Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Outdoor Recreation Participation in Canada Study

We’re looking for individuals to participate in a research study on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted outdoor recreation participation patterns before, during and after the start of stay-at-home, social distancing strategies and closure of outdoor recreation areas in mid-March, 2020 in Canada and how these closures have impacted individuals’ perceptions of their mental, physical and overall health.

We need your help in recruiting participants to complete a confidential, anonymous online survey for this important and time-sensitive study. The survey takes about 15-20 minutes of time to complete. Individuals must live in Canada, be 18 years of age or older, and engage in general outdoor recreation activities.

Potential benefits for participants include:

• Having the chance to reflect on their outdoor recreation practices during COVID-19.
• Learning about outdoor recreation opportunities and range of activities available in Canada.
• Thinking about how outdoor recreation impacts their physical, emotional & overall health.
• Helping inform our understanding of outdoor recreationists’ feelings about the opening (or not opening) of public outdoor recreation areas.
• Providing land managers and outdoor recreation service providers with information about the impacts of outdoor recreation area closures.

Risks include:

• Experiencing some emotional stress when considering the lack of access to outdoor recreation areas due to COVID-19 stay-at-home, social distancing strategies.

Due to the time sensitive nature of this study, the survey website is only open from May 7^th to May 15^th, 2020.

The survey is available at: CLOSED

We’d appreciate it if you could share the attached poster and letter of invitation by email with members of your organization and professional networks. Please feel free to distribute widely.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact Dr. Tim O’Connell, Principal Investigator at: [email protected]

This study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance through the Research Ethics Board at Brock University [File #19-326]. If you have any comments or concerns about this study or the rights of research participants, please contact the Brock University Research Ethics Office at (905) 688-5550, Ext. 3035, or by email at: [email protected]

Thank you,

Dr. Tim O’Connell
Professor, Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies
Brock University

Dr. Garrett Hutson
Associate Professor, Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies
Brock University

Dr. Ryan Howard
Director of Research, Risk Management & Innovation
ALIVE Outdoors

Adjunct Professor, Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies
Brock University