Jessica Leahy

I was born and raised in Alaska, adjacent to the second largest state park in the United States. As a result, I’ve always been curious about the connection between humans and forests. I research environmental attitudes and behaviors towards forests, forestry, and other natural resource management topics using a social psychology and communication approach. I tend to study four populations: outdoor recreationists, forest landowners, natural resource managers, and the “general public.” My current research portfolio includes several trail projects: this one, a study of resilient trail design on National Forests, a general population study of Maine's natural surface trail users, and a project on mountain biking as a rural economic development tool.

March 2026