Wildland and Recreation Management Research Laboratory at the University of Montana

Who
we are

We are the Wildland and Recreation Management Research Lab at the University of Montana.

Our charge as applied social scientists is to provide park and protected area managers with defensible, data-driven insights to improve the experiences of all visitors while preserving the ecosystems that support those experiences. 

In this pursuit, we combine tried-and-true surveying approaches with innovative big data sources to measure and manage demand for the experiences and related recreational ecosystem services (e.g., physical, mental, and social benefits to our wellbeing) provided by wildlands. 

We partner with interdisciplinary teams of conservation social scientists, resource economists, wildlife biologists, recreation ecologists, tourism and hospitality scholars, designers, and agency partners to meet the needs of park and protected area managers.

wilderness monitoring and management
recreation rationing and allocation
visitor use and health
leave no trace

Where
we work

Diagram showing "research across scales" with our research taking place across a spectrum of urban to wildland areas.

Funding
partners

Missoula Parks and Recreation
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
National Parks Conservation Association
City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks
Grand Canyon Conservancy
Glacier National Park Conservancy
Leave No Trace

Our Co-Lab

The Conservation Communication Collaborative (cc co-lab) is an interdisciplinary team led by Dr. Will Rice, Assistant Professor of Outdoor Recreation and Wildland Management at the University of Montana, and Jeremy Shellhorn, Professor of Visual Communication Design at the University of Kansas. Our mission is to combine social science and design expertise to create research-driven, visually impactful signage that inspires responsible recreation and supports stewardship on public lands. Learn more here.

Some of our friends