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

Socioeconomic Status and Local Biodiversity as Predictors of Attitudes towards Nature among High School Students in a Latin American Metropolis

Urbanization and biodiversity loss disconnect humans from nature and may limit pro-environmental actions. Although, a growing body of knowledge exists on people's attitudes towards nature, the majority focuses on the influence of socio-environmental factors. Significant variations in socioeconomic and educational levels in urban areas affect access to biodiversity. In this study, we aim to identify the socio-environmental variables that are associated with people's attitudes towards nature (student's knowledge about urban birds and their participation in conservation actions). We collected data on local biodiversity, socioeconomical status, and high school students' attitudes towards nature (15 schools, n = 175 students) in a large Latin American capital city. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to identify relationships among all variables. Socioeconomic characterization was assessed using levels of socio-materiality and school performance scores. Definitions of ecological complexity were based on bird species richness and vegetation density. Knowledge of urban birds was evaluated using two indicators: urban bird identification (recognition of names) and identification of the biogeographic origin of urban birds (native or exotic). Participation in conservation actions by students was assessed based on implementation scale and implementation frequency. According to our results, respondents' knowledge of birds was poor: 42% of students identified only two species (the domestic pigeon and the monk parakeet, both exotic). Only 26% of total students participated in conservation actions. SEM analysis revealed that socioeconomic status was positively associated with the ecological complexity of surrounding areas. In turn, ecological complexity showed a positive relationship with students' knowledge on urban birds. Finally, students' knowledge of urban birds showed a positive influence on conservation actions. Our findings suggest that, the improvement of students' knowledge about local biodiversity and ensuring equitable access to biodiversity could be an effective way to foster students' involvement in conservation actions, especially in neighborhoods of lower socioeconomic levels.

First Insights on Resistance and Virulence Potential of Escherichia coli from Captive Birds of Prey in Portugal

Captive birds of prey are often used for pest control in urban areas, while also participating in falconry exhibitions. Traveling across the country, these birds may represent a public health concern as they can host pathogenic and zoonotic agents and share the same environment as humans and synanthropic species. In this work, Escherichia coli from the cloacal samples of 27 captive birds of prey were characterized to determine their pathogenic potential. Isolates were clustered through ERIC-PCR fingerprinting, and the phylogenetic groups were assessed using a quadruplex PCR method. Their virulence and resistance profile against nine antibiotics were determined, as well as the isolates' ability to produce extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs). The 84 original isolates were grouped into 33 clonal types, and it was observed that more than half of the studied isolates belonged to groups D and B2. Most isolates presented gelatinase activity (88%), almost half were able to produce biofilm (45%), and some were able to produce α-hemolysin (18%). The isolates presented high resistance rates towards piperacillin (42%), tetracycline (33%), and doxycycline (30%), and 6% of the isolates were able to produce ESBLs. The results confirm the importance of these birds as reservoirs of virulence and resistance determinants that can be disseminated between wildlife and humans, stressing the need for more studies focusing on these animals.

Tasting to preserve: An educational activity to promote children's positive attitudes towards intraspecific diversity conservation

On the edge of causing the sixth big mass extinction event, the development of positive attitudes towards the conservation of intraspecific diversity from early ages is essential to overcome the biodiversity crisis we currently face. However, there is no information available on elementary school students' attitudes toward intraspecific diversity conservation nor is there a framework available to perform such analysis. For this study we designed, implemented, and evaluated an educational activity planned for third graders (8 to 13 years old) to explore the intraspecific diversity of vegetables and promote healthy eating habits. Additionally, a framework was developed to evaluate students' attitudes towards intraspecific diversity conservation and applied to semi-structured interviews conducted with students before and after engaging in the educational activity. In this paper we present a reliable framework, developed aligned with the ABC model of attitudes, based on literature, and adapted to elementary school students' responses, to evaluate students' attitudes toward intraspecific diversity. Our results show that, before the educational activity, most students choose a non-biodiverse option, justifying this choice with the affective component of attitudes: mostly emotional factors but also aesthetic and social/cultural factors. After the educational activity, we observed a significant increase in the frequency of students that choose the biodiverse option and that justified it with the cognitive component of attitudes: mainly with biology and health knowledge factors, but also with economic and ethical knowledge factors. Our findings support the positive impact of educational activities that explore vegetable varieties on students' attitudes toward intraspecific diversity conservation. This activity may also be used to foster education for sustainability and address socioscientific issues aligned with diverse sustainable development goals.

Quiz-style online training tool helps to learn birdsong identification and support citizen science

Citizen science is an important approach to monitoring for biodiversity conservation because it allows for data acquisition or analysis on a scale that is not possible for researchers alone. In citizen science projects, the use of online training is increasing to improve such skills. However, the effectiveness of quiz-style online training, assumed to be efficient to enhance participants' skills, has not been evaluated adequately on species identification for citizen science biodiversity monitoring projects. Memory mechanisms in adaptive learning were hypothesized to guide the development of quiz-based online training tools for learning birdsong identification and for improving interest in birds and natural environments. To examine the hypothesis, we developed a quiz-style online training tool called TORI-TORE. We experimentally applied TORI-TORE in Fukushima, Japan, and examined its effectiveness for bird identification training using test scores and questionnaires to determine participants' attitudes in a randomized control trial. We obtained the following key results: (1) TORI-TORE had positive effects on test scores and trainees' attitudes toward birds. (2) Adaptive training, in which questions focused preferentially on unmastered bird species based on the answer history of individual trainees inspired by adaptive learning, unexpectedly led to lower scores and satisfaction in TORI-TORE. (3) Focusing on species that are relatively easy to remember, short lag times between training and testing, and long question intervals positively affected scores. While there is room for improvement, we expect TORI-TORE to contribute to online capacity building and to increase interest in natural environments.

Secondary Students' Knowledge on Birds and Attitudes towards Conservation: Evaluation of an Environmental Education Program

Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve holds a diversity of habitats and resources that are essential for migratory bird species' conservation, and at the same time provides a rich milieu for the development of environmental education programs. This study evaluates the impact of a daylong and place-based environmental education program, performed at the Urdaibai Bird Center (UBC), on secondary education students' environmental attitudes and knowledge. Students (n = 908) completed a written questionnaire where their perceptions on the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve and marshes, together with their interest in biodiversity, knowledge about bird migration and bird species identification skills, and attitudes towards conservation were assessed. Results show that students' knowledge regarding Biosphere Reserves, marshes, and bird migration is limited, and that their bird identification skills are scarce. Although they scored high on environmental attitudes, a significant number of them feel that conservation efforts are excessive and hinder economic development. Students living within the Biosphere Reserve, as well as from rural milieus or who underwent primary education through a bird-centered curriculum hold a better knowledge of the local biodiversity. To adapt the environmental education program at the UBC, its integration in formal teaching/learning contexts via meaningful hands-on and/or project-based activities could be considered, together with the systematic evaluation of the outcomes.

Examining the Metropolitan and Non-metropolitan Educational Divide: Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs and Teaching Practices of Australian Primary Science Educators

The provision of quality science education is a global priority beset by longstanding challenges, which can be amplified in rural and regional contexts. This creates a dual problem where stakeholders must focus on the improvement of science education outcomes whilst being cognisant of the established divided between metropolitan and non-metropolitan learners. Considering the recent positive TIMSS results which showed equitable science results for regional, remote and metropolitan Australian year 4 students, this paper aims to examine the relationship between primary teachers' school location and their science teaching efficacy beliefs and reported science teaching practices. A total of 206 Australian primary science educators responded to a cross sectional quantitative survey. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and chi-square analyses found no statistically significant differences between metropolitan and non-metropolitan teachers on measures of science teaching efficacy beliefs and reported science teaching approaches. This apparent contradiction of established research themes merits deeper school and student-focused research to understand the practical implications that could arise from these findings.

Factors associated with human tolerance of snakes in the southeastern United States

Conservation of snakes is influenced by humans’ beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors toward these often-maligned animals. We investigated public attitudes toward snakes through an online survey of undergraduate students (n = 743) at a large public university in a southeastern U.S. state. We used behavioral intent (i.e., how a person would react if they encountered a snake) to assess tolerance of different snake species. We also examined various predictors of tolerance including demographic attributes and a variety of cognitive (e.g., knowledge, value orientations) and affective (e.g., emotions) social-psychological variables. Tolerance of snakes varied based on whether the snake was venomous or non-venomous: about 36% of students said they were likely to kill venomous snakes they encountered, compared with 9% who said they would kill non-venomous snakes and 21% of students who said they would kill snakes whose identity was uncertain. However, most students (54%) could not distinguish between venomous and non-venomous species. Value orientations and emotions were strong predictors of tolerance for snakes, suggesting snake outreach and management strategies should account for both cognitive and affective antecedents of behavior.

Impact of animal programming on children's attitudes toward local wildlife

Attitudes toward wildlife can have direct implications on children's interest in conservation behaviors. Animal programs are an example of interactive, educational experiences that have the potential to change attitudes by providing individuals the opportunity to get close to animal ambassadors and participate in engaging conversations about them. We conducted an animal program assessment with summer camps at the Ohio Wildlife Center to quantify changes in children's affiliation with local wildlife and their willingness to live near local wildlife. Campers showed an overall increase in affiliation and willingness scores from before to after an animal program, although with a small effect size. Overall willingness scores were lower than affiliation scores, but there was a significantly larger increase in willingness following the program. We found a strong correlation between affiliation and willingness scores. Overall, the study found that these animal programs positively influenced children's attitudes toward local wildlife and increased their willingness to live near them, suggesting animal programming could be used to decrease human-wildlife conflict. Visually seeing animals in the programs improved attitude scores, even for those not seen in this study, which suggests that program animals can act as an ambassador for other species. This opens the potential for utilizing animal ambassadors as powerful tools in conservation education about threatened and endangered species.

Students' knowledge of and conservation attitude toward the black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis) in Guizhou, China: insights for conservation

BACKGROUND

The persistence of threatened and protected wildlife depends not only on habitat suitability but also remarkably on local communities' acceptance. The black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis) is a flagship species for conservation on the plateau in western China. However, the human dimension has been completely ignored in the decision-making process for conservation.

METHODS

In this study, a questionnaire survey aiming to assess knowledge of and conservation attitude toward this bird was carried out among 1042 students of 7th and 9th grade from 12 schools in Weining county, Guizhou province, which has a large wintering population in an urban wetland. Logistic regression was used in the generalized linear model to identify the determinants that significantly affect students' knowledge of and conservation attitude toward this species.

RESULTS

Most students have positive attitudes toward conservation, which is significantly affected by awareness, knowledge of this bird and grade. However, they have somewhat limited knowledge of this bird's biology and ecosystem services (nature's contributions to people). Knowledge was found to link with observation of the bird and grade, while observation related to the experience of visiting the wetland. Social media is the most cited resource to obtain knowledge on this bird.

CONCLUSION

It is suggested that local conservation experts could help introduce more information on the black-necked crane in the schools and help conduct outdoor education activities in and around the wetland. Traditional knowledge and culture could also be incorporated into the conservation awareness enhancing program. This study focuses on the human dimension for conserving the black-necked crane in China, showing significant implications in the design and application of effective measurements to improve students' perception and attitude toward its conservation. Future assessments should include other local populations, such as farmers, fishers, and urban citizens.

Toward the Development and Validation of a Model of Environmental Citizenship of Young Adults

Growing civic participation in environmental movements shows that societies are more engaging in behavior that can be described as environmental citizenship. This behavior, however, may not necessarily be driven by factual knowledge and accurate beliefs. In the present study, a simplified model of environmental citizenship proposed by Hawthorne and Alabaster is tested in a sample of Lithuanian young adults in order to develop a working model of environmental citizenship that could be later used in intervention designs as a change model. A convenience sample of 267 young adults from 18 to 40 years of age participated in the study by filling in a questionnaire that assessed various components that comprise a model of environmental citizenship. The results indicate that, with a few modifications to better fit the data, the model fit the data well and could explain approximately 50% of the variance of environmental citizenship. The study uncovered a gap between factual (concrete) environmental knowledge and environmental literacy (perceived competence), illustrating the need to address this divide in order to ensure evidence-based participation in environmental movements and environmental citizenship behavior.

The potential of nature-based solutions to deliver ecologically just cities: Lessons for research and urban planning from a systematic literature review

Planning for and implementing multifunctional nature-based solutions can improve urban ecosystems' adaptation to climate change, foster urban resilience, and enable social and environmental innovation. There is, however, a knowledge gap in how to design and plan nature-based solutions in a nonanthropocentric manner that enhances co-benefits for humans and nonhuman living organisms. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic literature review to explore how an ecological justice perspective can advance the understanding of nature-based solutions. We argue that ecological justice, which builds on the equitable distribution of environmental goods and bads, social-ecological interconnectedness, nature's agency and capabilities, and participation and inclusion in decision-making, provides a transformative framework for rethinking nature-based solutions in and for cities. A qualitative analysis of 121 peer-reviewed records shows a highly human-centred worldview for delivering nature-based solutions and a relationship to social justice with no direct reference to the dimensions of ecological justice. There is, however, an underlying recognition of the importance of nonhumans, ecosystem integrity and well-being, and a need to consider their needs and capacities through multispecies nature-based solutions design and planning. We conclude with a discussion of the critical aspects for designing and planning ecologically just cities through nature-based solutions and future research directions to further integrate these fields.

Determinants of Bird Species Literacy-Activity/Interest and Specialization Are More Important Than Socio-Demographic Variables

Simple Summary

Biodiversity is declining around the world and knowledge about biodiversity declines in a similar way. In this study, we addressed predictors of species knowledge, i.e., the question of what influences or causes species knowledge. The focus was knowledge about common bird species in Germany. Data were collected from July to October 2020 via an online questionnaire, containing demographic data, engagement in birdwatching, interest/activity, and images of 28 bird species native to Germany. Data were collected from adult students, lecturers and administrative staff of the Eberhard Karls University Tübingen. Men identified more species than women, garden owners more than non-owners. Hometown size had no influence. Employees scored higher than students. However, we found that birding specialization was the most important predictor, followed by bird-related interest/activity. We suggest including such questions in addition to conventional demographic questions in the future.

Abstract

Biodiversity is declining, and knowledge about biodiversity declines in a similar way. Previous studies have already addressed predictors of species knowledge. Here, we studied bird species knowledge related to demographics, but also to individual differences in affinity to nature, by including (i) birding specialization and (ii) bird-related activities/interest. Data were collected from July to October 2020 via an online questionnaire, containing demographic data, birding specialization, interest/activity, and images of 28 bird species native to Germany. Participants were adult students, lecturers and administrative staff of the Eberhard Karls University Tübingen. A total of 1967 questionnaires were returned in this study (35.3% male, 53.8% students, 69% had access to a garden). Mean identification score was 16.31 ± 6.38. Thus, participants were able to identify more than half of the species (total species n = 28). Men identified more species than women, garden owners had higher identification scores than non-owners, while hometown size was not significant. A distance to the next forest patch >10 km was related to lower identification scores. Employees scored higher than students. Correlation between species knowledge and birding specialization was high, as was the correlation with bird interest/activity. Higher scores were found in older people. In the linear univariate model, birding specialization and bird interest were the most influential predictors of species knowledge, followed by distance to next forest patch and occupation (student vs employees). Other variables were not significant. We suggest including such measures (interest, attitude, etc.) into further studies and move forward from the urban–rural narrative to more complex analyses of living circumstances.

Understanding Pro-Environmental Behavior of Citizen Science: An Exploratory Study of the Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project

This exploratory study aims to fill the gap by adopting Hirose’s two-phase decision-making model with the theory of social networks to explore the environmentally friendly attitudes and environmental behavioral intentions toward pro-environmental behaviors of the citizen scientists who participated in the Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project. The Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project is a systematic citizen science project founded in 2003 with the aim to identify existing and potential irrigation ponds that are important to creating waterbird refuges to secure habitats for wintering waterbirds in anthropogenically influenced areas. The participation in this project itself can be considered as a form of pro-environmental behavior. A total of 24 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants of the Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project. Qualitative data showed that participants mentioned six variables (i.e., perceived seriousness, ascription of responsibility, belief in the effectiveness, feasibility evaluation, cost–benefit evaluation, and social norms evaluation) of the two-phase decision-making model in relation to environmentally friendly attitudes and environmental behavioral intention. Findings also revealed three key variables (i.e., social networks, learning and growth, and belonging and contribution) in the theory of social networks that are associated with environmentally friendly attitudes and environmental behavioral intention. Based on the findings, it is proposed that the social needs variables are incorporated as an extension to the two-phase decision-making model to offer a more comprehensive explanation of pro-environmental behavior.

Die Artenkenntnis von Berliner Schüler_innen am Beispiel einheimischer Vögel

Der dramatische Rückgang der Biodiversität gehört derzeit zu den größten Problemen weltweit. Das Verständnis, der Erhalt und die Förderung von Biodiversität sind eng verbunden mit Artenkenntnis. Einige Studien zeigten bereits, dass in der Gesellschaft – insbesondere auch bei jungen Menschen – die Kenntnis heimischer Arten gering ist und stetig abnimmt. Es liegen bislang noch keine Daten für Berlin vor. Wir haben daher in einer Querschnittsstudie 186 Schüler_innen der siebten Jahrgangsstufe an drei Schulen in Berlin hinsichtlich ihrer persönlichen Einschätzung der Kenntnis von acht in Berlin häufig vorkommender Vogelarten befragt und anschließend die tatsächlich vorhandene Artenkenntnis geprüft. Die Berliner Schüler_innen erkannten visuell im Mittel zwei Vogelarten und akustisch keine der getesteten Arten. Damit kann die Annahme einer geringen Artenkenntnis in Bezug auf heimische Vogelarten auch für Schüler_innen in Berlin bestätigt werden. Diese Ergebnisse zeigen, dass ein erhöhter Bedarf an der Vermittlung von Artenkenntnis besteht. Dem Erkennen und Beobachten von Tieren und Pflanzen – und damit die Wertschätzung der Vielfalt der Natur – muss mehr Bedeutung zugesprochen werden und geeignete Lernangebote weiterentwickelt und gefördert werden.

Species Learning and Biodiversity in Early Childhood Teacher Education

To understand biodiversity, it is crucial to have knowledge of different species and their life conditions. Biodiversity learning for children starts with observing plants and animals in the neighbourhood. Therefore, it is important that early childhood (EC) teachers know the local nature. There are few studies on species knowledge among EC student teachers but results from a Norwegian study show that although EC student teachers had poor species knowledge when entering university, their knowledge increased remarkably during their studies. Based on these results, the current study investigates the implementation of species learning in an EC teacher education course in Finland. Our aim was to study the student teachers’ species identification skills, their views on the importance of species knowledge, and their experiences of species learning. The study used a mixed-methods approach and included species identification tests, a questionnaire, learning diaries, and focus group interviews. The results show that the student teachers were eager to learn about species. They found species learning important both for EC teachers and for sustainability, and they appreciated learning about species in a broad sense, from personal, educational, and social perspectives. Our conclusion is that implementing species knowledge in EC teacher education promotes an interest in the natural world and may form a significant contribution to nature and sustainability education for EC teachers.

Teaching Methods in Biology Promoting Biodiversity Education

The aim of this qualitative survey was to investigate what kind of teaching methods have been used in biology to promote biodiversity education (BDE) and how the methods support biodiversity (BD) learning. We found, in total, 317 international scientific articles published since 2000 which described the teaching methods regarding BDE and the teaching, and/or the learning. From these ones 12 articles specifically addressed the teaching methods of BD. The content of these articles was analysed in detail. The detailed analysis was based on (a) the categories of the teaching methods used, (b) the conception of learning in the Finnish National Core Curricula for Secondary schools and (c) the revised Bloom’s taxonomy and Stanny’s verbs concerning the levels of taxonomy. The most used teaching methods were hands-on instruction, experiential learning, and teacher presentation. The least used ones were games, roleplay, debates, service learning, study trips, and visits. In all the articles, various teaching methods used during the lessons were described. The items concerning the teaching methods, which supported students learning were active participation and interaction—mentioned in all the articles—followed by observation, experimental work, experiential learning, and techniques for increasing environmental awareness. The understanding of the different perspectives of BD and the development of self-evaluation were addressed in only four and two of the articles, respectively. The four types of knowledge were supported by the used teaching methods in nine articles jointly. The lower levels of thinking skills were well-supported by the used teaching methods. The highest level of thinking skills, such as synthesis and evaluation, received the least amount of attention.