The context for family forest management in the United States is changing. Urban sprawl and exurbanization are shaping a new era characterized by smaller parcels and larger numbers of owners (Sampson and DeCoster, 1997; Butler and Leatherberry, 2004). In addition, over half of the nation's family forests may be conveyed in the next 20 years to younger owners who are interested in managing their forests, but often lack experience (Pinchot Institute for Conservation, 2005). Another feature of consequence is the general decline in the public's connection to forests and forestry (Best, 2002). Introducing forest management to the nation's next generation of family forest stewards and general public is clearly important and educators have been responding.

Forest management education in urban, suburban, and exurban settings are growing in popularity and impact (e.g., Broussard et al., 2001; Broussard and Jones, 2001) and the use of distance learning technologies and web-based communication is increasing (e.g., Seiler et al., 2002; Bardon, 2003; Londo and Gaddis, 2003). Combining heritage tourism and science-based forest management education could be a useful strategy in this larger effort. To demonstrate, this paper presents formative research on a newly created outdoor sustainable forestry education initiative at James Madison's Montpelier in Orange County, Virginia.

Formative evaluations were conducted to validate the prospective scope of Montpelier's program. In particular, the evaluation sought to explore the potential for visitor use of Montpelier's outdoor forest management classroom, test for demographic differences between likely users and participants in traditional programming, and identify the significant predictors of probable participation among Montpelier visitors. Results indicate notable prospects for reaching younger audiences, owners of smaller family forests, residents of suburban areas, and individuals who have not previously participated in forest management education. Programmatic possibilities and implications are discussed in light of the findings.

Montpelier's Sustainable Forestry Program

People increasingly seek heritage experiences (Kelleher, 2004). This presents an opportunity for forest management educators. Engaging new audiences is one of the most significant challenges they face (Hughes et al., 2005). Leveraging the public's interest in history as a way to reach new constituents could be beneficial for forest management education. The fundamental idea is to use aspects of broad public appeal and awareness as a vehicle for providing forest management education to otherwise hard-to-reach audiences. The impending reach of this approach is possible to measure using the initiative underway at James Madison's Montpelier.

James Madison receives a great deal of attention. He was the fourth President of the United States and is widely viewed as one of the most important figures in the nation's development. Often referred to as the Father of the Constitution, his imprint on U.S. politics is profound and can be explored through archived documents, numerous biographies, and vast historical and contemporary analyses. In terms of additional contributions, perhaps his most renowned in natural character is the 2650-acre (1072-hectare) Montpelier estate located in the Piedmont of Orange County, Virginia (Fig. 1).

Following Madison's death, Montpelier transitioned through numerous owners until acquired by The National Trust for Historical Preservation in 1984. Today, it is a popular tourist destination. The estate annually hosts an estimated 70,000 visitors. Recently, Madison's home and surrounding landscape were restored to their original condition. Admission includes a guided tour of the refurbished residence, while the grounds are wholly accessible to paying visitors for organized, self-guided, and unstructured tours.

There are over 1500 acres (607 hectares) of forests at Montpelier. Two-hundred acres include a relatively undisturbed old-growth deciduous forest designated by the U.S. Department of Interior as the James Madison Landmark Forest, which has long served as a backdrop for coordinated and self-guided environmental education and communication and includes a well-maintained trail system with a series of educational signs. Woods walks, experiential youth programs, and historical and contemporary environmental interpretation associated with the Landmark Forest are important aspects of the Montpelier experience.

To expand the estate's range of environmental education and communication, an outdoor sustainable forestry classroom is being developed in a 28-acre (11.3-hectare) section of second-growth forest abutting the Landmark Forest. Planned prescriptions include precommercial thinning, invasive plant control, meadow restoration, regeneration, and demonstrations of old- and new-growth stages of forest succession. Aims are to rehabilitate the estate's forests and expand its educational scope by creating an outdoor forest management classroom serviced by an easily accessible trail, rich in historical and contemporary forest management interpretation, actively monitored for changes in health and productivity, and available as a venue for coordinated technical programs. The initiative offers an occasion for testing the extent to which the addition could help reach new audiences.

Theory and Method

Knox's (2002) guidelines for conducting formative evaluations of continuing education were used to choose research type, focus, and relevant measurements. According to Knox (2002), Adult Basic Education (ABE) Guide is an internal, efficacy-oriented programmatic evaluation that formally asks targeted adult audiences about their interest and potential participation, makes strategic judgments based on this evidence, uses the conclusions to develop particular programs, and conducts comparative evaluations for additional insight. Important in this approach are measuring the extent to which educational needs prompt changes in delivery, whether a program is appropriate in its setting, and the characteristics of likely participants. When conducting this formative analysis, it is essential to measure opinions among potential participants regarding their sense of importance and interest about the educational topic.

One-hundred and thirty-four Montpelier visitors were surveyed during a 3-week period in the summer of 2008. Each week-day during the study period, one of two survey sites at Montpelier were randomly chosen and surveys administered to willing visitors during a randomly selected 2-hour period. Visitors were approached as they passed and asked to respond to a questionnaire about forest management education at Montpelier. Response rate among sampled visitors was 85%. For comparative purposes, corresponding demographic and ownership data were collected for 40 participants in a series of three annual forestry and wildlife bus tours offered during the study period by Virginia Cooperative Extension. All respondents were above the age of 18.

Survey definitions, questions, and statements are listed in Table 1. Montpelier visitor opinion about the importance of (Importance), and interest (Interest) and willingness to participate in (Likelihood) sustainable forestry education were measured. Gender, residence location, age, whether and what acreage of forestland is owned, and number of sustainable forestry education programs previously attended were measured for visitors and bus tour participants using dummy variables.

Visitors were asked to use a bipolar Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree; 2 = disagree; 3 = neutral; 4 = agree; 5 = strongly agree) to respond to statements about Importance, Interest, and Likelihood. Multiple statements and responses were used as indicators to create a summated average score for each variable following Spector (1992) (Table 1). Verbal protocol was used to test statement validity prior to the survey following Sudman et al. (1996). Cronbach's Alpha was used to verify rating scale reliability (Nunnally, 1978; Carmines and Zeller, 1979). Reliability values (coefficient 〈) for all scales were acceptable (range: 0.88; 0.91) (Table 1).

Importance, Interest, and Likelihood variables were used in students t test, ANOVA, and ÷² to test for significant differences. Importance and Interest as predictors of Likelihood were modeled using multiple regression. One component model was tested to identify statistical significance and assess overall change in R², or the total amount of variance in the dependent variable (Likelihood) explained by significant independents (Importance and Interest). Output includes beta coefficients, t values, F values, R², and model significance.

The Prospective Scope of Montpelier's Program

By and large, Montpelier visitors and bus tour participants with forestland (40%) resembled U.S. family forest owners (Butler and Leatherberry, 2004). Most were male (63%), 56 and older (68%), lived in rural areas (69%), and had participated in sustainable forestry education before (56%). On the other hand, those without forestland (60%) were balanced in terms of sex (female = 52%; male = 48%), mostly younger (66% were 55 and below), often lived in suburban areas (64%), and had not participated in sustainable forestry education before (66%). Differences in the contributions to these general characteristics between Montpelier visitors and bus tour participants were evident in their categorical disparities (Table 2).

For one, significant contrasts between forest-owning Montpelier visitors and bus tour participants existed not only in terms of ownership, but also size. The average parcel among visitors with forestland was 3.7 acres (1.5 able forestry education. Alternatively, female and suburban visitors had lower Interest, but shared similar Importance and Likelihood with their counterparts (Table 4). The greatest contrast was in terms of forest ownership. All three summated measurements were higher among forest owning visitors. In light of these results, it is interesting to note the average parcel size among Montpelier visitors (3.7 acres or 1.5 hectares) relative to bus tour participants (91.5 acres or 37 hectares). It is also interesting to keep in mind the largely favorable levels of Importance, Interest, and Likelihood among Montpelier visitors without forests. Modes for nonowning visitors (4.5, 3, and 4, respectively) indicate a similar, though slightly lower potential. The results signal prospects for engaging both forest and nonforest owning audiences via Montpelier's initiative.

Determining whether and to what extent Importance and Interest forecast a visitor's Likelihood would be useful in light of the descriptive results. The final regression model (p = 0.00) predicts a visitor's Likelihood using their Interest (Table 5). Test results reveal the model is a good fit and indicate a significant relationship between the extent to which a visitor expressed appeal toward sustainable hectares) and ranged from 0.5 to 100 acres (0.2–40.5 hectares), while like bus tour participants possessed an average of 91.5 acres (37 hectares) and spanned from 3 to 224 acres (1.2–90.6 hectares). Montpelier respondents were also younger and more likely to reside in suburban areas. Conversely, bus tour participants were more likely to own forestland and have previously participated in sustainable forestry education. Though not compared, it must also be noted that most Montpelier visitors were from Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, but some were from as far away as Arizona and Colorado.

It seems reasonable to argue that the scope of sustainable forestry education at Montpelier could comprise audiences sought by forest management educators interested in reaching new audiences. In view of these results, a detailed look at how Montpelier visitors vary in terms of potential participation is needed. In particular, do visitors think sustainable forestry education is important? Do they have an interest in this type of education? And would they be willing to participate when visiting?

Importance, Interest, and Likelihood among Montpelier visitors were relatively high (Table 3). Importance and Interest modes for Montpelier visitors were 4 and 4.5, respectively, and means for Importance and Interest were 3.95 and 3.53. Likelihood among Montpelier visitors averaged 3.7, with a mode of 4. Altogether, data suggest a worthwhile number of visitors at Montpelier reported being prone to participate. To effectively reach those inclined and begin shaping a picture of future audiences, an assessment of who would be likely to attend is needed.

Importance, Interest, and Likelihood among Montpelier visitors did not differ by age or past participation in sustain forestry education (Interest) and the probability that they would partake in such education if offered (Likelihood). Contrasts between Montpelier visitors and bus tour participants, in addition to specific visitor analyses, suggest efforts to improve the scope of forest management education could be enhanced via the estate's outdoor classroom. The extent to which this materializes depends on associated programming at Montpelier.

Opportunities and Implications

The potential audience at James Madison's Montpelier largely includes owners of smaller forests and includes younger, suburban visitors. Moreover, in many cases these visitors have not previously participated in sustainable forestry education. Implications of the potential client range are substantial, both in reaching owners of smaller acreages and engaging citizens and opinion leaders.

In terms of reaching owners of smaller forests, prospects seem promising. Results indicate that a visitor's interest in sustainable forestry education predicts their probability of participation. The interest level among forest-owning visitors was significantly higher than those without. This suggests they will likely participate at higher rates. Immediate benefits could be that participating forest owners enhance their comfort with sustainable forestry principles while also gaining confidence in its practices.

Promising over longer periods is the opportunity to use increased interaction between educators and small-forest owners to build a foundation upon which future forest man agement programs for this audience may be more effectively structured. Such insight may help overcome the divide between interest in forest management and implementation on the nation's growing number of smaller family forests. It seems reasonable, therefore, to suggest Montpelier's initiative, and others like it, could have a positive impact on the increasing role these forests play in the larger United States sustainability picture.

A balanced proportion of males and females, broader age distribution, and notable suburban representation suggest Montpelier's program may reach sizeable numbers of often underserved yet increasingly important citizens who either indirectly influence forest management decisions or own or could own family forests. Montpelier's outdoor sustainable forestry classroom could also connect with the larger public on a regular basis, many of whom are or could be drivers of opinion regarding family forest management. Bolstering the relevance of Montpelier's initiative are results indicating that many visitors, regardless of forest ownership, are interested in sustainable forestry education at the estate. Much of this predisposition may stem from other longstanding outdoor education programs at Montpelier.

At a minimum, existing programs provide evidence that passive outdoor forest management education could become a successful aspect of the Montpelier experience. More optimistically, the initiative may actually boost visitation by way of coordinated and well-marketed educational programs. Either way, programs will need to incorporate the estate's conservation legacy as a basis for attracting audiences. Montpelier staff could build upon existing environmental education in settings such as the Landmark Forest by integrating excursions into the demonstration area while trained volunteers could lead a series of well-advertised tours of the managed compartments on select peak season days. As for technical instruction, the classroom could be used to demonstrate and discuss relevant biophysical, economic, and social aspects during science-oriented, stakeholder conferences.

Effort on all fronts will require calibration during the preliminary periods of program implementation. Follow-on, summative evaluations will help identify needed adjustments (Patton, 2008). Though not studied explicitly in this case, it seems integrating history into all programs will be required. In light of visitor interest vis-à-vis participation, the upshot may be that their curiosity and, by association, involvement burgeons over time. At the same time, however, expanding forest management education grounded in contemporary science is important.

Outdoor demonstrations and associated programs offer a desirable approach for hands-on experience and learning to promote family forest stewardship (Harmon et al., 1997; Germain et al., 2007). Reaching audiences at Montpelier in this respect is critical. Using history as a foundation for contemporary outdoor education provides both a compelling longitudinal framework and constructive immediate impact for capturing the imagination and influencing the behavior of long-sought and vital family forest management stakeholders. This case study demonstrates that leveraging public interest in heritage tourism to expand the educational scope of forest management programs may be a useful strategy. Key to the success of Montpelier's initiative will be integrating historical context and contemporary forest management possibilities so that efforts will effectively resonate with participating audiences.