Leave No TraceLeave No TraceOutdoor Skills and EthicsOutdoor Skills and Ethics

A National Education Program Designed to Teach Stewardship,A National Education Program Designed to Teach Stewardship,Land Ethics, and Outdoor Skills on Public LandsLand Ethics, and Outdoor Skills on Public Lands

Presentation ObjectivesPresentation Objectives

Review the goals of LNT educational efforts.

Review methods for evaluating the efficacy of LNT educational efforts.

Review some recent research findings.

Why Leave No Trace ?Why Leave No Trace ?

One act of tree damage and one additional campfire ring may have little significance, but thousands of such instances seriously degrade natural resources and recreation experiences.

The Leave No Trace program is designed to avoid or minimize impacts to resource and social conditions by modifying behavior through education to reduce per capita impacts.

Prevent avoidable resource and social impacts

Minimize unavoidable impacts

Preserve the quality of resources and recreation experiences

The LNT ChallengeThe LNT Challenge

Goals of Evaluating EfficacyGoals of Evaluating Efficacy

Demonstrate utility/effectiveness of the LNT educational program.

Justify investment of staff and funding on LNT efforts.

Improve effectiveness of educational efforts through evaluations.

Others?

A Classification of Visitor Actions A Classification of Visitor Actions That Cause ImpactThat Cause Impact

Careless – picking wildflowers

Unskilled – firewood gathering and campfire building

Uninformed – feeding wildlife

Unavoidable – trampling along a trail

Illegal – theft of artifacts

Which actions can education address?

Theoretical Basis for Visitor EducationTheoretical Basis for Visitor Education

Theories of Persuasion

Central Route – relies on visitor attention, consideration and internalization of a message.

Peripheral Route – relies on the source of the message: a well-known spokesman or authority figure (land manager).

Theories of Moral Development

Preconventional – respond best to law enforcement actions

Conventional – respond to opinions of others or societal norms

Postconventional – consider justice, fairness, and self-respect

Methods to Assess Efficacy of EducationMethods to Assess Efficacy of Education

Test of Knowledge

Pre- and Post-test of knowledge gain.

Reported Behavior

Ask visitors what they have done differently.

Observation

Unobtrusive observation of visitor behavior/actions.

Change in Conditions

Measured changes in natural or social conditions compared to a control (requires a scientific experimental design).

Summary of Research ResultsSummary of Research Results

Most studies have found educational efforts to be successful

in increasing visitor knowledge and altering visitor

behaviors.

Few studies have attempted or been successful in measuring

actual changes in resource or social conditions.

Regulatory messages that threaten sanctions are more

effective than purely educational messages.

Summary of Research ResultsSummary of Research Results

Effectiveness is related to:

Content – simple, interesting, and useful information is most effective. Consistency is also important.

Delivery – timing relative to it’s use and source credibility. Experiential learning is best, followed by personal contacts, brochures, and signs (least effective).

Audience Characteristics – match message to audience knowledge and needs.

Theoretical Grounding – employ best approach for the audience, or multiple approaches.

Message Delivery – timing is everythingMessage Delivery – timing is everything

Biocentric MessagingBiocentric Messaging

Durango LNT Lab ProjectDurango LNT Lab Project

Animas River Trail, LNT Poster Evaluation

Study done by Yu-Fai Leung and Aram Attarian, NC State.

Evaluated visitor preferences and effectiveness of two LNT posters: traditional and modern (artistic) designs.

Visitors overwhelmingly preferred the modern design and it was rated more highly for 9 of 10 factors (e.g., attention, design, attractiveness, information). “Authority” was the exception.

61% had heard of the LNT program and most scored above 60% on an LNT test of knowledge.

Durango LNT Lab ProjectDurango LNT Lab Project

Animas River Trail, LNT Poster Evaluation

3135 visitors were observed: 4.2% stopped to read the posters (1 in

25). Walkers were more likely to stop (6.1%) than joggers (0.7%)

or cyclists (1%).

Dogs off leash: No poster (3.3%), traditional (1%), modern (2.4%).

Used a social trail: No poster (2.4%), trad. (0.7%), modern (2.1%).

Response rate to follow-up survey 8 wks later was low (34%).

There was a small increase in LNT knowledge (2.8% - 10.7%) but

no significant difference based on poster type.

LNT Trainer Course EvaluationLNT Trainer Course Evaluation

Jeff Marion and Melissa Daniels, starting this month.

Why the Trainer Course was selected…

Pre- and Post-course surveys with a Follow-up survey 4 months later.

Test of LNT knowledge – 25 item multiple choice test

Ethics – 18 item Likert scale test

Reported Behavior – pre-course and follow-up comparison

Secondary Instruction – documentation of training efforts

LNT Trainer Course EvaluationLNT Trainer Course Evaluation

Please notify Melissa Daniels (medaniel@vt.edu, 540-231-3596) of any Trainer courses in April-July, 2003.

Instructors will be sent a package of pre- and post-course surveys and asked to distribute, collect, and return them to Melissa.

We will send followup surveys to participants via mail about 4 months after the course (or e-mail them to complete an online survey).

What Can I Do?What Can I Do?

Conduct “in-house” evaluations.

Test of knowledge, reported behavior, observation, monitor natural and social conditions.

E.g., Acadia study on cairns by Charlie Jacoby…

Fund formal research studies or request others to sponsor research. (e.g., Aldo Leopold Wild. Res. Program).

The EndThe End

Happy trails and remember to . . .Happy trails and remember to . . . Leave No Trace !Leave No Trace !