This September, SORP hosted its first-ever virtual delivery of the Visitor Use Management (VUM) Foundations Training, bringing together participants from across agencies and landscapes. While many virtual trainings risk becoming passive viewing sessions, this one was intentionally designed as a working environment rather than just a sit-and-watch experience.
Each day balanced presentations with collaborative scenario work. Participants were divided into groups and assigned one of five case studies, ranging from managing high visitation at popular trails, to planning first-time infrastructure at small preserves, to addressing user conflicts and unauthorized trail building in urban parks.
Rather than simply learning about the VUM Framework, participants actively practiced it. In small groups, they developed desired conditions, selected indicators and thresholds, discussed monitoring strategies, and evaluated conditions. The conversations often echoed familiar real-world dilemmas: How far is “too far” when it comes to visitor impacts? Where is the line between acceptable change and the need for intervention? How do agencies defend these decisions in complex contexts?
A highlight came on the final day when groups debriefed their scenarios using shared whiteboards. Some drafted process maps, others took highly creative approaches and sketched scenes from their scenarios. The activity showcased not only the versatility of the VUM framework, but also how differently methods are interpreted across settings, user groups, and agency cultures.
More than anything, the training reinforced a growing recognition across the field: visitor use challenges are shared, even when management structures differ. Participants frequently remarked on how familiar the scenarios felt to their own work, even when set in completely different environments.
That sense of alignment is exactly what VUM Foundations aims to build. Beyond skill development, the training contributes to a broader shift toward more consistent and collaborative approaches to visitor use management. While adopting shared guidelines is not always simple - given differing mandates, internal systems, and cultural norms - progress often begins not with policy change, but with practitioners who choose to integrate common language and processes into their everyday planning.
SORP extends appreciation to the trainers, facilitators, and participants who contributed to such an engaging and thoughtful experience. VUM is challenging work, but it is also hopeful work. Training like this continues to demonstrate that no one has to navigate it alone.