectivity using native plants in a local municipality in Perth, Western Australia. A social survey of verge-greening program participants and non-participants was conducted to understand factors associated with community involvement. Results indicated general resident support for the program, where both groups viewed the program objectives positively. However, non-participants were less convinced, than participants, of the likelihood that the verge greening program would achieve its aims and the merits of some aims. This paper provides insight into a voluntary community engagement tool for developing urban green space connectivity and enhancing natural values at the residential roadside verge level.

Prior to COVID-19 heavy tourist pressure was causing environmental degradation and wildlife disturbance in Sri Lankan protected areas. The pandemic abruptly stopped visitation causing devastating impacts on the entire nature-based tourism sector. At the same time, the pandemic opened a window of opportunity to rethink the way the nature-based tourism is practiced in Sri Lanka's protected areas and bring it to the “sustainable track”. In this paper, we present a “position statement” to aid planning for sustainable and resilient nature-based tourism in post-pandemic Sri Lanka by validating and employing previous work on sustainable nature-based tourism planning, and information gathered through field observations and semi-structured interviews of nature-based tourism stakeholders in Sri Lanka. Future planning will require reflection and research with the aim of developing a more responsible and ethical approach to tourism activity and the viewing of wildlife. As the present economic and energy crisis is likely to prolong social and environmental difficulties, planning for a resilient nature-based tourism industry and appropriate community engagement is a priority.

There is a dearth of research describing the campsite user segment and in assessing camp-site users’ perceptions of the bio-physical impacts of campsite use in Sri Lanka. Using a structured questionnaire, we evaluated campsite user characteristics, visitor motivations, behaviors, and how visitor experience is affected by visible biophysical impacts at campsites. Based on underlying visitor motivations derived through a Factor Analysis and Cluster Analysis, we identified three distinct segments of campsite users: Eco-tourists, Prestige seekers, and Adventure seekers. Results indicate that the overall cleanliness of the campsite is an important attribute that affects the visitor experience. The Ecotourist segment reported environmentally desired motives, attitudes and behaviours. However, majority of campsite users belong to the Prestige-seeker and Adventure-seeker segments. Prestige seekers in particular demand better facilities and proper maintenance of campsites. Additionally, Prestige seekers are more attractive as a market segment to target because they are high-income, well-educated individuals with pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. Recommended management actions include increasing visitor awareness, monitoring, zonation of activity areas, and enforcement of park campsite user policies to ensure enhanced visitor experience.

Scuba diving has now become a regular feature of coral reef tourism and Sri Lanka has the potential to become a popular destination for scuba divers. Scuba divers were interviewed at two main diving destinations on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka: Hikkaduwa and Unawatuna. Most respondents were "experienced" divers. Enjoyment, viewing marine life in their natural environments, and adventure were the main motives of divers at these destinations. In general, the perceptions of respondents on scuba diving as an ecotourism activity were positive across all experience levels. The self-rating experience positively influenced divers' responsible underwater behavior. As such, diving operators must be aware of the potential damage to coral due to loss of control/buoyancy underwater and intentional touching of coral reefs by less experienced/novice divers. Experienced divers with strong environmental consciousness supported conservation-oriented reef management actions. Conversely, experienced divers were resistant to management actions that directly or indirectly compromised their dive experience. Less experienced divers did not favor management actions that restrict them from accessing healthy coral reefs. Respondents expressed a general concern regarding the negative environmental impacts associated with an increase in visitors to sensitive marine habitats.

Promotion of recreational access is an important strategy that helps to impart conservation values to wetlands and aids in fostering sustainable employment for local communities who live in close proximity to wildlife habitats. Unregulated recreational vehicles in coastal wetlands can cause detrimental impacts on coastal avifauna. There is a dearth of information especially in the South Asian context on the impact of recreational disturbance to waterbirds that can inform the management of wetland destinations. This study examined the response of selected water birds to motor vehicles using multispecies experimental disturbance trials conducted at Bundala National Park, Sri Lanka; a Ramsar-listed wetland of global importance. The selected species had significantly different sensitivities to disturbance caused by motor vehicles (log-rank test, χ2 = 51.7, P < 0.05). The probability of a bird responding to a moving vehicle parallel to the bird at a distance of 75 m was greater than 0.6 for all selected species (Calidris minuta, Charadrius alexandrinus, Himantopus himantopus, Limosa limosa, Platalea leucorodia and Mycteria leucocephala) except Hydroprogne caspia. Resting birds appeared to be more affected by recreational disturbance when compared to foraging birds. Larger birds (height of adult bird: 80-105 cm) were more sensitive to recreational stimuli, compared to smaller birds (10-20 cm). In general, responses of birds for recreational stimuli, were prominent up to 100 m from the source. Selected waterbirds showed longer response distances in habitats exposed to high vehicle traffic activity suggesting possible habituation of birds to recurring disturbance. Our findings suggest a minimal setback buffer of 100 m needs to be employed to manage recreational disturbance from motor vehicles at Bundala National Park.

Landscapes of high relief are often favoured tourist destinations and at the same time display complex geomorphology that may be the result of diverse geology summarised into the concept of geodiversity. In contrast areas of subdued landscape, while topographically unappealing, may also be geodiverse but need careful explanation and promotion to attract the geotourist. The mid-west of Western Australia is an area of low relief with a long history of weathering, ostensibly of little interest to visitors, is underlain by a diverse geology that is displayed in an incised landscape where erosion by rivers and the ocean displays geodiversity in attractive detail. The mid-west of Western Australia is the result of sedimentary basin formation during the separation of the Gondwanan Indian plate from the western edge of the Archean Yilgarn granitic craton. A plutonic Precambrian basement is overlain by Ordovician sediments comprising the Tumblagooda sandstone and then Permian and younger Mesozoic rocks, often capped with a complex weathered regolith. Geology is exposed in the Murchison and Irwin River valleys where interpretive signs explain the origin of the landscape and sequences of rock. Extensive weathering products from the Tertiary period, such as laterite and sandplains, provide opportunities to explain processes such as deep weathering, mobilisation and re-deposition of sediments that are integral to the development of landscapes in general. We thus provide a conceptual understanding of the nexus between tourism and geodiversity via the applied science of geotourism in a predominantly subdued landscape. We make the point that there is a general lack of attention paid to regolith in the geotourism literature, hence we have provided a relatively detailed account of a large expanse of sandplain that occurs in the study area. Furthermore, regolith geodiversity has not been investigated in the context of its wider geotourism potential and while this case study is preliminary in its wider scope, we provide a platform for further research.