Community Environmental Education: Challenges Within the Biosphere Reserve Concept

COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTAL

EDUCATION: CHALLENGES

WITHIN THE BIOSPHERE

RESERVE CONCEPT

R ea Fra s e r and Glen Jamie s on

Background

Since 1976, UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Programme (MAB) has dedicated 425biosphere reserves in ninety-five countries (November 2002) in an effort to create modelareas where environmental sustainability embraces the human element and celebrates

Prospects, vol. XXXIII, no. 3, September 2003

Original language: English

Rea Fraser (Canada)Master of Business Administration degree from Athabasca University in Alberta, Canada. Sheis a Director of the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Foundation. Formerly a forestry consultant,she now functions as a communications consultant for both the forest industry and non-profitfoundations.

Glen Jamieson (Canada)Research scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and as a volunteer, is both President ofthe Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Foundation, and a Director of the Canadian BiosphereReserves Association. He has been championing the biosphere reserve concept since 1993. Asa scientist, he has published over sixty primary papers, fifty research documents, and fivespecial publications to date, and his research efforts are presently focused around marine pro-tected areas and ecosystem-based management. As such, he is aware of the difficulties in tryingto achieve sustainable development and in communicating technical issues to the generalpublic. E-mail: [email protected]

E N V I R O N M E N T A L E D U C A T I O N :

A P I L L A R O F S U S T A I N A B L E D E V E L O P M E N T

the cultural relationship between a unique place and its inhabitants. As dynamicprocesses for sustainable practices, biosphere reserves were given a three-prongedmandate: to promote sustainable development; to encourage biodiversity conserva-tion; and to foster capacity building – all of which rely on community environmentaleducation.

Canada’s tenth biosphere reserve, the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Reserve (MABR)on south-eastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, was dedicated in 2000. Virtuallyall of the land in the MABR is privately owned and 70% is forest. The populationof 40,000 is almost equally split around the two beach-front communities of Parksvilleand Qualicum Beach. Because the population is concentrated along the coast, visitorsare impressed with an appearance of a largely unpopulated, forested area that is notaffected by the geographically localized urban population.

The MABR has become a Canadian retirement destination and is presently expe-riencing tremendous population growth. Forecasts suggest that the current populationmay increase by 50% in the next ten years as the post-Second World War populationboom reaches retirement age. Due to the retirement focus, over 50% of the MABR’spopulation is over the age of 45, compared to the provincial average of just 33%.This high population growth rate coupled with an elderly population has resulted ina relatively wealthy, educated senior community with rapid population turn over.

Since the inception of the MABR, its administering non-governmental foundation– the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Foundation (MABF) – has struggled to developand implement its vision of community environmental education, while formingits own identity and self-awareness. While it was anticipated that the patronageby UNESCO would facilitate and co-ordinate existing community environmentaleducation processes, the foundation has discovered that promoting community envi-ronmental education within the biosphere reserve concept presents a unique set ofchallenges. The definition of local objectives and priorities is being both helped andhindered by the international patronage. MABF members have been informed aboutMAB objectives and processes using the official terminology of the internationalbiosphere reserve movement, but such academic definitions appear to impede under-standing of the principals governing the biosphere reserve by the local community. Thisproblem is making it more difficult for the foundation to establish its own identity.

In 2002, the MABF undertook a public consultation to initiate dialogue on thesubject of sustainable development. The goal of this series of community meetingswas to listen to people who lived in the biosphere reserve and to understand theirconcerns and priorities, thus allowing MABF priorities to be identified that would relateto local needs. The outcomes of the process were valuable – but unanticipated. Theyhighlighted the need for community environmental education.

Our invitation for the community to attend a meeting received a poor response, withparticipation largely limited to those already active in local environmental processes.Participation by a broad cross-section of the population in order to guarantee true com-munity involvement did not take place and subsequent follow-up indicated that thetopic was poorly understood. Those who did participate expected to receive informa-tion about how the MABF intended to address specific issues, and they were not

294 Rea Fraser and Glen Jamieson


ready to offer suggestions of their own on how the MABF might proceed with long-term sustainability projects. Participants felt that the entire community required moreunderstanding of the issues before consultation and community dialogue could makean effective contribution. The inability of our consultation process to address theneeds and interests of the community highlighted the challenges of adapting the inter-national biosphere reserve concept to local concerns, and the need to include basicenvironmental education within the MABR’s goals.

Chal l enges

DEFINITIONS AND LANGUAGE

The limited input received during the public consultation process demonstrated thatexisting understanding within the community about the environment was not adequatefor effective participation by local people in public processes, as envisioned by theMABF. Subsequent conversations with community members revealed that many indi-viduals, although interested in environmental concerns, felt intimidated by anduninterested in the language used in the advertising campaign and thus chose not tocontribute. The foundation had incorrectly assumed that a basic level of knowledgeabout local issues already existed and that familiarity with the terminology wouldencourage effective dialogue.

The public consultation revealed that community environmental education in thebiosphere reserve movement is challenged by its very name. The phrase ‘biospherereserve’ itself leads to misunderstanding and misrepresentation of the nature ofUNESCO’S vision for these areas. The word ‘biosphere’ is technical jargon not imme-diately understood by the public. In Canadian common understanding, the term‘reserve’ denotes a place set aside to preserve environmental values, not cultural andhuman values. The term ‘biosphere reserve’ then is a misnomer that leads to commonassumptions that the area is a government-designated park with associated restric-tions that will be enforced by authority, and suggests regulations rather thanparticipation. Under this title, the average person does not naturally appreciate thebiosphere reserve process as an opportunity for the community to create its ownvision of sustainability.

The terminology surrounding the three mandates of the MABR – sustainable devel-opment, biodiversity conservation and capacity building – raises similar problems.For those familiar with the concept of sustainable development, the term itselfis often considered an oxymoron. For those just introduced to the concept, theterminology doesn’t intuitively convey a concise meaning or even a linkage to theenvironment, in contrast to terms such as ‘environmental protection’, ‘wildlife reserve’or ‘provincial park’. If the term ‘sustainable’ is unfamiliar, the ear focuses on the commonword ‘development’, which in isolation can imply values contrary to environmental con-servation. ‘Biodiversity conservation’ is a lengthy term, again somewhat intimidating,that also did not strike a chord with the local public. The term ‘capacity building’,which includes the concept of environmental education within the community

Community environmental education 295


about the biosphere reserve, was also too nebulous to be meaningful to the generalpublic. Although it implies inclusion of activities that increase the community’scapacity for participation, it isn’t a precise definition that is readily understood by laypeople.

The MABF’s initial assumption that the public was familiar with these terms wasan obstacle to further dialogue. This lack of common language limited public inputinto biosphere reserve processes and may have isolated the MABF from the commu-nity that it intended to represent. Effective community education about the environmentneeds to be targeted to meet local needs and to be presented in terms that are easilyunderstood and accepted by the local population. The academic language of thebiosphere reserve concept first requires, paradoxically, a more basic community envi-ronmental education programme so that residents can feel at ease when discussingthe biosphere reserve.

Our initial challenge then is to communicate a vision of community education usingterminology that is interesting to the public and fosters participation in public processes.If the MABF is to communicate effectively about biosphere reserve concepts with awide audience, it must first bring the basic level of community environmental aware-ness to an appropriate level. Only then will residents be able to contribute their ownvision of sustainability and effectively address these complex issues.

IDENTITY ISSUES

The complexity of setting up a biosphere reserve and the somewhat ambiguous natureof the language used have slowed down the MABF’s progress in addressing the issueof its identity. Reaching consensus on goals and priorities has proved a time-consuming but important process. The MABF needs clarity of vision about its purposebefore it can present a cohesive and compelling identity to the community. Althoughthe MABF has spent a considerable amount of time setting up its structure duringits first year, these statements have not yet been expressed in a format that is easilyaccepted by the public so that the MABF becomes a local leader in community envi-ronmental education. The MABF is now challenged to design a communicationsstrategy that would explain the purpose of the organization and its vision of commu-nity environmental education within the biosphere reserve concept.

To be an effective instrument for community environmental education, the foun-dation must be viewed as a legitimate authority capable of both expressing and deliveringthe functions of a biosphere reserve. The communications effort required to overcomepreconceptions arising from its name and to clarify the role of the MABF in addressinglocal issues is making it more difficult to launch the project and to communicate thelarger message regarding the issues of sustainable development, biodiversity conserva-tion and capacity building.

As a volunteer organization with no regular resources, the MABF is somewhatoverwhelmed by the scope of its own mandate. Struggling to define and communi-cate its own identity, the MABF is not yet presenting a compelling vision of its objectivesabout environmental education within the community. Without a passionate and concise



local image, it is difficult to attract the volunteers required for projects and to buildmomentum in the community.

The independent, community-based committee responsible for management of thereserve gives strength of the biosphere reserve concept. However, there is potentialfor conflict between the biosphere reserve’s conservation and development functions.As a neutral educational body, the MABF must provide both information free ofvalue judgments on emotionally charged topics, and act as a forum for raising concernsand issues. The potential pitfall of this position is that passionate advocates in envi-ronmental disputes may feel that the MABF’s non-partisan position renders it ineffectivein tackling urgent issues, since it advocates no specific position. The complexities ofmanaging affairs through a committee can be expected to drive some potential par-ticipants into joining organizations that are more narrowly focused on particular issueswhen a crisis seems to demand immediate action.

Community environmental education in the biosphere reserve means not onlyeducation on important issues, but also informing people about the resources andproblem-solving mechanisms available to address those issues. It does not mean thateveryone has to understand the tenets of the Man and Biosphere Programme, but itdoes require utilization of an approach that empowers all residents with the ability toparticipate, and suitable mechanisms for information to flow both to and from theorganization.

Additional community consultation, perhaps through focus groups, will be requiredto ensure that future communications efforts are meaningful and relevant to thepublic. Present members of the MABF tend to be so familiar with UNESCO’s languageand issues that they find it difficult to appreciate that other people may not easily under-stand them. Even the opportunity to write this paper demonstrated to the authorsthat there may be communication problems due to assumptions about the audience’sfamiliarity with the vocabulary used and the temptation to use technical jargon todescribe complex issues.

To date, the MABF’s description of the biosphere reserve concept has used a top-down approach, i.e. as an international association addressing a local group. Thisposition is not encouraging the grassroots involvement and community dialogue nowrecognized as essential for the MABF. A shift to a bottom-up approach to the MABR,with an appropriate use of the relevant terminology and with input from inter-national associations, may clarify the community’s involvement. In this way, the MABFcould become a more effective instrument for environmental education.

DEMOGRAPHY

The demographic characteristics of the MABR, as previously described, present uniquechallenges to environmental education at the local level. The continuous arrival ofnew people and the relatively rapid disappearance of senior citizens through illness ordeath calls for a constant communications effort to educate new residents about localissues. The large proportion of newcomers relocating from large urban centres to theMABR also creates a problem regarding the immediacy of environmental concerns. Due



to the outward appearance of abundant natural beauty, it is often assumed that the localenvironmental is stable, and the impact of increased human activity is not immedi-ately visible in the short term. Compared to their former homes often in more urbanenvironments, new residents may find the MABR to be pristine and unaffected byhuman activity. Although the majority of retirees come to live here because of thearea’s natural beauty, they often lack awareness of issues concerning the landscapesthey enjoy and the impact of humanity on them. Without frequent community envi-ronmental education initiatives targeted at newcomers, well-meaning but uninformedresidents may remain largely ignorant of both the riches and risks within their newenvironment.

Increased demand for community environmental education often evolves frominformal environmental monitoring as residents notice how a landscape is changingover time. Newcomers to the MABR are temporally separated from the impacts asso-ciated with previous growth and developments. Without a sense of local environmentalhistory, new residents may not perceive the immediacy of environmental concernsand are thus not emotionally committed to engage in community environmental edu-cation. The issues of sustainable development are long term and incremental. Individualswithout a historical and emotional attachment to their environment may only givepriority to immediate issues perceived to have a direct effect on their lifestyle, ratherthan the more general, inclusive and comprehensive biosphere reserve concepts. Also,the many relatively minor impacts that, over a period of time, ultimately lead tomajor negative changes in lifestyles are often not recognized in isolation, and hencedo not attract any response.

MABR senior citizens are above the Canadian average in standard of living, dis-posable income and education. Theoretically, this population should also be easier toinform and involve in our activities than the local working population, which hasless education and financial resources. Residents in general are showing extensive supportfor and participation in environmental initiatives that are focused on a specific objec-tive with short-term measurable results, such as recycling programmes and waterconservation. The same success with broad-based community environmental educa-tion programmes should also be possible if the outcomes of these programmes canbe adapted specifically to the needs of the local population. Retirees as a demographicgroup have particular interests and concerns, and information needs to be presentedin a manner that is meaningful to their lifestyle.

Oppor tuni t i e s

Although the complexity and language of the biosphere reserve concept presents chal-lenges, we believe these are far outweighed by the potential benefits and opportunitiesthat biosphere reserve designation can bring to community environmental education.Affiliation with an international network of biosphere reserves lends a legitimacy tothe MABF that is unrivalled by locally registered organizations operating without a sup-porting network. Through links with fellow biosphere reserves that may be addressingsimilar challenges, the MABF has a unique opportunity to develop its own education



and continual learning programme. It is in this spirit that the MABF candidly dis-cusses its own issues and experiences, and hopefully provides useful learning experiencesfor other biosphere reserves facing similar concerns. To date, we have not taken advan-tage of our networking opportunities, and this is now recognized as an oversight onour part. We need to better demonstrate that unlike protected areas that focus onlyon preserving wilderness and perceived pristine habitats, biosphere reserves also focuson conserving the socio-economic-cultural milieu in their human communities, andthat other biosphere reserves have been successful in both regards.

MARKETING APPROACH

Biosphere reserves celebrate the cultural relationship between people and places. TheMABR exists within a North American media-centred culture, saturated with infor-mation and images presented through relentless advertising and the public educationcampaigns of governments, industries and other organizations. MABF communicationsefforts and education programmes must be evaluated and developed within this culturalcontext.

Community environmental education efforts within the MABR might be enhancedthrough a more business-like approach to communications and marketing. Efforts todate – mostly unfocused and exploratory – have been determined by the often-limitedenergy and fragmented experiences of volunteers, and have taken place during eventsorganized in the community, rather than forming part of a cohesive marketing strategy.The existing business culture and its conventional channels of communication requirethat the MABF find creative ways to present its message and work within formatsthat are easily digested by a public already saturated with information. By approachingcommunity education with a marketing focus, the MABF could reach a broader cross-section of society.

Environmental education messages compete for public attention with businesses,governments and other organizations, all producing masses of literature and images.An effective message is one that stands apart from the plethora of information avail-able by being particularly compelling to the target audience. A message that is complexand difficult to comprehend receives minimal reception. To garner attention, a messagemust be unusually appealing, striking, entertaining or one that speaks directly to theneeds of the targeted public. Words like ‘clean drinking water’ and ‘species extinc-tion’ strike a chord with the public and engage their attention, whereas the academiclanguage of the biosphere reserve concept does not create an emotional impact.Packaging our messages so that they are interesting yet still address complex issues inaccessible terms will be a major challenge.

An alternative solution to the task of developing a unique educational image is forthe MABF to consider collaboration with other environmental groups. The MABRcommunities already support a number of volunteer organizations that focus on specificidentifiable environmental issues, such as the conservation of birds, fish, mammals,plants and trees. Often the particular interests and messages of these groups are moreimmediate and emotionally charged than the long-term consultative process promoted



through the biosphere reserve concept. In comparison, the mandate and identity ofthe MABF is broad, and at first appearance, apparently too complex to be of imme-diate interest to most residents. The MABF may thus benefit in the short term byworking through existing institutions that are well-known and accepted in the com-munity, while its own position becomes that of an umbrella organization, capable ofenhancing and co-ordinating the efforts of these groups in favour of environmental edu-cation within the community. This position would also help to minimize anyfragmentation within the environmental community that might occur if issue-orientedgroups continue to work in isolation from each other. Communicating through variousestablished groups that already have rapport with the community may also reducelocal duplication of effort and improve the impact of communication.

During consultation with potential partners, the MABF observed that the broadenvironmental movement in our area might collectively benefit if individual groups,including the MABF, can relax their ownership of specific issues and processes toallow a more effective advancement of broader aims, such as environmental educa-tion. Collaboration between the MABF and existing organizations on educationalprojects may alleviate the previously discussed identity issues and demonstrate anorganizational ability to step outside territories associated with particular groups orpersons and work co-operatively to achieve community objectives.

Demographic data also suggests that approaching newcomers upon their arrival inthe community could be a successful strategy if employed by our programmes andmarketing efforts. Newcomers to the MABR are an important proportion of ourpopulation, and they are experiencing changes in lifestyle associated with relocation andretirement. As residents settle into fresh homes and habits, the MABF has an oppor-tunity to suggest ways to incorporate the principals associated with the biosphere reserveinto their new lifestyles. Tailoring education programmes to this innovative lifestylemay encourage new residents to adopt activities that are in line with the principalsof sustainability. Through our potential partnering with real-estate services, newcomergroups and other agencies that interact with new residents, the MABF may be ableto introduce itself as a relevant organization working alongside other community servicesand able to provide opportunities for residents who want to become involved withsustainability.

The tourism industry within the MABR also provides a unique opportunity toeducate both new residents and visitors. Many new residents discover the MountArrowsmith area as tourists and utilize information provided by local tourism associ-ations in their decision to move to this area. Tourists are typically inundated withinformation and marketing material about local features, attractions and accommo-dation. Our educational materials for tourists must also be packaged so as to beappealing and interesting, and it follows that they should be informative, eye-catchingand catering to a diversity of interests. Encouraging both tourists and new residentsto experience the environment through informative interactions that provide learningopportunities needs to be a priority.



EDUCATION THROUGH ACTION

Repetitive exposure to the terminology is one method of addressing the public’s unfa-miliarity with the language used in the context of the biosphere reserve. However, toachieve acceptance, appropriate definitions and their repetition need to be accompa-nied by demonstrations of what is meant and what can be achieved. Demonstrationof the principles associated with the biosphere reserve and utilizing projects that achieveresults are likely have the greatest impact on educating the public. During our publicconsultations, participants noted that activity-based projects that actually show the prin-ciples of the biosphere reserve are needed to demonstrate progress towards sustainabilitygoals. Describing concrete steps towards achieving identified goals will build credi-bility and situate the MABF as a provider of meaningful, comprehensive environmentalaction in the community. Engaging even a few residents through projects may serveas a catalyst to engage others and build further interest.

Most people best understand issues when directly involved with them rather thansimply listening to speakers talking about them. Although traditional approaches toeducation and marketing can reach people in their homes and cars through the media,the MABF must work to create more frequent and entertaining contact betweenresidents and their local biosphere. The points of interaction developed betweenpeople and the biosphere need to result in an emotional connection and involvement.Residents who are well informed about the natural environment around them aremore likely to engage in informal environmental monitoring, notice habitat degrada-tion, and subsequently demand the information required to support appropriatedecisions about the use of the landscape. Encouraging positive interactions around suchissues furthers the feeling of community among individuals and builds relationshipsbetween communities and their biosphere.

MABR core areas, although limited in number and size, incorporate government-regulated protected areas that serve as both conservation and recreation facilities. Greaterco-operation with core area managers in the provision of information to visitors wouldallow the MABF to focus efforts on people already seeking opportunities to appre-ciate the region’s natural environment and who are perhaps most receptive to biosphereinformation. Assisting core area managers in the provision of additional educationalexperiences and information to visitors would be an example of the MABF devel-oping better collaboration with complimentary organizations.

One specific initiative that the MABF is currently exploring in collaboration withlocal municipalities and other MABR stakeholders is to develop and build an eco-nomically viable, world-class nature centre adjacent to a protected area in the MABR.Its main focus would be environmental education. Such a facility would: (a) create aphysical focal point for community involvement with the environment; (b) providean opportunity to demonstrate opportunities for carrying out sustainable develop-ment; (c) illustrate that a sustained and well-managed natural environment can resultin increased economic activity; and (d) provide resources for explaining and influencingthe biosphere reserve concept. The nature of the facility, which may incorporate audio,visual and tactile information, would highlight the MABR through participatory



education and entertainment. It would provide deliberate interactions between peopleand the environment demonstrating unique features of the biosphere reserve, the wayhuman activity affects them, and efforts that could be undertaken to minimize thisimpact. Contrary to short media messages, the centre’s exhibits would be designed tohold the attention of visitors for the length of time needed for complex concepts tobe absorbed. They would be designed to appeal to both residents and visitors, anddemonstrate the ‘model area of sustainable development’ envisioned by UNESCO’sMan and the Biosphere Programme.

Conc lus ion

The MABF has to be imaginative and innovative in its delivery of environmentaleducation to the community. Before it can engage the residents of the MABR withits mandate to advance sustainable development, biodiversity conservation and capacitybuilding, it first has to develop an interactive process to communicate these funda-mentally complex ideas. We believe that the challenges of delivering communityenvironmental education within the biosphere reserve concept can be addressed by eval-uating and embracing local characteristics, and the specific cultural relationship betweenlocal people and their environment. This will probably require flexibility concerningrigidly held assumptions, positions and formats. While we have many challenges infront of us, we believe that there is an opportunity for the MABF to develop its ownunique approach to community environmental education, and thus provide a successfulexample of problem-solving for other biosphere reserves around the world.



Documents

Community Environmental Education: Challenges Within the Biosphere Reserve Concept