Q&A with Haub School Graduate Student, Courtney Garrity

Photo credit: Courtney Garrity

Courtney is a graduate student pursuing an MS in Zoology/Physiology and Environment and Natural Resources. She is from Fountain Valley, California and received the Haub School Research and Creative Activities Grant to study Dispersed Camping in Jackson, WY.

"This generous grant from the Haub School enabled me to complete my first graduate field season. I spent the summer of 2021 surveying over 300 campsites and piloting a survey and camera trap design for my thesis. I was able to set the groundwork for an expanded second field season next year including more game cameras, experimental signage, and a technician. This project will be instrumental to Bridger-Teton National Forest managers in both preserving the dispersed camping aesthetic visitors love while conserving the biodiversity this area is famous for. Thank you!"

What was the best part of this experience?

My favorite part of this experience was exploring every nook and cranny of Jackson Hole to develop firsthand knowledge of how dispersed camping looked and functioned in the area. I spent many days driving down every two-track dirt road I could find and looking for evidence of camping. I felt like a detective as I drew on my own recreation and backcountry experience to look for signs of human impact and wildlife presence.

Photo credit: Courtney Garrity

 

Describe your main duties and responsibilities.

My main duty was to map out as many dispersed campsites as possible and collect data on their resource conditions. I generated an inventory encompassing 12 camping areas and about 350 campsites. As I did this, I learned about the land and the specific challenges each campsite faced. This intimate, on-the-ground knowledge enabled me to formulate and pilot a camera trap design to capture the effects of high- and low-use campsites on wildlife movements. I also piloted a survey of campers to assess their knowledge of regulations, attitudes toward wildlife rights, preference in camping experience, and perception of management strategies.

 

Describe the most important skills you have developed during this experience: what are they and how did you develop them?

The most important skills I developed prepared me to work full days of work in remote areas with no cell service as efficiently and safely as possible. I carried spare batteries, multiple paper maps, a first aid kit, a whistle, two cans of bear spray, tow straps, extra food and water, a multi-tool, and paper versions of my surveys. I learned how to change a flat tire, use the Forest Service radio in case of emergency, orienteer using clues from the landscape, keep an eye out for bad weather, drive a 4x4 truck, and de-escalate conflict with wildlife and humans. I did not have to use all of these skills, but I felt safer in the backcountry knowing I was prepared for both inconveniences and emergencies.

 

Photo Credit: Courtney Garrity

 

Who will benefit from your project or research?

Land managers, recreationists, community members, and wildlife will benefit from my research. Land managers in Jackson Hole need to know the locations and conditions of dispersed campsites in order to make educated decisions about the future of this recreation. Recreationists who enjoy these lands will benefit from these decisions and enjoy more pristine sites and less stressful access to them. Community members will benefit in the same way, as well as suffering less damage and intrusion from tourists who don’t know how/where to camp. Lastly, wildlife will benefit as impacts of dispersed camping are identified and able to be resolved.

 

Describe how the research you conducted relates to your major or discipline.

My research is inherently interdisciplinary and necessitates the use of theoretical toolkits from ecology, wildlife biology, and social science. Studying in both the Zoology/Physiology and the Environment and Natural Resources departments allows me to take classes in environmental problem-solving, science communication, coding, behavioral ecology, conservation biology, applied GIS, quantitative analyses of field data, and more. Skills I develop in these classes help me design my project strategically to maximize benefit to managers and users of the land, analyze complex multidisciplinary data, and communicate my findings to diverse stakeholders.

 

Photo credit: Courtney Garrity

 

 

Photos are all courtesy of Haub School graduate student, Courtney Garrity.