Document: MAR-3-28-25

Non-indigenous, invasive species: Education and control using volunteers.

KRASNY, M.E.* ¹ and S.LEE ²

Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA ¹
Korean Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation, Chongro-Ku, Seoul, 110-230 Korea ²

Abstract:
Cornell University trained seventeen teams of land managers and educators from The Nature Conservancy, a land trust, and Cooperative Extension to conduct local non-indigenous, invasive species (NIS) education and control programs. Follow-up after the workshop was surprisingly high, with all seventeen teams reporting at least one educational or management activity. The local programs varied from one-day workshops and field days to long-term control programs using volunteers. We used written surveys to determine what motivated managers and educators to conduct these programs. The overwhelming majority indicated that their belief that information about NIS was important for their audiences was the most important motivating factor. We also used semi-structured phone interviews with managers and volunteers from sites that conducted longer-term control programs, to explore what the participants gained from the program and the challenges they faced. The managers benefited from the time and effort contributed by the volunteers, the knowledge they gained, and forming alliances with Cooperative Extension and other organizations. The volunteers, who included preserve stewards and other adults interested in environmental conservation, home schooled and 4-H youth, inner city youth interns, and college students, benefited by increased understanding of NIS, skills in NIS management and control, feeling as if they were doing something to benefit the environment, being able to apply school science to a real world situation, and networking with other volunteers. Challenges for the managers included volunteer recruitment and management and the physical challenges of working in the field, whereas the volunteers cited lack of time, time management, and explaining to others the NIS problem as important challenges. The results indicate that the program enhanced science understanding among a diversity of volunteers and had positive impacts on NIS control.

Keywords: Invasive species, non-formal education

This abstract is being presented at: 3:30 PM in session:
Poster Session #3: Education.