Author: Julia Branstrator

Dr. Cavaliere’s Tourism and Conservation Lab is proud to announce its latest publication featured in the journal of Society and Natural Resources!

Leading this latest paper, Dr. Cavaliere with co-author Dr. Julia Branstrator, present A Critical Biocultural Identity Framework. This publication analyzes remote fieldwork during the quarantine lockdown period of COVID-19 in the coastal community of Ketchikan, Alaska (May – September 2021).

During this unique window of time of mobility restrictions, residents unpacked their relationships to the coast and encompassing bioregion of Ketchikan, revealing the impacts of overtourism and economic dependence on the multinational conglomerate mass cruise industry.

Presenting in-depth, qualitative semi-structured interviews, the Critical Biocultural Identity Framework expands place identity through critical ecofeminist-posthumanistic epistemologies to situate biocultural identities within the structural power components of Ketchikan. This research contributes thick empirical data to understandings of biocultural identities, which may be described as “the intertwining of social-ecological relationships and diverse knowledges that situate characteristics within bioregional constructs” (Cavaliere & Branstrator, 2023, p.9)

Thematic analysis of data resulted in nine empirical themes contributing to biocultural knowledge including: temporal engagement, emotional associations, interspecies interactions, local knowledge networks, bioregional relationships, ecological intimacies, neolocal resilience, nonverbal expressions, and sensory connections.

Each theme explores aspects of biocultural identities through social-ecological and bioregional contexts. The CBIF positions biocultural identity within social science conservation to resist biocultural homogenization of biodiverse places from neoliberal encroachment via mass cruise tourism.

The Warner College of Natural Resources and the Human Resources of Natural Resources Department have awarded Dr. Cavaliere annual recognition of her work within Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) for the 2022-2023 academic year!

As featured on the Warner College website at Colorado State University, Dr. Christina Cavaliere “is a global leader speaking out for equity / inclusion and impacting women’s roles and recognition for the better in our department and around the world… of note this year was her influence leading to greater representation by women as keynote speakers in the Tourism Naturally Conference [which had 1000+ registrants from over 50 countries] in October 2022.”

Dr. Cavaliere continues to center justice, wildlife and multispecies equity and gender within biocultural conservation and tourism. We are delighted to celebrate across multiple channels this exciting achievement!

The following summary of Dr.s Kline, Hoarau-Heemstra, & Cavaliere’s recent publication, Wildlife Equity Theory for Multispecies Tourism Justice, is featured in Journal of Travel Research!

Dr. Cavaliere explains the work of the research group:

“Wildlife Equity Theory is a new concept that we developed that builds upon previous works in biocultural conservation but also brings in concepts from gender studies, anthrozoology, geography, ecotourism and Indigenous perspectives on nature. This paper addresses the study from a transdisciplinary intersectional ecofeminist approach. It is imperative to mention that this research also contributes to a growing body of literature that connects diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to conservation and sustainability. And while DEI or Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) initiatives are typically focused on equity and justice within human societies, our paper asks for us to consider the broader realm of animal stakeholders as keystone members for consideration. It is a conceptual analysis that draws on the theory and insights of tourism, sustainability, biocultural conservation, and animal ethics epistemologies. This research is also applied and outlines the ways in which the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) need to re-address the equity and inclusion of wildlife rights and protection through examples pertaining to each of the 17 SDGs where Wildlife Equity can be integrated and/or improved upon throughout the tourism system. This is essential for various aspects of system change intended to support human–wildlife relationships and biocultural conservation.” – Dr. Christina T. Cavaliere

Congratulations, Dr. Cavaliere!

The Paris 2022 IGU Centennial Congress took place from 18 to 22 July to share research and celebrate this special congress entitled Time for Geographers. Dr. Cavaliere presented co-authored work with PhD Candidate of the lab, Julia Branstrator at Drs Joseph Cheer (Wakayama University) and Loretta Bellato’s (Swinburne University of Technology) co-chaired session, Regenerative Development and Tourism Geographies: A Timely Turn?

 Dr. Cavaliere’s presentation at the Sorbonne was entitled Decolonizing Destination Planning: Integrating Decomposition as Time-Space Re-Expansion for Biocultural Regeneration. This research situates concepts of time-space re-extension and degrowth within concepts of decomposition in tourism to radically restructure destination lifecycle planning according to biomimicry. This exciting research furthers the Tourism and Conservation Lab’s work in exploring how decomposition in tourism aligns with enacting degrowth for healthy destination lifecycle management. We hope you enjoy, and explore the IGU’s website!

Over the summer, Dr. Christina T. Cavaliere traveled to Maó, Menorca to present in Spain at the 2022 Critical Tourism Studies Conference from 27 June to 1 July entitled Critical Tourism Studies IX: With In Dangerous Times. Dr. Cavaliere presented research conducted with Drs Hin Hoarau-Heemstra (Nord University, Norway) and Carol Kline (Appalachian State University, USA). Dr. Cavaliere’s presentation was entitled Critical Posthumanism and Agency: Biocultural Identities of the Wolffish in Tourism. Through a critical posthumanistic lens, they shared the story of Norway’s Bodø Wolffish (Steinbit) using the Biocultural Identity Framework (Cavaliere & Branstrator, 2022 in progress) to explore the co-constructed identities of the Wolffish from a posthumanistic context. Data was gathered from various human stakeholders in and around Saltstraumen’s Marine Protected Area (MPA) “to understand the stories of the lived experiences of the Wolffish” (Cavaliere, Heemstra, and Kline, 2022). It is hoped this research furthers Wildlife Equity research to progress wildlife policy and conservation interventions. We encourage you to explore the Critical Tourism Studies website!

Cavaliere, C. T., Hoarau-Heemstra, H., & Kline, C. (2022). Critical Posthumanism and Agency: Biocultural Identities of the Wolffish in Tourism. In Critical Tourism Studies IX: With In Dangerous Times. Maó; Critical Tourism Studies. Retrieved from https://www.criticaltourismstudies.info/ 

Cavaliere, C.T., & Branstrator, J.R. (2022). A critical biocultural identify framework. [Manuscript submitted for publication].

The Tourism and Conservation Lab is delighted to announce that students and alumni nominated Dr. Christina T. Cavaliere for the Best Teacher of the Year Award. Details of the nomination shared how she has impacted the lives of alumni and students in the Warner College of Natural Resources. Her home department, the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, is proud to share this great honor and congratulate Dr. Cavaliere.

She is the founder and director of the Tourism and Conservation Lab where she continues to mentor students engaged in conservation research, impacting academic and professional lives.

Dr. Cavaliere congratulates the other nominees and recipients. She shares her gratitude for the recognition of her passion for adult learning and conservation research, and looks forward to furthering the lab’s future impacts!