Texas Stakeholders’ Knowledge and Perceptions of Chronic Wasting Disease Risks: Implications for Wildlife Agency Communications

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurological disease impacting cervids. The disease can move swiftly through populations, making CWD management a priority for wildlife agencies across the United States. Stakeholder perceptions of CWD may shape behaviors that can negatively impact wildlife agencies. Thus, agencies need comprehensive assessments of stakeholder risk perceptions and enhanced understandings of how perceptions are formed to improve communications. Using a mail- and online-based questionnaire to collect data from September 2020 through January 2021, we surveyed 503 hunters throughout the state of Texas, USA, and 481 Texas landowners who owned property in CWD-affected counties to better understand risk perceptions, knowledge of CWD, and relationships between both elements. Furthermore, we compared risk perceptions across multiple host types and wildlife-related diseases. We documented frequent “don’t know” responses across perceptions and found a negative or no relationship between factual knowledge and risk perceptions, context dependent. As such, results suggest wildlife agencies should consider communications that emphasize actionable knowledge to better encourage preventive action

Using the Capabilities-Opportunity-Motivation-Behavior (COM-B) System to Conceptualize the Legalization of Sunday Migratory Game Bird Hunting

Recent wildlife agency efforts aimed at hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) are examples of behavior change interventions. Therefore, these R3 programs and policies should be strategically designed to meet hunters’ goals and motivations. We analyzed survey responses (n=808) from North Carolina resident migratory bird hunters regarding potential Sunday hunting legalization to serve as an illustrative case demonstrating how the capabilities-opportunity-motivation-behavior (COM-B) system can be used to conceptualize and more effectively test potential hunter behavior changes prompted by debated R3 strategies. Findings provide decision-makers and land managers with an understanding of the potential implications of migratory game bird Sunday hunting legalization, which offers insights into the types of interventions that may be most effective for increasing hunter participation

Viewing Bornean Human–Elephant Conflicts Through an Environmental Justice Lens

Sabah, on the northeastern corner of Borneo, is concurrently Malaysia’s largest producer of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) and home to the endangered Bornean elephants (Elephas maximus borneensis; elephants). Concomitantly, Sabah has been experiencing increasing and unsustainable human–elephant conflicts (HECs), which have not been thoroughly investigated from a human dimensions standpoint. To address this void, in March 2019, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 37 villagers located in the Sabah districts of Lahad Datu, Tawau, and Telupid to investigate villager cognitions regarding elephants, behaviors toward elephants, the formal and informal village institutions employed to mediate HECs, and the future viability of human–elephant coexistence. Respondents highlighted emotions of fear, anger, and frustration over crop and property damage that villagers were unable to effectively mitigate employing traditional institutions and strategies. Although negative emotions were somewhat tempered by the cultural significance of elephants, respondents indicated that coexistence with elephants remains challenging and is likely only viable under certain conditions: domestication of elephants, if elephants no longer destroyed crops, and/or if elephants were provided separate forested habitat away from humans. Our results demonstrated that elephant conservation in Sabah is viewed as a “not in my backyard” claim, which can hint at the presence of environmental injustice. We further examined Sabah HECs using an environmental justice framework and concluded that HEC as an environmental justice problem requires traditional fixes to be merged with more extensive, sustainable solutions that improve stakeholder agency

Effects of an Informal Place-based Educational Program on Knowledge and Perceptions of Invasive Species Management

Invasive species can generate negative impacts environmentally, socially, and economically. The interplay between human and natural systems renders management a complex problem that must be addressed by decision-makers. Perceptions of invasive species issues varies depending on an individual’s access to information. Although invasive species and their management are often discussed in formal higher education, not all members of the population have access to a formal educational setting. Informal educational experiences may be a mechanism to reach out to community members in a more accessible and perhaps engaging way than traditional higher education classroom experiences. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of an informal, place-based educational program on perceptions and knowledge of invasive species and their management within the community. Place-based education is a pedagogy connection local places with intimate knowledge of the systems, processes, and outcomes that give it meaning to human and non-human species. First, we organized and administered short walks in two central Texas, USA, parks with conversational lessons and hands-on learning experiences. Second, we administered a follow-up retrospective-reflective survey to measure participants’ knowledge and perceptions of invasive species management and postwalk/lesson changes in them. We also compared between the treatment group of participants versus a control group within the community who did not participate in the informal lessons. Fifty-two people participated in both the educational program walks and testing over the course of 1 year, and 63 people were included in the follow-up retrospective-reflective survey control group. Results indicate a statistically significant positive change in knowledge and perception categories within the treatment group. Post hoc results indicate a positive change in knowledge and perceptions in our sample as a function of treatment group members’ age and income, respectively. The methodology used in this study was simple and inexpensive. Hence, our approach could be easily replicated in other areas to educate community members

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Using Different Migratory Game Bird Hunter Types to Explore Drivers of Support for Hunter Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation Policies in North Carolina, USA

Policies designed to retain, recruit, and reactivate hunters have been developed to stimulate a range of motivations, although knowledge of which hunter types are more driven by various motivations remains deficient. To help fill this gap, we use survey responses from two types of migratory bird hunters in North Carolina as a case study to better understand hunter attitudes towards and motivational drivers of support for/opposition against the Sunday hunting of migratory birds. The results indicate that support for the legalization of Sunday migratory waterfowl hunting was driven by the importance of including as many weekends as possible each season, beliefs about increasing youth participation, and the potential for economic benefits, whereas opposition was driven by the importance of providing time for waterfowl to rest from hunting pressure. Opposition to the legalization of Sunday webless migratory bird hunting was driven by the belief that legalization may harm webless migratory bird populations. These findings provide agencies with an understanding of the differences in migratory waterfowl and webless migratory bird hunters’ motivations and encourage the inclusion of both social and ecological motivations when designing recruitment, retention, and reactivation policies

Using Latent Profile Analysis to Evaluate Preferences for Chronic Wasting Disease Management Options among Different Hunter Types

Wildlife agencies seek to understand how hunters have and will respond to chronic wasting disease (CWD) management policies because of the vital role hunters play in deer management efforts. As such, dozens of studies have examined the human dimensions of CWD management and policy to assess stakeholder support for management alternatives and reveal what drives support. However, most of these studies have not (1) fully explored the heterogeneity that exists among hunters, and (2) accounted for the tradeoffs that agencies and hunters must make with regard to deer management and potential CWD policy alternatives. To address these deficiencies, we used latent profile analysis to create different typologies of hunters based on a survey of Texas hunters, then analyzed discrete choice experiments investigating the CWD management preferences of these typologies. Across five hunter typologies, we found strong overall support for CWD management, although attitudes towards Texas Parks and Wildlife Department were variable. Preferences for CWD management policies greatly differed between each hunter typology. Wildlife agencies can refer to our findings to better develop hunter-preferred CWD management policies and identify areas of compromise between typologies. Our results also provide agencies with insights regarding how to better communicate about CWD management with different types of hunters

Values, conficts, and narratives of private protected areas : the case of Tompkins conservation in Chilean Patagonia and Argentina

There are many ways to approach an understanding of nature conservation values and narratives. This chapter employs a case study to focus on one of the most important contemporary nature conservation initiatives, because of its global coverage and impact. We trace the formation of narratives developed by researchers, conservation entities, politicians, and other actors who have given meaning to Douglas and Kristine Tompkins effort to create privately protected areas (PAs) in Chilean Patagonia and Argentina. We reviewed academic and popular press texts to construct and interpret stories and their evolution throughout the processes of land acquisition and PA development, management, integration, and donation. Findings reveal connections, tensions, and contradictions produced by the broader Tompkins project and different approaches by the more critical academicians than the upbeat and colorful popular press. In this chapter, we demonstrate how narratives can be a useful tool to analyze value and ideological conflicts about private protected areas (PPAs) in Chile and Argentina. Narratives are also helpful to determine how humans do and will use stories to advance PPAs to achieve global biodiversity conservation goals, such as the 30 × 30 initiative, or problematize their existence

The Impacts of the Great Recession on State Natural Resource Extension Programs

The Great Recession contributed to major budget cuts for natural resource Extension programs in the United States. Despite the potentially large cuts, their impacts and how Extension has adapted their programs have not been evaluated. We begin addressing these needs with surveys of Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals members and State Extension Service Administrators in 2011. Results indicate that Extension programs have adapted to cuts by increasing reliance on grants, fees, and partnerships. We suggest the need to better understand the implications of cuts for natural resource Extension and its customers