Exploring the Effectiveness of Outreach Strategies in Conservation Projects: The Case of the Audubon Toyota TogetherGreen Program |
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| Authors: | Marc J Stern Nicole M Ardoin Robert B Powell |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA;2. Graduate School of Education and Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA;3. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management and Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA |
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| Abstract: | Successfully engaging target audiences represents a key challenge for environmental conservation projects. In this study, we examined 354 conservation projects implemented across the United States with the intention of systematically exploring the relationships between different forms of outreach (in particular, message content and delivery) and self-reported project outcomes. Using end-of-program retrospective surveys, we found that experiential engagement and directly demonstrating and/or communicating the ease of potential conservation actions were most consistently related to achieving desired project outcomes. Although it was thought to be largely effective by project managers, we found that focusing on equipping audiences with new knowledge was negatively related to conservation outcomes. Measured outreach variables explained between 15% and 17% of the variance in project outcomes, suggesting a wide variety of unmeasured factors at play. We discuss insights relevant to engaging target audiences in future U.S. conservation projects. |
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| Keywords: | Communication community engagement environmental behavior environmental education evaluation outreach threat reduction |
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