Planning education to care for the earth - IUCN Knowledge Network

Planning education to care for the earthUnfortunately, behavioural scientists question whether durable behaviourchange reliably follows from information exchange; there are fewdocumented cases where this has occurred (Festinger 1964, Geller et al.1982, Katzev and Johnson 1987). This is particularly relevant in wildlifemanagement, where agencies, in an effort to change attitudes or behaviour,have often used information materials as a substitute for educationprogrammes (Adams et al. 1988). Just because information is printed in abrochure or displayed on a poster does not mean that the target audience willread, understand, and follow what is being asked, particularly if the messagegoes against traditions, local norms, or conflicts with personal ethics.Even when education to achieve a conservation goal is used successfully,seldom is its use carefully evaluated. In a recent report for the UnitedStates Fish and Wildlife Service, a conservation education expert reportedonly six examples from the North American wildlife and environmentaleducation literature of education programmes in wildlife management thathelped solve a resource management problem and that were evaluated. Thecase of seabird conservation on the North Shore of the Gulf of St.Lawrence, Canada, was one of them (Pomerantz 1992). It demonstratesthe effectiveness of educational strategies that work within the culturalcontext to help achieve resource management goals. It also suggests theefficacy of education and training as tools for sustainability in rural areas(Blanchard 1991). The programme has proved successful in helping toreverse population declines in nesting seabirds and in contributing toimprovements in the knowledge, attitudes and hunting behaviours ofresidents.The issueIllegal hunting and disturbance of seabirds in sanctuaries on the North Shoreof the Gulf of St. Lawrence led to dramatic population declines for severalspecies between 1955 and 1978. The populations of Razorbill (Alca torda)and Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) were reduced by 84 and 76 percentrespectively. The Common Eider (Somateria molissima), Common Murre(Uria aalge) and Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle) were also severelyaffected.The section of the Quebec coast known as the Lower North Shore, whereillegal harvesting was most severe, has some 400 km. of rugged coastline, iswithout road links to the outside world, and has a population of 5,600 mostlyEnglish-speaking residents in 15 fishing communities. Seabirds aretraditionally harvested for food. An enforcement programme introduced bythe Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS), backed by the provincial wildlifeagency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, had been insufficient inreducing the level of illegal seabird hunting.In 1978, the non-profit Quebec-Labrador Foundation (QLF), in consultationwith local residents and in collaboration with CWS, developed a newmanagement plan to restore depleted seabird populations in this region whilepreserving the integrity of the local culture. The programme had four major40