In Spring term 2026, Dr. Cavaliere is on academic sabbatical! She will be collaborating with two international universities and continuing community-based research in Colorado through The Cavaliere Critical Conservation Lab at CSU. Dr. Cavaliere will be continuing her established partnerships with the University of Oulu in Finland and with the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. Please note that Dr. Cavaliere will resume normal student advising, teaching, and administrative duties as of Fall term beginning 15 August 2026. Please recontact the Lab then if you have specific inquiries.
Alexis R. Foster Advances to PhD Candidacy
It is with great enthusiasm that The Cavaliere Critical Conservation Lab announces that Alexis R. Foster has advanced from PhD student to PhD candidate. On December 1, 2025, Alexis presented her dissertation topic of “Overtourism Challenges in Two Northern Colorado Recreational Areas: Understanding community perspectives and management approaches in Lory State Park and Horsetooth Reservoir.” This research takes place within the community of Larimer County, specifically Fort Collins and Bellevue, Colorado focused on overtourism perspectives and management approaches at these two locally significant protected areas.
In conjunction with the Lab, Alexis will be investigating overtourism communication strategies employed by management authorities, evaluate how overtourism is addressed within existing management strategies, and will assess park stakeholder concerns regarding overtourism impacts at the two parks. Email Alexis at Alexis.Foster@colostate.edu if you are interested in participating in an interview!
The Cavaliere Critical Conservation Lab’s research team presents on their empirical data from Kruger National Park at a University of Johannesburg hosted conference in South Africa
Dr. Julia Kathryn Giddy presented the co-authored work with Dr. Clare Kelso & Dr. Christina T. Cavaliere, titled “Domestic Tourists’ Perceptions of Conservation to Kruger National Park” at the From Recovery to Resilience in Tourism: Sustainable Pathways for Transforming Tourism conference. The conference was held from September 1-5, 2025, at the Maslow hotel Sandton in Johannesburg South Africa. The conference was co-organised by the School of Tourism and Hospitality, University of Johannesburg, and the University of Oulu in Finland. It focused on sustainable pathways for transforming the tourism industry, and its’ community and environmental relations in the context of recovery and resilience building.
Alexis Foster presents research from the Cavaliere Critical Conservation Lab at the international conference Pathways 2025 at Estes Park, Colorado
The Pathways 2025 Conference “Appreciating Nature’s Benefits” took place from 8 to 10 September to share research addressing the myriad of issues that arise as people and wildlife struggle to coexist in a sustainable and healthy manner. PhD student, Alexis Foster, presented co-authored work with Dr. Cavaliere at the session, “Citizen Science & Participatory Programs.”
Alexis’ presentation at Pathways was entitled Recreationists’ Perceptions of Climate Change
Through Lake Conditions, Windsor, Colorado. The Lab is very proud of Alexis as this was her first academic conference presentation. In addition, Alexis contributed to the lab’s mission of communicating scientific information to the community and in support in Colorado State University’s land grant mission.
