Can Environmental Education Actions Change Public Attitudes? An Example Using the Pond Habitat and Associated Biodiversity

Promoting student interest in plant biology through an inquiry-based module exploring plant circadian rhythm, gene expression, and defense against insects

We present a weeklong curricular module for high school biology students that promotes knowledge of phytohormones, the circadian clock, and the Central Dogma. The module, which relies on easily accessible items and requires minimal space, integrates a hands-on experiment that guides students through replicating research examining circadian entrainment in postharvest cabbage from groceries. This work found that plants have cyclical, circadian expression of genes that produce phytohormones, and that such cyclical expression influences herbivory by caterpillars. Such cyclical patterns were found in plants both in situ and in postharvest cabbage. This work thus provides an ideal platform to shape student conceptions of circadian rhythms, gene expression, and plant herbivory by having students use light timers to entrain postharvest cabbage to alternating light and dark cycles and then measuring herbivory in these plants. The results should replicate previous work and demonstrate less herbivory when both plant and caterpillar are entrained to the same light and dark cycles since the expression of phytohormones involved in plant defense will be greatest when caterpillars are active. The module then concludes with a discussion of gene regulation and how this influences phytohormones. This module was field tested at four public schools, reaching over 600 students, and we present data demonstrating that the module led to learning gains and likely increases in interest in plant biology and self-efficacy.

Effect of agricultural carbon emissions on farmers' health expenditure of China: evidence from the educational threshold effect

Environmental pollution, especially agricultural carbon emissions (ACE), has led to public health problems to rural areas in China and accompanied by a heavy medical economic burden. However, most studies on carbon dioxide emissions and healthcare expenditures focused on the industrial sector, and the effect of ACE was overlooked. Therefore, studying the effect of ACE on rural residents' healthcare expenditures (NHCE) is not only conducive to accelerating the low-carbon transformation of agriculture but also has important implications for reducing healthcare expenditures. In addition, the effect of ACE on NHCE in different areas might be complex and nonlinear due to differences in years of schooling (EDU) leading to different awareness of environmental protection and health among farmers. Therefore, this paper used the Bayesian quantile regression (BQR) model and the panel threshold model to explore the effect of ACE on NHCE in different areas, based on the panel data of 31 provinces in China from 2007 to 2019. The results showed that ACE and NHCE experienced similar spatial distribution from 2007 to 2019. The BQR estimation results found that ACE had a significant positive effect on NHCE at different quantile levels during the sample period, public health concern, and thereby increasing the medical and economic burden of rural households. Meanwhile, ACE had a positive effect on NHCE with a significant single threshold effect from EDU. Specifically, farmers gradually realize the harm of environmental pollution to health with the continuous improvement of education level, and then ACE aggravated the improvement of NHCE after exceeding the threshold. EDU was more essential for farmers in contiguous poverty (CP) areas than in relatively developed (RD) areas and played an important role between ACE and NHCE. Furthermore, demographic structure, economic development, and public services were also positive driving factors for NHCE. The results of analysis provide a valuable reference for understanding the factors influencing NHCE and enable formulation of ACE emission reduction policies according to local conditions.

Improvement impact of nudges incorporated in environmental education on students' environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors

This study conducted randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness of an environmental education class and the impacts of nudges and boosts implemented in this program on high school students' basic knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding environmental issues in Japan. This environmental education class consisted of a lecture on reducing the use of plastic products for energy conservation in daily life, a board game for learning how to reduce plastic waste, and a worksheet for reflection. Four types of worksheets were randomly distributed: nudges, in which students were asked to set a goal regarding their level of effort in not throwing away plastic products such as plastic bags, wet wipes, and plastic bottles; boosts, in which participants were asked to write an essay to help increase their empathy for the parties impacted by environmental issues; both nudges and boosts; and none (neither nudges nor boosts). After environmental education, an end-line survey was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of this class. This study found that the environmental education class significantly improved students' basic environmental knowledge and promoted their concerns about plastic waste. Although there was no evidence that nudges and boosts amplify the effects of the environmental education class on the students' knowledge, nudges were successful in making them more concerned about plastic waste. The results showed that students who received nudges or boosts were more likely to refuse free wet wipes offered at convenience stores but were not more likely to refuse plastic bottles. These results also indicated that interventions through environmental education can change students' pro-environmental behaviors only if the cost of behavioral change is low. The environmental education class not only increased students' environmental knowledge and attitudes, but the use of worksheets in administering nudges and boosts ensured the effectiveness of environmental education.

A Survey of the Role of Environmental Education in Biodiversity Conservation in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana

Biodiversity in all its forms has come under threat. The rate of biodiversity loss has attracted global attention, and most governments are trying to put measures into place to reduce the rate of loss. One way to ensure that people are conscious of biodiversity conservation is through education. However, studies on creating awareness for biodiversity conservation have received less attention in the literature. To address this knowledge gap, this study used questionnaires to investigate the role of education in biodiversity conservation in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The study found that environmental education, particularly an awareness of biodiversity conservation, is critical for conserving biodiversity. However, people’s knowledge of biodiversity conservation is too weak or inadequate to motivate them to incorporate biodiversity conservation practices into their daily activities. Furthermore, understanding the importance of biodiversity conservation comes with an increase in age. Increasing education on biodiversity conservation at an early age can help people become more aware of biodiversity conservation as they age, and they can incorporate it into their daily activities to reduce biodiversity loss. The study calls for a revision of the environmental education syllabus at various levels, particularly the basic and SHS levels, including more practical topics to help people change their attitudes and perceptions and incorporate biodiversity into their daily activities.

Biological invasions in brazilian environmental science courses: do we need new approaches?

The increasing destruction of natural environments worldwide favored more and more alien species’ dispersal, distancing people from nature and consequently from native species. We investigated undergrad students’ perception about alien and native Brazilian species evaluating classes of the first (freshmen) and last semesters (seniors) of four courses in environmental sciences in three institutions and assessed these students’ knowledge level in different aspects related to native and alien species. The 509 interviewees were able to identify Brazilian native species better than alien species. They also produced better identifications among taxonomic groups of mammals (either alien or native), native birds, and exotic fish compared to invertebrate species. Most students did not consider themselves well informed about the topic. We found an association between the courses/semesters attended and the level of knowledge of the students. Thus, we concluded that, on the one hand, the students demonstrated relevant knowledge about the native species but, on the other, presented deficiencies in invasive alien species’ knowledge. Therefore, we suggest the revision/restructuring of how the biological invasions theme is covered in the academic curricula of undergraduate courses in the environmental area.

Testing the psychometric properties of the Environmental Attitudes Inventory on undergraduate students in the Arab context: A test-retest approach

The Environmental Attitudes Inventory (EAI) was developed to evaluate the multidimensional nature of environmental attitudes; however, it is based on a dataset from outside the Arab context. This study reinvestigated the construct validity of the EAI with a new dataset and confirmed the feasibility of applying it in the Arab context. One hundred and forty-eight subjects in Study 1 and 130 in Study 2 provided valid responses. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to extract a new factor structure in Study 1, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed in Study 2. Both studies generated a seven-factor model, and the model fit was discussed for both the studies. Study 2 exhibited satisfactory model fit indices compared to Study 1. Factor loading values of a few items in Study 1 affected the reliability values and average variance extracted values, which demonstrated low discriminant validity. Based on the results of the EFA and CFA, this study showed sufficient model fit and suggested the feasibility of applying the EAI in the Arab context with a good construct validity and internal consistency.

Birds in the playground: Evaluating the effectiveness of an urban environmental education project in enhancing school children's awareness, knowledge and attitudes towards local wildlife

Children nowadays, particularly in urban areas, are more disconnected from nature than ever before, leading to a large-scale "extinction of experience" with the natural world. Yet there are many potential benefits from children interacting with nature first-hand, including via outdoor learning opportunities. Urban environmental education programmes typically aim to increase awareness and knowledge of local biodiversity and to promote positive attitudes and behaviour towards the environment. However, limited research has been conducted evaluating to what extent these interventions achieve their goals. Here, we explore and assess the influence of a six-week bird-feeding and monitoring project conducted within school grounds ("Bird Buddies") on individual awareness, knowledge and attitudes towards birds by primary school children. This initiative was conducted across eight (sub-)urban primary schools within Brighton and Hove (UK), with 220 participating children (aged 7 to 10). Via pre- and post-project questionnaires, we found evidence for enhanced awareness of local biodiversity, alongside significant gains in both bird identification knowledge and attitudes, which were greatest for children with little prior exposure to nature. Many children expressed a keenness to continue improving the environmental value of their school grounds and to apply elements of the project at home. Student project evaluation scores were consistently positive. Mirroring this, participating teachers endorsed the project as a positive learning experience for their students. One year after the project, several schools were continuing to feed and watch birds. Collectively, the findings from this study highlight the multiple benefits that can be derived from engagement with a relatively short outdoor environmental activity. We therefore believe that such interventions, if repeated locally/longer term, could enhance children's experience with nature in urban settings with combined positive environmental impact.

Ecological value of macrophyte cover in creating habitat for microalgae (diatoms) and zooplankton (rotifers and crustaceans) in small field and forest water bodies

Due to their small area and shallow depth ponds are usually treated as a single sampling unit, while various microhabitats offer different environmental conditions. Thus, we tested the effect of different habitat types typically found within small ponds on the microalgae and zooplankton communities. We found that submerged macrophytes have the strongest impact on microalgae and zooplankton communities out of all the analysed habitats. Some epontic diatoms (e.g. Fragilaria dilatata, Cymbella affinis) and littoral-associated zooplankton species (e.g. Simocephalus vetulus, Lecane bulla) were significantly related to elodeids. However, pelagic species (e.g. bosminids) preferred less complex helophytes, which suggests that the most heterogeneous elodeid habitats were not an anti-predator shelter for cladocerans. Selection of different macrophyte types by taxonomically various organisms suggests that it is not only macrophyte cover that is desired for healthy aquatic environment but that a level of habitat mosaic is required to ensure the well-being of aquatic food webs. Species-specific preferences for different types of macrophytes indicate the high ecological value of macrophyte cover in ponds and a potential direction for the management of small water bodies towards maintaining a great variation of aquatic plants. Moreover, the type of surrounding landscape, reflecting human-induced disturbance (28 field ponds) and natural catchment (26 forest ponds), significantly influenced only zooplankton, while diatoms were affected indirectly through the level of conductivity. Nutrient overload (higher content of TRP) and increased conductivity in the field landscape contributed to a rise in microalgae (e.g. Amphora pediculus, Gomphonema parvulum) and zooplankton (e.g. Thermocyclops oithonoides, Eubosmina coregoni) abundance. An awareness of the responses of both components of plankton communities to environmental factors is necessary for maintaining the good state of small water bodies in various types of landscape.

Biodiversity, the Human Microbiome and Mental Health: Moving toward a New Clinical Ecology for the 21st Century?

Advances in research concerning the brain-related influences of the microbiome have been paradigm shifting, although at an early stage, clinical research involving beneficial microbes lends credence to the notion that the microbiome may be an important target in supporting mental health (defined here along the continuum between quality of life and the criteria for specific disorders). Through metagenomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and systems biology, a new emphasis to personalized medicine is on the horizon. Humans can now be viewed as multispecies organisms operating within an ecological theatre; it is important that clinicians increasingly see their patients in this context. Historically marginalized ecological aspects of health are destined to become an important consideration in the new frontiers of practicing medicine with the microbiome in mind. Emerging evidence indicates that macrobiodiversity in the external environment can influence mental well-being. Local biodiversity may also drive differences in human-associated microbiota; microbial diversity as a product of external biodiversity may have far-reaching effects on immune function and mood. With a focus on the microbiome as it pertains to mental health, we define environmental “grey space” and emphasize a new frontier involving bio-eco-psychological medicine. Within this concept the ecological terrain can link dysbiotic lifestyles and biodiversity on the grand scale to the local human-associated microbial ecosystems that might otherwise seem far removed from one another.