Theses and Dissertations Collection

Littering is an environmental issue of significant concern worldwide, including campgrounds. Litter can be anything ranging from small items, such as cigarette butts or plastic food wrappers, to larger items, such as electrical appliances, to discarded furniture or vehicles. Campgrounds in public spaces are fascinating places with a mix of artificial environments nestled in natural settings. This makes them an interface between human and wild ecosystems and therefore, interesting places to study how humans interact with such ecosystems regarding litter (especially plastic) and the associated habits. This research conducted in four State Parks and one National Forest in Idaho aimed to a) quantify the amount and type of macro litter that remains behind in the campgrounds, and b) identify campground users’ perception of litter and their management preferences. The macro litter was collected through camp hosts and by the research team in person, and the on-paper survey was distributed to the campers by the hosts. 78.6% of the macro litter collected was plastics, followed by metal (14.2%), glass (2.1%), rubber (2.9%), and misc. Plastic flux per camper in a campground was significantly higher than the flux of other types of litter. Thus, in sites with higher visitor usage, having more designated trash receptacles decreases the amount of plastic litter. For the survey, the Revised New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) was used as a measure of the camper’s environmental worldview. The results indicated that campers with higher NEP scores showed more pro-environmental behavior in their waste disposal methods. The campers also indicated that the waste disposal options available currently are inadequate. This study provides some unique insights into the litter and littering situation in Idaho, which could benefit and guide park services to design appropriate awareness strategies/campaigns to reduce littering.