Using video and theater to increase knowledge and change attitudes-Why are gorillas important to the world and to Congo?

The power of gibbon songs: Going beyond the research to inform conservation actions

Gibbons (Hylobatidae) are the smallest of the apes, known for their arboreal behavior and stereotyped songs. These species and sex-specific songs are often the subject of detailed studies regarding their evolution, responses to changing environments, involvement in social behavior, and used to design vocalization-based survey techniques to monitor population densities and trends. What is poorly understood is the value and impact of using the science and sound of gibbon vocalization and gibbon stories in education and outreach to complement nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) efforts. We present an example of how Borneo Nature Foundation, a NGOs based in Indonesia, is working to use the recordings of the songs of Bornean white-bearded gibbons (Hylobates albibarbis) to inform conservation actions and education efforts. Gibbons in Indonesia are often poorly known or understood by the public compared to orangutans (Pongo spp). We showcase how a field of study, namely primate acoustics, is an untapped resource to create digital content to engage with local, national and international communities and can be developed into educational tools in the form of storytelling, mobile apps and games, to highlight the plight of these threatened species and how to conserve them.

Future coexistence with great apes will require major changes to policy and practice

The great apes-bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans-are critically threatened by human activities. We have destroyed their habitats, hunted them and transmitted fatal diseases to them. Yet we also conduct research on them, try to protect them and live alongside them. They are endangered, and time is running out. Here we outline what must be done to ensure that future generations continue to share this planet with great apes. We urge dialogue with those who live with great apes and interact with them often. We advocate conservation plans that acknowledge the realities of climate change, economic drivers and population growth. We encourage researchers to use technology to minimize risks to great apes. Our proposals will require substantial investment, and we identify ways to generate these funds. We conclude with a discussion of how field researchers might alter their work to protect our closest living relatives more effectively.

Evaluating the impact of environmental education around Ranomafana National Park

A total of 94% of lemur species are currently threatened with extinction and more than 17 species of giant lemur are already extinct. To help prevent the extinction of Madagascar's remaining lemurs, Dr. Patricia Wright initiated conservation programs in the Ranomafana region of southern Madagascar in the 1990s. These continued and expanded, and in 2003 were consolidated with Dr. Wright's research activities when Center ValBio ("CVB") was founded in 2003. CVB believes in the "One Health" approach in understanding the relationship between humans and the environment, and one of their core principles is that effective conservation is science-based. CVB's environmental education (EE) programs (discussed herein) operate in various primary schools surrounding Ranomafana national park (RNP). The all-Malagasy team consists of long-term conservation educators as well as young intern teachers, who together address the issues of valuing lemurs and the forests that they require to survive. In this paper, we will describe three of CVB's EE programs and evaluate their impact. The primary tool used to assess impact was an analysis of pre- and post -intervention test scores evaluated using a Kruskal-Wallis test. We show that these programs (1) are popular, (2) produce concrete outputs that can change rural villages, and (3) improve local knowledge on the importance of biodiversity and sustainable development.

Best practices are never best: Evaluating primate conservation education programs (PCEPs) with a decolonial perspective

Who do we aim to educate with primate conservation education programs (PCEPs)? In a commentary published in a recent AJP, Annette Lanjouw suggested that many efforts to "educate" habitat-country communities can be neocolonial in their approaches. Forest destruction and habitat loss are a result of global consumption and expansion. We therefore need to approach conservation education from many angles including local stakeholders, policy makers, government officials, and the humans living in industrialized nations who are major consumers of the items that shrink primate habitats. In this review, we investigate PCEPs to determine if the conservation education goals, education methods, and assessment processes are proceeding within a neocolonial context. We reviewed the last 20 years of primate conservation literature and looked for publications that were focused on education programs. We found that in 50 of 52 publications published between 2001 and 2021, the education programs take place in habitat-country local communities. We also reviewed primate field researcher and field site websites, and in most cases, education programs were also focused on educating local communities living near or in nonhuman primate habitats. Exceptions were student clubs, zoo programs, and a high school outreach program. Many PCEP providers presented a list of "lessons learned" and we compiled their wisdom in combination with our experience to provide a framework for moving forward. We conclude that as conservation primatologists, we must think beyond our field sites to create opportunities for educational outreach. We can reach global consumers by linking to zoos, television/motion picture, print media, social media, and working with schools on curricula. Primatologists can engage our undergraduates to establish clubs and create meaningful assignments that reach beyond the classroom. We encourage primatologists from the Global North to consider their positionality and the history of conservation exclusion in their attempts to conserve primates.

Shooting skinks for good: Producing a movie improves attitudes towards a threatened species

The interaction between the Anthroposphere and the Biosphere has resulted in increasingly rapid biodiversity loss. This negative interaction is influenced by attitudes (feelings, actions, and perceptions) of humans towards certain species. Despite the importance of reptiles in food chains and ecosystem services, they are often negatively perceived, resulting in fear and persecution. In this scenario, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) may contribute for students to develop positive attitudes towards nature and, in particular, towards reptile conservation. Some studies showed that watching wildlife movies improves attitudes of people towards wildlife. However, few information is available on the impact of engaging people in movie production in their attitudes on biodiversity. Here we present an exploratory case study and describe a project-based learning activity (PBL) implemented with Cabo Verdean high-school students and planned to improve their perceptions, feelings and actions towards reptiles in general, and the threatened endemic species C. vaillanti in particular. We asked students to write a script, shoot and produce a short film that could improve the attitudes of their community towards this endemic species. This movie was then presented to the community in a public event and subjected to a content analysis. To evaluate the impact of the activity on students, they were asked to fill in two questionnaires, before and after the activity. Our results showed significant increase of positive feelings of students about the reptiles, and increased perception of their importance, and of positive actions towards C. vaillanti from pre to post test. The movie content analyses and interviews showed that students learned about species biology, threats and reasons for its conservation, of which endemicity was the most frequently cited. Our findings support the value of engaging the public in PBL for EDS and the positive impacts of this engagement in public attitudes towards species conservation.

Human engagement and great ape conservation in Africa

Despite large investments of funding into great ape conservation in Africa, wild populations of gorillas (Gorilla ssp), chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes ssp) and bonobos (Pan paniscus) continue to decline. Causes for this decline fall into three broad categories: habitat loss, illegal hunting, and disease. Contributing factors to all of these causes are linked to pressure from the expanding human population competing for forest resources. We have moved beyond the time of debating the pros and cons of including human engagement activities in conservation. If humans are part of the problem, they must also be part of the solution. To move our understanding of which human engagement activities are effective, what methodologies are being used and best practices for setting up a successful framework, we interviewed practitioners representing 53 projects working in great ape habitat in Africa. The interviewees represented almost 900 years of experience with African great ape conservation. We found that all practitioners agreed that for conservation to succeed, projects must engage with humans utilizing resources from great ape habitats. However, evaluation of such work was elusive. Projects that employed at least one person designated as an educator were more likely to have structured programs, regular engagement activities, and to evaluate their work. To date, little information on the success or failure of the activities has been published, thus perpetuating the problem of relying on personal experience rather than evidence when developing new engagement programs. Additionally, linking human engagement activities to biological impact remains a challenge. The results presented in this paper demonstrate the importance placed on human engagement activities to effectively conserve great apes in Africa while at the same time identifies gaps in our understanding on the link between such activities and project success.

Primate and wildlife law outreach campaigns in the Republic of Congo: Assessing knowledge gain of school children in urban centers compared to rural villages

Primate populations are declining throughout tropical Africa. Great apes are threatened from extinction despite the existence of wildlife laws that fully protect them in their range states. But, due to a lack of knowledge and understanding of these laws, they remain largely ineffective. There is, therefore, a crucial need to improve awareness of wildlife laws in Congo. We conducted an education campaign and tested the effectiveness of two communication tools (wildlife law flyer and gorilla/pet-trade comic book) in increasing school children's knowledge in rural and urban settings using evaluation questionnaires. We found extremely low precampaign knowledge of wildlife laws but detected a moderate increase of knowledge attributed to our communication tools. We discuss the usefulness of different communication tools and their relevance for knowledge increase with different audiences. Our study provides insights into the design of education campaigns, most notably the use of flyers and booklets, which can help to increase knowledge. Evaluations can help to improve the design of education campaigns, particularly message wording and identification of appropriate communication tools with the goal of improving compliance with wildlife laws.

Assessing attitudes towards gorilla conservation via employee interviews

To determine the effectiveness of conservation strategies, not only should we monitor biological variables, such as population size and levels of illegal activity, but also we should examine changes in attitudes and behavior of local community members. Here, I use semistructured interviews of employees at two field sites, in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda and Loango National Park, Gabon, to understand if their employment influenced their attitude towards gorillas and conservation and led to behavior change. In contrast to western views of gorillas as "gentle giants," staff viewed gorillas as dangerous animals before working for these projects. Overall, employment leads to viewing conservation and gorillas more positively, and in many cases, viewing the gorillas as kin. The most common value attributed to the gorillas was economic, yet intrinsic and non-use existence values were frequently mentioned. Loango staff, but not Bwindi staff, reported behavior change related to hunting and bushmeat consumption, which likely is related to bushmeat consumption being commonplace in Gabon but not in Uganda. The Bwindi staff seemed to have a more positive and broader outlook toward conservation than the Loango staff, possibly because they had more years of formal education, they worked with gorillas longer, there is more history of conservation activities in Bwindi, and/or they have been less directly affected by negative consequences of conservation (e.g., crop raiding). This study shows the importance of explaining that gorillas are not dangerous if not provoked and using their human-like characteristics as a means to change conservation values and interest of local communities, while concurrently recognizing that providing economic benefits and reducing negative effects of wildlife are a reality for conservation buy-in.

Evidence-based conservation education in Mexican communities: Connecting arts and science

Several studies suggest that 63% of primate species are currently threatened due to deforestation, pet-trade, and bushmeat hunting. Successful primate conservation strategies require effective educational programs capable of enhancing critical system-thinking and responsible behavior towards these species. Arts-based conservation education can simultaneously foster cognitive and emotional processes. In this paper, we evaluate an arts-based educational program focused on the conservation of black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra). Our goals were to determine (1) whether children’s knowledge changed with our educational techniques, (2) if there was a particular educational technique that better improved the children’s learning, and (3) the children’s emotional feedback regarding the whole program. A total of 229 children from communities located in primate-habitat areas, both inside and outside protected areas, participated in the study. Different educational techniques were tested (storytelling, theater and shadow puppets), contrasted with a control group, and evaluated through an analysis of drawings. Our results showed that children’s knowledge increase with each art-based technique, with storytelling being the most effective for children’s learning. Specific drawings indicators also revealed the increase of children’s knowledge and a decrease of misconceptions between pre and post evaluations. Finally, a satisfaction survey about the program showed a high positive feedback. The study highlights the value of designing multidisciplinary projects, where arts-based education program (grounded in scientific information) has shown to be a successful way to communicate animal knowledge and promote conservation.