Gathering Stakeholders: Education about the Salish Sea Ecosystem for Vancouver's Adult Residents
Presentation Abstract
"Education of the Salish Sea is a big pool of information waiting to be tapped into" (Vancouver environmental adult educator).
Residents of Vancouver, British Columbia (BC), Canada live alongside one of the largest and most biologically diverse inland seas in the world, the Salish Sea. Although a rich variety of marine environmental adult education opportunities are offered in Vancouver, educators have found that attendance is low and programs generally attract repeat participants described as the “already converted”. Overall, there appears to be a disconnect between the capacity for this education in Vancouver and the number of people who currently attend existing programs.
Education about marine ecosystems is critical for residents of coastal urban centres due to the impact that human activities have on the sea and estuarine areas; however, scholarly research in this area is scarce. This qualitative case study explored marine environmental adult education in the densely populated city of Vancouver, BC from the perspective of local stakeholders. An interview was conducted with one contact person from each of the following stakeholder groups: marine adult education planners, marine advocates, local First Nations' peoples, and the City of Vancouver. As well, a small sample of Vancouver residents who represented the curious and beginning adult learner participated in a focus group. Three themes emerged from the data analysis: (a) residents are connected to the Salish Sea but know little about it, (b) greater awareness has benefits for the ecosystem and residents, and (c) programs specifically designed for Vancouver's adult residents could engage citizens in marine environmental education.
This presentation will identify directions for the development of marine environmental programs in Vancouver; suggest participant engagement strategies for both new and existing programs; mention discussion points and areas for further study; and provide an update on plans for a pilot program.
Session Title
Salish Sea Studies: An integrating context for teaching, research, and community engagement
Conference Track
Engagement
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2016 12:00 AM
End Date
2016 12:00 AM
Location
2016SSEC
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Environmental education--Study and teaching--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Marine ecology--Study and teaching--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Gathering Stakeholders: Education about the Salish Sea Ecosystem for Vancouver's Adult Residents
2016SSEC
"Education of the Salish Sea is a big pool of information waiting to be tapped into" (Vancouver environmental adult educator).
Residents of Vancouver, British Columbia (BC), Canada live alongside one of the largest and most biologically diverse inland seas in the world, the Salish Sea. Although a rich variety of marine environmental adult education opportunities are offered in Vancouver, educators have found that attendance is low and programs generally attract repeat participants described as the “already converted”. Overall, there appears to be a disconnect between the capacity for this education in Vancouver and the number of people who currently attend existing programs.
Education about marine ecosystems is critical for residents of coastal urban centres due to the impact that human activities have on the sea and estuarine areas; however, scholarly research in this area is scarce. This qualitative case study explored marine environmental adult education in the densely populated city of Vancouver, BC from the perspective of local stakeholders. An interview was conducted with one contact person from each of the following stakeholder groups: marine adult education planners, marine advocates, local First Nations' peoples, and the City of Vancouver. As well, a small sample of Vancouver residents who represented the curious and beginning adult learner participated in a focus group. Three themes emerged from the data analysis: (a) residents are connected to the Salish Sea but know little about it, (b) greater awareness has benefits for the ecosystem and residents, and (c) programs specifically designed for Vancouver's adult residents could engage citizens in marine environmental education.
This presentation will identify directions for the development of marine environmental programs in Vancouver; suggest participant engagement strategies for both new and existing programs; mention discussion points and areas for further study; and provide an update on plans for a pilot program.
