August is National Motorsports Awareness Month in the United States. While most people associate motorsports with car races, and here in Indiana specifically with the greatest spectacle in racing, the Indianapolis 500, there are a variety of other outdoor motorsports.
Eppley is at the forefront of helping parks and public lands agencies balance recreational motorsports with agency mission to protect natural resources, ensure visitor safety, and promote recreational access. In the model Eppley implements, agencies share their knowledge and experience that recreational motorsport users need to have for safe and appropriate recreation, and Eppley designs and develops online learning. In turn the agency requires or recommends motorsport users take the online course.
Working examples of this Eppley approach, in use since 2018 with Yellowstone National Park requires private snowmobile users, after their name is drawn in a lottery, to complete an online course. The course includes modules that cover etiquette, regulations, safety, and resource-sensitive practices.
The model also includes recreational boaters in the Everglades and Florida Keys.
- Every person operating a power boat on Everglades National Park’s waters is required to have a certificate from the Everglades -Eppley online boater education course.
- Boaters venturing into the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary are strongly encouraged to take a similar course.
Online courses are an inexpensive and convenient way to verify that visitors to a park or publicly accessible area with sensitive resources are aware, informed, and more likely to recreate in a way that adds to the resource. Hosted on Indiana University’s robust online learning system, the courses available from any location in the nation and supported 24/7 by IU’s IT help desk. The delivery of these courses aligns with Eppley’s mission to advance knowledge and help protect public land resources and aligns with the agency’s mission. Eppley’s role in assisting agencies with their mission to protect resources and encourage safe recreational activities can be tailored to any agency who needs a similar service. Check out these courses in the Eppley Expand catalog and let us know if we can assist you or your agency.