Conducting a Geo-ecotour for University Students in Hakone Geopark: Creation of a Relationship-Structure Diagram and its Effects

Geo-ecotourism is an attempt to contribute to environmental education, environmental conservation and regional development by fostering a better understanding of the relationships among various elements such as landforms, vegetation, and human life. However, unless explanations are provided, it can be difficult for tour participants to recognize the relationships among such elements throughout the region. Therefore, guides are necessary to provide interpretations of the regional system and to tell a story of the elements that make up the region. In Hakone Geopark, the author set up a geo-ecological story that incorporates the relationships between humans and natural elements, such as landforms, geology, vegetation, and climate, and conducted a geo-ecotour for university students, while acting as their guide (interpreter). This paper is a report on the implementation of the tour and an assessment of how the tour participants perceived Hakone, including what improvements are needed in the geo-ecotour design.<br>After the tour, participants were asked to answer a questionnaire and to draw a relationship-structure diagram. The chart was divided into four areas: “vegetation and wildlife,” “human life and culture,” “landform and geology,” and “climate.” The participants were asked to enter the elements and their relationships they recognized in the tour. Some of the recognitions observed in these diagrams were as follows. (1) “Landform and geology” is the foundation of “human life and culture” and the place of resource supply. (2) “Vegetation and wildlife” are resources that provide “human life and culture.” (3) “Climate” and “landform and geology” affect “vegetation and wildlife.” (4) “Climate” influences “human life and culture.” In particular, volcanic elements related to the central cone and grassland vegetation were regarded as central elements. These recognitions were roughly in line with the interpreter's perceptions. It is confirmed that the guide's intentions in the geo-ecological story were generally conveyed to the participants. In addition, the creation of the relationship-structure diagram had the effect of enabling the participants to look back on the tour and to better understand the characteristics of Hakone.<br>There are a number of issues to be addressed in planning future geo-ecotourism programs; in particular, the considerable variation in understanding from person to person, the problem of relating natural elements to geologic events at a very large scale, and the need to build recognition of spatial relationships. It is also necessary to train interpreters who can construct stories of interrelationships between the natural environment and human activities.