Environmental Education - Its Importance and How We Reach Out
Written by A. Srivastava
Much of what EcoReach is hoping to bring to the table with the Atlanta Firefly Project is promoting education about fireflies and conservation supported by the research. Through the Athens-based workshops, designing additional educational material, and promoting firefly education at events like Insectival at the GA Botanical Gardens, we hope many more people will have access to the resources and opportunities to learn about fireflies as well as find ways to get involved with the community science program. This week, we talked to someone who knows a little more about the importance of environmental education.
Isabella Ragonese is a graduate student at the University of Georgia and has worked with EcoReach. She also has been an educator with the NEED Academy on the Cape Cod Seashore Program, an outreach program that teaches 5th graders about the natural and cultural history of the region.
“I think modern society can make it easy to forget how much humans rely on and are affected by the ecosystems that we live in, so environmental education is vital because it helps people connect with and find interest in the natural world,” Isabella tells us, “I think that helps build appreciation for the environment.”
That rings true for many people participating in the Atlanta Firefly Project who may not have considered that their residential areas are homes for fireflies. What they do to their lawn or backyard affects the nature that lives and grows within it. Building an understanding of the natural world also builds a desire to take care of and appreciate it, much like knowing the life cycle of a firefly aids in conserving their habitats. “I think it can also strengthen support for environmental efforts,” Izzy adds.
When asked about what someone needs to know when trying to educate the public about certain environmental issues, Isabella says to really think about the audience.
“Including a mixture of information that is written and visual versus hands-on activities [is important]… because people have different learning styles,” she explains. As she puts it, hands-on activities are the most beneficial for the information sticking but others may need different ways of conveying the information to grasp it. Providing an in-person training but also visual materials like posters and cards makes the information accessible to a wider audience. “I think another key thing to think about is who is your target audience when you're trying to do environmental education just because that dictates how you design activities and materials and maybe also the vocabulary and metaphors you use to try to describe something,” Izzy says. It’s tempting to include every single bit of knowledge about a topic in a teaching moment, but stay mindful of the age and education level of the folks listening. At other times, a wide age span with various levels of knowledge requires the material to be easy to understand but encompassing. Don’t overload, but seek to spark interest in the topic at hand. Since EcoReach works primarily with K-12 students, but the Atlanta Firefly Project is open to anyone with a love of fireflies, we have aimed to develop materials suitable for a wide age range as well as specific activities tailored to a younger audience.
This fall, the GA State Botanical Gardens is hosting their annual Insectival event on Sept 17th in Athens, GA. During the Insectival, people can meet and learn from an array of entomological experts about any and all types of insects through interactive booths, shows and a butterfly release! There, EcoReach will be debuting an interactive game to teach students about the firefly life cycle and conservation of this amazing insect. You can come check out Insectival to see EcoReach’s booth ‘Survival of the Fireflies,’ as well as an educational activity from the Stanger-Hall Lab.
Within environmental education, one needs to also be aware of the challenges that come with education in general. “Sometimes you have to address or combat misconceptions, and sometimes as an audience grows older those misconceptions can get more ingrained,” Isabella says. For example, people’s fear of and disgust for insects can grow stronger as they get older, so it may be difficult to combat those feelings when talking about beetles or other bugs. Learning events like Insectival can offer an opportunity to interact with insects and learn more about them in a healthy way, creating key memories that disrupt ingrained misbeliefs. Teaching and inciting a love for the environment early on is major in tackling misinformation and encouraging others to explore what they may not be comfortable with. “I think environmental education at school is key…it gets trickier when you’re trying to reach adults,” Isabella says.
While amazing environmental education programs like Insectival and the Cape Cod Seashore program do a great job of reaching school-age audiences, there are fewer opportunities for adults to engage with environmental education. Workshops through local nature centers or state parks and community science efforts are both ways that allow adults as well as children to indulge in an opportunity to learn more about the world around them. Initiatives like the Atlanta Firefly Project encourage folks of all ages to dive into the process of gathering the data, rather than just reading the results. Participants can also see the link between the analysis and the conclusions scientists come to to answer their questions.
“This kind of program really strengthens people's appreciation for nature because they get to go out and experience it and make observations,” Isabella says, “Those programs also demystify science which is really important right now.”
Though the firefly monitoring season is over, there are many more ways to get involved in community science. Check out our post on community science to read about how to get involved with other initiatives in your area!
