Gift Horse: A Study in Visitor Values on Assateague Island
Conference Year
2023
Abstract
Non-native, wild horses have thrilled visitors for decades on Assateague Island. However, they have come at ecological cost, and questions surrounding the “wildness” of the horses, and exactly what “wild” means in the first place, result from their presence. Through auto-ethnographic reports and survey data on Assateague visitors’ values regarding horses and ecological health, this project aims to look into cultural conceptions surrounding the Island. This data will help offer strategies to bring conservation plans and tourist perspectives into closer alignment to ensure a sustainable future for Assateague Island and its diverse stakeholders
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Harlan Morehouse
Status
Undergraduate
Student College
College of Arts and Sciences
Program/Major
Environmental Studies
Second Program/Major
Political Science
Primary Research Category
Social Science
Gift Horse: A Study in Visitor Values on Assateague Island
Non-native, wild horses have thrilled visitors for decades on Assateague Island. However, they have come at ecological cost, and questions surrounding the “wildness” of the horses, and exactly what “wild” means in the first place, result from their presence. Through auto-ethnographic reports and survey data on Assateague visitors’ values regarding horses and ecological health, this project aims to look into cultural conceptions surrounding the Island. This data will help offer strategies to bring conservation plans and tourist perspectives into closer alignment to ensure a sustainable future for Assateague Island and its diverse stakeholders