Interpretation and Nonformal Environmental Education in Natural Resources Management

Abstract A visitor education strategy was developed, implemented, and tested for its effectiveness in raising levels of knowledge and attitudes toward state nature preserve management. Visitor sociodemographic and site-specific data were also collected and analyzed. A stratified random sample of visitors to four Ohio state nature preserves was taken, and visitor sociodemographic, site-specific, knowledge and attitude data were obtained by a 35-item questionnaire. Results from 1,141 completed questionnaires showed preserve visitors to be mostly male, age 20–39, with incomes ranging from $10,000 to $30,000, and with few of them holding memberships in either community or conservation groups. Most visited state nature preserves frequently, were very satisfied with their most recent preserve visits, and came to the preserves with either family or friends, for solitude and to see sights. A pretest of knowledge of and attitudes toward selected nature preserve management concepts showed that visitors poorly comprehended the concepts and held negative or neutral attitudes toward them. A visitor education program was developed utilizing interpretive strategies as methods of transmitting information about the preserve management concepts. Posttest scores showed gains both in levels of knowledge and attitudes. The largest gains were found where brochures and personal services were employed as interpretive strategies. Correlational analyses showed a statistically significant relationship between visitors' knowledge of preserve management and their attitudes toward it. Analyses also showed no relationship between sociodemographic variables and knowledge of or attitudes toward preserve management concepts.