MY RESEARCH
Having worked with community groups in North America and Latin America, I am deeply committed to sustainable natural resource management, participatory techniques, and sustainable livelihoods. My doctoral research has a focus on sustainable tourism and climate change. I am also working with the North Carolina Birding Trail on developing its Birder Friendly Business program. See below for details and links to publications and other products.
Sustainable Tourism & Climate Change
A mixed methods study
​
My dissertation research focuses on tourists' perceptions of climate change impacts and how those impacts can influence tourists' decisions to travel. I am also addressing the adaptive capacity of the communities of the Pueblos Mancomunados to climate change, especially to potential changes in tourism flows due to climate. My research is mixed methods (qualitative-quantitative), and I will present the results of my analysis to the communities of the Pueblos Mancomunados to assist them with developing an adaptation plan. Their ecotourism business, Expediciones Sierra Norte, is a partner in my research.
See my blog for updates on my research. (Currently disabled until I update! Sorry!)
Birder Friendly Business
Part of the NC Birding Trail
​
Birders and bird fans in the US spent almost $49 billion pursuing their favorite pasttime in 2011 - more than hunting and just under fishing. With so much money and so many people invested in birding, it is important for rural businesses to know how to attract some of those birders (and their $). I am in the process of helping to design a Birder Friendly Business online training program so that NC businesses can become birder friendly, have their names on the NC Birding Trail website, and attract more birders. When the web-based training program is up and running I will post a link to it here.
We are also looking at how birders make travel decisions, and how climate change may impact those decisions.
Publications
​​
Peroff, D. M., Deason, G. G., Seekamp, E., & Iyengar, J. (2017). Integrating frameworks for evaluating tourism partnerships: An exploration of success within the life cycle of a collaborative ecotourism development effort. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 17, 100-111.
​
Deason, G. & Seekamp, E. (2015). Birder Travel Deicsions: Results from Survey Research with Avid Birders. Technical Report, NCU-S-15-001. North Carolina Sea Grant.
​
Deason, G., Seekamp, E., & Barbieri, C. (2014). Perceived impacts of climate change, coastal development and policy on oyster harvesting in the Southeastern United States. Marine Policy, 50, 142-150.
Other
​I made a few infographics from the information that I gathered during the birder travel decision survey. Click below to see them.
​