Louise Chawla has done some fascinating research on the main influences in people's lives in becoming active to protect the environment. The main ones are experiences in natural areas as a child, and the guidance of family members or teachers/mentors. I will send you a pdf of a 1999 publication of hers -- there are other references in it.
Chawla, L. 1999. Life paths into effective environmental action. Journal of Environmental Education 31: 15-26. Teresa -- Teresa M. Woods CORES* Program Coordinator 25A Seaton Hall Kansas State University Manhattan, KS 66506-2900 785-532-5547-office 785-532-9834-cell CORES: Collaborative for Outreach, Recruitment and Engagement in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) WENDEE HOLTCAMP wrote: > I have two unrelated questions. > > > > FIRE-FLIES: First I'm doing an article on fireflies and it seems they're > most common (or only found?) east of the Rockies except Utah. Yet there are > some anecdotal reports from CA and WA. Can you all tell me if any of you > currently see blinking fireflies - of any species - there are 175+ in the US > (not all flash though). OR if you "remember" seeing them when you were a > kid. Another common report is that they are declining in some areas but no > one seems to know why - could be chemicals, could be habitat loss, could be > light pollution, could be that people are just not outdoors enough to see > them. But can anyone confirm for me that they personally saw them as a child > in CA or OR or WA? In the West? Or that their parents or grandparents (who > are living and I can contact) saw them out west? > > > > HOW PEOPLE BECOME SCIENTISTS/MEDIA INFLUENCE ON PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF > SCIENCE - I saw some studies that indicate that most natural scientists have > two main influences affecting their early interest in sciencets - early > outdoor experiences and media/TV (for me it was Jacques Cousteau and Jane > Goodall documentaries, whereas a slightly younger generation grew up on Croc > Hunter). Have you seen this study that showed this? The other study I heard > about was an NSF study that indicated the majority of Americans learn about > science from the media. I can't seem to locate either of these from a Google > search. Ring any bells? Know of any other studies? > > > > What influenced YOU to become a scientist? > > Wendee > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > Wendee Holtcamp, M.S. Wildlife Ecology > > Freelance Writer * Photographer * Bohemian > > <http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com/> > http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com > > <http://bohemianadventures.blogspot.com> > http://bohemianadventures.blogspot.com > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > > > >
