Welcome to the Protected Areas Research Collaborative (PARC) Lab at the University of Vermont
The PARC lab trains graduate and undergraduate students in applied research methodologies focusing on informing visitor management (soundscapes, visitor flow, integrated transportation, education) in the context of park and protected areas.
The PARC Lab is lead by Dr. Peter Newman.
The research collaborative also houses the PARC Listening Lab. This lab is a collaborative effort between the Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management in the College of Human Health and Development and the Graduate Program in Acoustics in the College of Engineering at Penn State as well as the Rubenstein School of the Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont .
Our work is funded by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, National Park Service, Leave No Trace, the National Park Foundation, and others.
Dr. Peter Newman
Director of PARC
Peter Newman is the Dean of the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont. Peter’s research focuses on social carrying capacity decision-making in the context of protected areas management. He has conducted visitor use management studies in parks and protected areas within the United States and internationally.
Dr. Morgan Crump
Co-director of PARC
Morgan Crump is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the PARC lab and a part of the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont. Morgan is also affiliated with the Gund Institute for the Environment. Her research focuses on visitor use management in the context of protected areas management. Specifically in the management of dark skies and natural sounds.
