Gebhard, Steven D2022-06-242022-06-242022-06https://hdl.handle.net/11299/228071A Field Project submitted to the faculty of the University of Minnesota by Steve Gebhard in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Environmental Education, June 2022. This item has been modified from the original to redact the signature present.The growing popularity of rock-climbing is raising concern about the increased impact to the cliff environment. Leave No Trace has served as the prevailing minimum impact messaging to outdoor recreationists and has been well received and promoted within the rock-climbing community. However, there are several inherent limitations to the effectiveness of this message toward protecting the cliff-environment. Additionally, the literature is scarce on how climbers have gone beyond leave no trace and contributed to conservation related efforts at climbing sites. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which Minnesota rock climbers and state park staff have collaborated on cliff-related conservation efforts. To address this, two survey instruments were used including semi-structured interviews with leaders from local climbing organizations and current state park staff, and a self-administered questionnaire was distributed to members of the Minnesota climbing community. This study found that there are several distinct historical and current examples of Minnesota climbers and state park staff collaborating on cliff-related conservation efforts. Additionally, all groups indicated interest in working together on these types of efforts in the future and provided examples of ways to work together moving forward. This study highlights the evolving relationship between Minnesota climbers and state park staff, which provides more opportunities for novel ways of working together to protect the cliff environment.enPlan Bs (project-based master's degrees)Master of Environmental EducationCenter for Environmental EducationCollege of Education and Human Service ProfessionsUniversity of Minnesota DuluthScholarly Text or Essay