Key Messages A typology of themes in rural tourism development is developed. Large‐scale tourism attractions and destinations are possible in rural communities. Scale and distance matter for tourism attractions and destinations.

Older adults have been described as a vulnerable group in the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Canada, where this study took place, older adults have been encouraged to self-isolate while the rest of the population has been cautioned against in-person contact with them. Prior to COVID-19, social isolation and loneliness among older adults was considered a serious public health concern. Using a series of semi-structured interviews with 26 community-dwelling older adults (65 +) living in rural Manitoba, we explore older adults’ experiences of isolation and loneliness in the initial stages of the pandemic between the months of May and July 2020. Participants identified a loss of autonomy, loss of activities and social spaces (e.g., having coffee or eating out, volunteering, and going to church), and lack of meaningful connection at home as factors influencing their sense of isolation and loneliness. Although these loses initially influenced participants’ self-reported isolation and loneliness, the majority developed strategies to mitigate isolation and loneliness, such as drawing on past experiences of isolation, engaging in physically distanced visits, connecting remotely, and “keeping busy.” Our findings call attention to the role of different environments and resources in supporting older adults social and emotional wellbeing, particularly as they adapt to changes in social contact over time.

Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper spectral data and field survey information were combined to identify specific land cover types associated with 1741 dyers woad infestation points on the Cache National Forest in northern Utah. Ten of 60 possible cover types were strongly associated with current dyers woad infestations, and therefore considered highly suited to establishment and survival of the weed. Non-infested land of the same “highly suited” cover types comprised an additional 24 714 ha within the 149 021-ha study area, suggesting the potential for an eventual 124-fold increase in dyers woad incidence on the forest.

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