Brandon Pope (MS) The evaluation of the ability of an environmental
education program
to alter the preconceived notions of wildlife by inner-city youths. Advisor: Dr. Charles Nilon Hello, my focus will
be concerned with the opinions of wildlife by inner-city children and if
those opinions can be altered after a formal environmental program. Very little research
exists involving the attitudes pertaining wildlife by children in urban
areas. Some of this can be
attributed to the notion that there is a feeling of indifference regarding
wildlife by urban dwellers or that their opinions are without merit. These
suggestions should not negate the need for all people to be cognizant of
their relationship to the plants and animals on the planet. An understanding by people of how their
actions affect wildlife is important in regards to public support for
wildlife and habitat conservation efforts. My study will use the
4-H club’s Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program (WHEP, http://www.whep.org/) as a model to educate
children in 4-5 elementary schools in Because WHEP is an
after-school program, I will begin my research in the fall of 2008. My goal is to
ascertain if an environmental education program can foster enthusiasm in
inner-city children about wildlife. In
one dimension, this interest can encourage the children to recognize that
although they live in areas not associated with wildlife, animals do reside
in cities and should be given some level of concern. On a larger scale, this awareness can
lead to a diverse group of future natural resource managers, an aspect lacking
in our field.
