Environmental Interpretation - WIS6525

Conservation Education and Outreach Techniques

Chapters 1-3

Chanda Littles and Felipe HernandezSeptember 3, 2014

Objective: Develop mock conservation and education program

• Goals

• Use information from Chapter 1 to develop conservation/education program

• Support selected strategies with applicable theories from Chapters 2 and 3

• Outline a basic logic-model following guidelines on page 25

Background• The class will be divided into 3 groups

• Each group represents a non-profit conservation organization concerned with preserving wildlife habitat and fauna

• Issue: Preliminary development plans in an existing retirement community involve converting 30 acres of wildlife habitat to a golf course. While 5 of those acres will likely be denied due to direct impacts to imperiled species, the remaining acreage has no legal protection.

• Consider unlimited budget and 1-year time frame

• Task: Develop outreach/education plan to convince residents of community to preserve the entire site

Guidelines

• Choose at least one learning theory and justify why it seems appropriate to your program – include considerations of your audience’s learning style

• Decide whether your program will focus on increasing environmental awareness overall, changing a specific behavior, or both – link elements in your logic model to underlying behavioral theory(ies)

• 25 minutes within-group discussion; 15 minutes final discussion

Logic Model Outline (see p.25 in book)

PLANNING IMPLEMENTATION EVALUATIONResources Activities Outputs Outcomes

(short)Outcomes(int.) Outcomes (long)

Biologists Initial surveys to gauge outdoor interests (golf and otherwise), activity levels, environmental knowledge base  

Responses to surveys

Increased env. awareness

Decision to preserve site by majority ruling

Community that supports and values environmental resources

Env. Interpreters

Workshops to teach about key species and habitats 

Number of participants in each class and/or workshop

Increased knowledge about site habitats/fauna

   

1-year time frame

Field trips to natural areas on site 

Number of supporters

     

Vast budget Classes in alternative recreational activities (outdoor art, reading, nature walks, yoga, etc) 

       

Supplies Final surveys to determine the percentage of residents supporting site preservation 

       

Volunteers            

Staff