Lab Blog

Posted on

Explore our Biocultural Conservation Research with the Wolffish!

Source: Galice Hoarau

The international research team including Drs. Hoarau-Heemstra, Cavaliere, Nazzarova, Hoarau, & Kline from the United States and Norway, have published the article “Making the wolffish personal”: exploring the role of tourism wildlife equity and biocultural conservation” in the A-ranked Journal of Sustainable Tourism!

(Click the image below for open access to the publication)

The new publication is significant for the Lab because Dr. Cavaliere’s previously co-authored posthumanistic theory (Wildlife Equity Theory) and conservation framework (a Critical Biocultural Identity Framework) informed this empirical fieldwork. The resulting Multispecies Tourism Communities outcome, demonstrates that conscious, complex relationships amongst humans and nonhuman stakeholders, protect this keystone species. Findings indicate that these interspecies relationships with the wolffish allow the wildlife to be recognized as sentient stakeholders that are more equitably conserved within the Marine Protected Area (MPA) of Saltstraumen.

Source: Galice Hoarau

Dr. Cavaliere and co-authors analyze the conservation status of the wolffish within Saltstraumen, as until the summer of 2024, it was legally allowed to hunt the wolffish with a speargun inside the MPA. The MPA is a popular Arctic tourist destination for diving and fishing and is one of the world’s strongest tidal currents.  

The new Wildlife Equity Theory (Kline et al., 2023) guided the posthumanistic methodology for this research by positioning nonhuman species as active stakeholders within the system allowing for multispecies community cohesion to be incorporated. In addition, the Critical Biocultural Identity Framework (Cavaliere & Branstrator, 2023) guided the methods by providing indicators that framed the design of the qualitative inquiry.

This study allows insight into the human-wolffish relationship and demonstrates how influential the tourism system is to “decision-making processes, policy formulation, and multispecies community cohesion” (Hoarau-Heemstra et al., 2025, p.20). Wildlife agency is directly related to equity within the Anthropocene, and the paper demonstrates how multispecies perspectives are directly linked to justice and equitable biocultural conservation.

Congratulations to Dr. Cavaliere and her co-authors on this influential contribution to critical biocultural conservation research!

Posted on

Experiential Learning in the Field!

On April 25th, Alexis Foster proudly represented the Cavaliere Critical Conservation Lab on a field trip organized by Dr. Christina Cavaliere and Kathryn Metzeger [Program Manager, CSU Tourism & Conservation Graduate Programs]. Dr. Cavaliere represents CSU on the Colorado Tourism Office Destination Stewardship Council, where she interacts with Colorado tourism stakeholders to support sustainable tourism management in the state. In this instance, Visit Longmont serves as a wonderful destination management organization to provide experiential learning for our students in the Master of Tourism Management program. The students in Dr. Cavaliere’s NRRT 609 Tourism and Conservation course started the field trip by attending a guided tour at Jack’s Solar Garden, where they learned about agrovolterics and the connection to tourism. Next, the group enjoyed a lunch break at the Parkway Food Hall, bringing culinary tourism into the experience. Then, a conversation with Ryan Kazee from Angles Sport Ski Board and Fly Shop brought local tourism business perspectives to our learning goals for the day. Finally, a discussion with Sarah Leonard, the Chief Destination Stewardship Officer at Visit Longmont, was held with the students about how the DMO is approaching and implementing elements of the new Colorado Destination Stewardship Strategic Plan. A heartfelt thank you to Dr. Cavaliere, Kathryn, and all the dedicated community leaders for organizing such an impactful field trip. Overall, the students had a great time exploring sustainable tourism management in the field and were inspired by all the learning experiences and conversations. CSU would specifically like to thank Visit Longmont and Sarah Leonard for their kind support in sponsoring the student visit! Please see the video below for a recap of the student experiential learning in the field:

Posted on

Dr. Jean Bethke Elshtain Scholarship Awarded!

Dr. Christina T. Cavaliere’s commitment to academic mentorship and scholarly excellence has led to a wonderful achievement for her current PhD student, Alexis Foster, who has been awarded the prestigious Dr. Jean Bethke Elshtain Scholarship. As the director of the Cavaliere Critical Conservation Lab, housed in the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Department in the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University,  Dr. Cavaliere has cultivated an environment that nurtures rigorous research focused on conservation social science, sustainable tourism, critical thinking and social-ecological justice. Dr. Cavaliere’s nomination articulated Alexis’ contributions to these fields, demonstrating a strong alignment with the intellectual legacy of Dr. Jean Elshtain, whose work in social and political ethics continues to shape academic discourse.

Following a rigorous selection process, Alexis Foster was chosen as a recipient of this distinguished scholarship, recognizing her dedication to interdisciplinary research under Dr. Cavaliere’s tutelage. In the research lab, they extend Dr. Cavaliere’s intersectional research that integrates ecofeminist perspectives,  justice, and sustainable tourism management. Alexis’ scholarship will empower her to continue her doctoral work focused on the impacts of overtourism within Colorado’s Lory State Park and Horsetooth Reservoir.

Congratulations to Dr. Cavaliere for her steadfast mentorship and support of her students and for fostering a research lab that exemplifies critical inquiry. Additionally, congratulations to Alexis Foster for this well-earned scholarly distinction. Their achievements reflect the pursuit of academic excellence and ethical engagement that define the mission of the Dr. Jean Bethke Elshtain Scholarship. Dr. Cav and Alexis extend their deep gratitude to all those involved with the scholarship selection committee!

Posted on

Dr. Alberto Amore’s Hosted Visit!

The Cavaliere Critical Conservation Lab was honored to host Dr. Alberto Amore, a distinguished visiting scholar from the University of Oulu. Dr. Cavaliere invited Dr. Amore to present his research as it is deeply related to our lab’s research emphasis on biocultural conservation and tourism. Dr. Amore leads the Biodiverse Anthropocene Lab at the University of Oulu, focusing on tourism-related research in urban regeneration, planning, and resilience. His presentation is entitled “Resilience and regenerative turns in tourism,” and provides valuable insights into these interconnected areas of tourism studies. Dr. Cavaliere and the lab are excited to offer this research presentation free of charge to the public in partial fulfillment of CSU’s Land Grant mission. 

Click here to watch a recording of this amazing presentation.

Posted on

Welcome New PhD Student

Dr. Cavaliere is excited to share the official start of her most recent Ph.D. Student Alexis Foster. It is tremendous to welcome Alexis into the Cavaliere Critical Conservation Research Lab. Alexis has a background in Conservation Leadership as well as Ecosystem Science and Sustainability which will allow her to connect critical tourism impacts to biocultural conservation research. Alexis was awarded a scholarship through Dr. Cavaliere’s Critical Conservation Lab to support her upcoming Ph.D. journey with Dr. Cavaliere. Welcome Alexis!

Posted on

Drs. Cavaliere & Branstrator publish “A Critical Biocultural Identity Framework” in Society and Natural Resources

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.

Posted on

Dr. Cavaliere Receives 2022-2023 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award

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!

Posted on

Dr. Christina T. Cavaliere presents at the Sorbonne in Paris at the International Geographic Union Congress

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!

Posted on

Dr. Christina T. Cavaliere presents in Spain at the Critical Tourism Studies Conference

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].

Posted on

2022-2023 School of Global Environmental Sustainability Fellow Within the Tourism and Conservation Lab

April and May have been busy months within the Tourism and Conservation Lab. In addition to celebrating a new publication within the Journal of Ecotourism, Julia R. Branstrator has been announced as one of twenty Sustainability Leadership Fellows within the 2022-2023 School of Global Environmental and Sustainability (SoGES) program at Colorado State University! To read Julia’s fellowship biography, follow this link (click here).

Advised by Dr. Christina T. Cavaliere, Julia will advance her skills in science communication within this competetive fellowship program that “provides innovative training for early career scientists to effectively communicate science to the media and public, professional development skills and techniques, and strategies to build meaningful careers that incorporate engagement and interdisciplinarity” (SoGES, 2022, para 1). Within her fellowship year, Julia will take part in workshops, seminars, and many networking events to hone skills in communicating her research to a broad, global community.

School of Global Environmental Sustainability (SoGES). (2022). Sustainability Leadership Fellows. School of Global Environmental Sustainability. Retrieved May 6, 2022, from https://sustainability.colostate.edu/education-and-training/sustainability-leadership-fellows/