Planning education to care for the earth - IUCN Knowledge Network

Effects of education on seabird conservationemploying and training residents as migratory bird officers. Applicantsusually had a history of poaching, but their experience combined withtraining made them very effective wardens. Since 1986, wardens have beenat work each year during the nesting season.Local organizations have been better equipped to support conservationprogrammes through technical assistance and study tours as well as seed grantsin wildlife management, tourism development and the preservation of historicbuildings. In the 1990s highest priority in the programme has been given totechnical training, leadership development and organization-building capacities.There is an urgent need for training in new skills and for the diversification ofthe local economy in eastern Canada, where the decline of cod fishing in thenorth-west Atlantic has put thousands of fishermen out of work.Information disseminationThe style of information and education materials was locally relevant andpractical. These materials were introduced by person-to-person contactrather than through mass mailings. They included a seabird identificationposter, a citizens’ guide to regulations concerning seabirds, a newsletter forprimary schools, and the calendar from the children’s poster contest.Community radio stations were used extensively. Residents spoke abouttheir relationship to the wildlife of the coast in a radio co-production with theCanadian Broadcasting Corporation. School lessons, radio programmes andspecial events were designed to improve local knowledge and encouragepositive attitudes.Although information materials were well received, they were consideredless important in changing public attitudes than person-to-person and groupactivities, particularly those involving hands-on experiences.Support buildingAmong the most popular activities in building support for conservationwere study tours for conservation leaders from across Canada in 1983,1984, 1987 and 1992. The tours included homestays in a remote village,visits to the sanctuaries, and participation in community forums onconservation. Study tours fostered pride, heightened local perception of thevalue of seabirds, and inspired local action to improve sanctuaries. Theyhelped to create alliances between local and regional conservation groupsand promoted tourism.The education programme owed its success to many factors. One was thelongstanding reputation of QLF as a provider of social services on the coast.The small size of the population meant that new ideas could be quicklydisseminated through well-established channels of communication. Theinfluence of group leaders who endorsed the project was critical.Programmes were introduced by QLF staff - university students from Canadaand the United States - who had no government affiliation and often lived43