Waco Mammoth National Monument Visitor Use Study

N ational Park Service OMB Control Number: 1024-0224

Current Expiration Date: XX/XX/20XX

Waco Mammoth National Monument Visitor Use Study

Dear Visitor:

Thank you for agreeing to provide more information about your recent visit to Waco Mammoth National Monument (WMNM). Recall, we need your help in understanding the experiences and perceptions people like yourself have about WMNM. Specifically, the study purpose is:

To collect important information about visitor characteristics, perceptions and values, and individual uses that will inform future planning for Waco Mammoth National Monument.

Your participation is voluntary, but very important. Your responses will be reported anonymously and will inform decision making regarding management and future development at the monument. We greatly appreciate your time and effort.

Sincerely,

____________________ _________________________

Justin Bates Christopher J. Wynveen, Ph.D.

Acting Superintendent Project Manager

National Park Service Baylor University

Survey Instructions and Consent

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: The National Park Service is authorized by the National Park Service Protection Interpretation and Research in System (54 USC §100702).to collect this information. Your responses will aid NPS managers and planning staff in making decisions regarding visitor use and resource management at Waco Mammoth National Monument. Your response to this request is voluntary and no action may be taken against you for refusing to supply the information requested. Your responses will be anonymous. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number.

Burden Estimate: We estimate that this questionnaire will take about 15 minutes to complete. You may send comments concerning the burden estimates or any aspect of this information collection to: Dr. Chris Wynveen, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97313, Waco, TX 76798, 254-710-4056 (phone), [email protected] (email); or Phadrea Ponds, NPS Information Collection Clearance Officer, at [email protected] (email).

By continuing, you are indicating your informed consent to participate in this study.

Instructions: In this survey:

• Waco Mammoth National Monument will be referred to as “WMNM.”

• Personal Group is defined as friends and family you traveled with, NOT members of a tour group

• Please respond to each question by providing responses to each blank or selecting the most appropriate choice given.

1. We would like to know what sources of information you used while planning and during your trip. (please check all that apply)

 The visit was unplanned. (e.g., I/we decided to stop after seeing road signs or talking to others)

Please skip to question 3.

Information Source	Used while planning	Used during the trip
Personal experience from previous visits		
WMNM website (www.nps.gov/waco)		
Other websites		
Inquiry to WMNM via phone, email, mail		
Social media		
Friends or relatives		
Local business staff (hotels, restaurants, attractions etc.)		
Other people in local communities		
Tour book or visitor guides		
Visitor or Tourist information centers		
Magazine or newspaper articles		
Hotel information brochure kiosks		
Other (please specify: ______________________)		

2. If you were unable to obtain information you needed before your visit, please tell us what information was not available.

____________________________________________________________________________

3. How did your visit to WMNM fit into your travel plans? (please select one)

 WMNM was my primary or only destination

 WMNM was one of several destinations

 I was passing through the Waco area to my primary destination, which was: _______________________

4. Was every member of your personal group (i.e., friends and family you traveled with, as opposed to a tour group) a resident of the WMNM area (within a 60-mile radius)?

 No  Yes

5. Did you stay away from home, in the Waco area (within 60 miles of Waco), during your visit to the WMNM area? Please select the most appropriate response.

 No, my home is within the Waco area.

 No, I stayed outside the Waco area (more than 60 miles away from Waco).

 Yes, I stayed in a hotel, motel, B&B, or short-term-vacation-rental in the Waco area.

 Yes, I stayed at a private or public campground in the Waco Area.

 Yes, I stayed at the residence of friends or relatives in the Waco area.

 Yes, I stayed in the Waco area at another location (Please specify: ________________)

6. On this trip, what other Waco attractions did you visit? Please check all that apply.

 Baylor University

 Cameron Park Zoo

 Extraco Events Center event

 Hawaiian Falls Waterpark

Shopping, Food, and Beverage

 Area vineyard, distillery, or brewery

 Homestead Craft Village

 Magnolia Market at the Silos

 Other Waco shops

 Waco restaurants

Parks and Outdoors

 Cameron Park

 Lake Waco & Corps of Engineer Parks

 Lake Waco Wetlands

Museums

 Dr. Pepper Museum

 Mayborn Museum complex

 Texas Ranger Hall of Fame & Museum

 Texas Sports Hall of Fame

 Dr Pepper Museum

 Other museum or art gallery

Other (Please specify: ______________)

 None

7. Did anyone in your personal group have physical conditions that made it difficult to access or participate in WMNM activities or services?

 No → Go to question 8.

 Yes → If YES, on this visit what activities or services did the person(s) have difficulty accessing or participating in? Please be specific.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. For each of the visitor services and facilities that your personal group used at WMNM during your visit, please complete the following:

a) For only those services and facilities that your personal group used, please rate

their importance to your visit on a scale of 1-5.

b) For only those services and facilities that your personal group used, please rate

their quality, on a scale of 1-5.

If you did not use the service or facility, please leave the lines blank.

9. Did you participate in ranger-led programming, such as a table talk or guided tour?

 No  Please, skip to Question 11

 Yes

10. Thinking about that ranger-led programming, please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements.

Statement	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither Agree nor Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
The ranger asked for audience participation in their program.	1	2	3	4	5
The ranger attempted to connect the story of WMNM with visitors’ personal experiences.	1	2	3	4	5
The ranger adjusted their program to fit visitor questions and input.	1	2	3	4	5
I gained an understanding of WMNM's importance.	1	2	3	4	5
I learned something new about the resources at WMNM.	1	2	3	4	5
The presentation was easy to follow.	1	2	3	4	5
The presentation was an appropriate length.	1	2	3	4	5
The presentation was enjoyable.	1	2	3	4	5
I have thought about the tour presentation since my visit.	1	2	3	4	5
I told another person about what I learned from the tour presentation.	1	2	3	4	5

11. Please indicate your agreement with the statement, “Overall, I was satisfied with my visit to WMNM.”

Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither agree nor disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
1	2	3	4	5

12. Is WMNM special or meaningful to you? If so, why? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. If you were to visit WMNM in the future, which educational topics would you or your personal group be most interested in learning about? Please check all that apply.

 The local ecosystems

 Geology

 Human history of the area

 Natural history of the area

 Night skies

 Paleontology and related activities

(e.g., fossil discovery and care)

 Columbian Mammoths and other Pleistocene flora and/or fauna

 History of WMNM

 Park management issues

 Birding

 Local wildlife

 Other (Please specify: ________)

 Not interested in learning about these topics

14. If you were to visit WMNM in the future, which activities from the list below would be of interest you or your personal group? Please check all that apply. (Note: not all of these activities are currently available at WMNM).

Future visit interest	Activity
	Taking a guided tour of the fossil building (Dig Shelter)
	Partaking in self-guided tours of the site
	Attending ranger-led talks or programs (other than the fossil building tour)
	Learning from paleontology experts
	Viewing fossils
	Participating in Junior Ranger or Junior Paleontology programs
	Engaging in hands-on educational activities
	Hiking or walking
	Bicycling
	Connections to trails outside of WMNM
	Water-based recreation (e.g., paddling, fishing)
	Birding
	Wildlife viewing
	Picnicking
	Creative arts (photography, drawing, painting, writing)
	Volunteering
	Participating in park-sponsored special events (e.g., Fossil Day, Mammoths on the March, etc.)
	Socializing with friends and or family
	Informal children’s activities or spaces (e.g., natural playscapes and exhibits designed for younger children)
	Other activities (Please specify) __________________

15. If you were a manager planning for the future of WMNM, what would you do to attract new visitors or encourage repeat visitation?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

16. Please rate your level of concern for the following impacts on resources and visitor experiences in WMNM. (Select one number for each item.)

Impact	Not at all concerned	Slightly concerned	Moderately concerned	Very concerned	Extremely concerned
Visitor noise	1	2	3	4	5
Visitor litter	1	2	3	4	5
Visitors with pets	1	2	3	4	5
Too many other visitors (i.e., crowding)	1	2	3	4	5
Eroding soils	1	2	3	4	5
Disturbing native animals	1	2	3	4	5
Disturbing native plants	1	2	3	4	5
Disturbing fossils	1	2	3	4	5
Parking and traffic inside WMNM	1	2	3	4	5
Other (Specify: ________________)	1	2	3	4	5

17. What is the highest level of formal education you have completed? Please select only one response.

 Some high school  High school graduate  Some college, vocational, or trade school

 College, business, vocational, or trade school graduate  Some graduate school  Master’s, doctoral, or professional degree

18. Are you Hispanic or Latino?

• Yes

• No

19. Which of these categories best indicates your race? Answer only for yourself. Please select one or more.

American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Black or African American Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander

White Other (please specify:_____________) Prefer not to respond