1. By: Frank Sicignano
Siena College
515 Loudon Rd.
Loudonville, NY 12211-1459
School for Field Studies
Centre for Rainforest Studies,
Yungaburra, Queensland, Australia
29th April, 2015
Research Advisor: Dr. Justus Kithiia

2. Background Info
 54% of the worlds population lives in urban
areas.
 83% of Australia’s population lives along
the coast within 5 large urban centers
 Wet Tropics WHA established in 1988 to
protect Rainforests of Far North
Queensland

3. Background
 Many environmentalists have shared the
claim that human detachment from
nature is the prime cause of
environmental problems.
 Programs working to bring rural country
experience to residents of Urban Areas

4. Study Aim
 The aim of this study is to examine residents’
proximity to protected natural areas and urban
centers in relation to their environmental values
and sense of place
 Determine present effects that urban development
has on how people connect with nature develop
ways to mitigate disconnect.

5. Study Design
 Cross-Sectional Surveys
 closed and open-ended questions
 Convenience Sampling
 In-person interviews

6. Participants/Location
• 10 towns in the Wet
Tropics Region
• Interviews were
conducted in Mission
Beach, Port Douglas,
Mossman, Daintree,
and Cape Tribulation
• Previous data used
from Yungaburra,
Atherton, Innisfail,
Malanda, and
Kuranda
• Total
interviewees=376 Frank Sicignano Google Earth

7. Ethical Considerations
 All surveys were conducted under strict
confidentiality.
 No personal information besides age,
occupation and, town was recorded.
 Personal consent forms were made
available to those who wanted them.

8. Importance of Protected Natural
Areas
0.00%
20.00%
40.00%
60.00%
80.00%
100.00%
0.00 2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00
PercentofResidentsSurveyed
Average Distance from WHA (km)

9. Frequency of Visits to Protected
Natural Areas
0.00%
20.00%
40.00%
60.00%
80.00%
100.00%
0.00 2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00
PercentofResidentsSurveyed
Average Distance from WHA (km)
Rarely
Frequently
Linear (Rarely)
Linear (Frequently)

10. Discussion
 Residents Value of Natural Protected
Area increased the further they got from
WHA but frequency of visits decreased.
 Biggest complaint was lack of amenities
and infrastructure due to regulations set
by WTMA.

11. Sense of Connection with
Nature
0.00%
20.00%
40.00%
60.00%
80.00%
100.00%
0.00 2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00
PercentofResidentsSurveyed
Average Distance from WHA (km)

12. Discussion
 Sense of Connection with nature
decreased as distance from WHA
increased.
 Increased Distance from WHA meant
less access for residents of more urban
areas.

13. Implications
 Key to solving Environmental problems
is eliminating the disconnect between
people and nature
 Determine and develop new programs
to increase level of interaction between
urban residents and the Environment
 Will lead to residents becoming more
educated and involved with
Environmental Matters

14. Limitations
 Converting previous years data to 1-3
scale.
 Differing interview styles between
interviewers
 How much each respondent was willing
to share

15. Future Studies
 study can be expanded in the future to look
at how these values change across the
entire nation
 results could then be compared with other
studies preformed internationally to see
how the values of residents change in
more urbanized countries.

16. Acknowledgements
 I would like to thank Dr. Justus Kithiia,
our resident intern Carina Easley-
Appleyard, my fellow researchers, and
all of our respondents for their help and
participation in this study.
Photo by: Ryan O’Keefe

17. Works Cited
 Brunn, S. D., Hays-Mitchell, M., & Zeigler, D. J. (2008). Cities of
the World: World Regional Urban Development (4th Edition ed.).
Lanham, Maryland, United States of America: Rowman &
Littlefield Publishers.
 Burnley, I. H. (1980). The Australian Urban System: Growth,
change, and differentiation. Melbourne, Australia: Longman
Cheshire
 Davison, A. (2008). The trouble with nature: Ambivalence in
the lives of Urban Environmentalists. Geofourm , 39, 1284-1295
 Kahn, M. E. (2007). Spatial Growth: The Environmental Cost of
Sprawl in the United States. In M. E. Kahn, Green Cities: Urban
Growth and the Environment (pp. 110-129)

18. Any Questions?
Photo by: Frank Sicignano