PS 2-30 - Student perspectives on stewardship and nature after a National Park citizen science experience

Monday, August 15, 2022

5:00 PM – 6:30 PM EDT

Located in: ESA Exhibit Hall

Presenting Author(s)

AS

Alia B. Smith

MS Ecosystem Science and Sustainability
Colorado State University, Colorado, United States

Coauthor(s)

PH

Philip Halliwell

Research Scientist
Colorado State University
Glenwood Springs, Colorado, United States

Background/Question/Methods

This study sought to understand how graduate and undergraduate students’ perspectives on stewardship and nature may be impacted by a citizen science experience in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. The students were participants in either the Pollinator Hotshots program or the Rocky Mountain Sustainability and Science Network (RMSSN). The Pollinator Hotshots program engages 4-6 students in park pollinator inventories from May through August with the goal of assessing pollinator species diversity. RMSSN is a collaboratively funded two-week research program focused on equipping a diverse group of 20-25 undergraduate students with research skills while encouraging leadership in addressing emerging issues in sustainability and environmental studies. Students conduct research on pollinators, mammals, and park social issues like language barriers and accurate historical representation. Both programs afford students the opportunity to be fully immersed in the parks while conducting valuable research. A mixed-method approach was used to evaluate the student experience utilizing pre-post surveys and focus groups. Students took surveys before and after their National Park experience to understand how internal and external stewardship motivations may shift. Additionally, specific stewardship actions were explored. Further, students were asked to indicate their ethical perspectives on nature ranging from biocentric to utilitarian.

Results/Conclusions

We found that there was a statistically significant shift toward stronger stewardship motivations and actions following the citizen science experience (P-value: 5.894E-10). Moreover, internal motivations significantly outpaced external motivations (P-value: 4.912E-10). This means that people were more motivated by things like personal enjoyment or concern, instead of recognition or expectations from others. Interestingly, students commonly entered the experience with biocentric perspectives which did not shift toward utilitarian perspectives following the experience. This study offers indications that a field-based citizen science experience in the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks can serve as a tool to encourage stewardship motivations and actions in the future. Additionally, those involved tend to maintain a biocentric ethic. While this study represents a small sample in two parks, the findings are encouraging. This work was built on previous work studying place attachment resulting from a citizen science experience, and broader exploration is planned regarding data accuracy. The research overall seeks to understand the elements that influence participation and results of a field-based citizen science project.