Evaluation of Cave Interpretive Programs:

Impact on Tourists’ Cave Knowledge and Attitudes.

By

Fara Linn Dyke

And

Janice Schnake Greene

Introduction

• Among the recreational resources in Missouri, are 25 commercial caves.*

There are more than 5,500 caves in Missouri.

* Commercial cave = cave, fee, tour guide

• Important role of Parks and other Natural resources in providing environmental experiences and education.

Introduction• Focus of Study:

• Interpretive Programs designed to inform tourists about the Cave Environment.

• Evaluate the Effect that the programs have on the knowledge and attitudes of tourists.

Study included 10 commercial caves in Missouri.

- Public caves vs. Private caves

Methods• Cave Selection

Introductory letters to caves

Obtained research permits

4 Public* caves and 5 Private caves

* Two of the original five public caves were combined.

• Questionnaire Design

12 Knowledge questions

4 Attitude questions

+ Pre-survey also had:

Demographic and Prior experience questions

+ Post-survey had:

Open-ended and post experience questions

• Questionnaire Distribution

Pre-Surveys were distributed to tourists,

º voluntarily, prior to the cave tours

º between July and November, 1998

º On at least 1 weekday and 1 weekend day

Post-Surveys were mailed to participants

º 10 weeks after their cave visit.

Follow-up survey packets were sent to nonrespondents after 6 weeks.

• Data Analysis * Public Cave # 2 vs. Other public caves

Public caves vs. Private caves

Pre- and post-survey scores, knowledge- and attitude-gain*

• Mann-Whitney U Test

Comparison of levels within individual

Demographic, prior-experience, and post-exposure factors

• Kruskal-Wallace Test

Results

MANAGEMENT CAVE PRE-SURVEYS Collected POST-SURVEYTOTAL With Address TOTAL

PUBLIC 1 36 19 112 75 52 283 31 21 114 35 30 13

SubTotals 177 122 63PRIVATE 5 71 59 24

6 43 30 127 56 43 138 95 57 199 191 110 36

SubTotals 456 299 104 TOTALS 633 421 167

Total Number of Completed Surveys Collected

The Knowledge Scores for Public Cave # 2 and the Other Public Caves.

VARIABLE CAVE N MEAN StDev W p-valuePre-Knowledge # 2 28 8.357 1.768 1028.0 0.067

Other 35 7.229 2.613Post-Knowledge # 2 28 8.571 1.550 965.0 0.338

Other 35 8.029 2.370Knowledge Gain # 2 28 0.214 1.686 827.5 0.339

Other 35 0.800 2.125

Attitude Scores for Public Cave # 2 and the Other Public Caves.

VARIABLE CAVE N MEAN StDev W p-valuePre-Attitude # 2 28 4.545 0.447 926.0 0.676

Other 35 4.493 0.475Post-Attitude # 2 28 4.607 0.443 962.5 0.349

Other 35 4.521 0.447Attitude Gain # 2 28 0.063 1.578 903.0 0.925

Other 35 0.029 2.011

Knowledge Scores for the Public and the Private Caves.

VARIABLE CAVE N MEAN StDev W p-value

Pre-Knowledge Public 63 7.730 2.329 6693.0 < 0.001Private 104 5.942 2.167

Post-Knowledge Public 63 8.270 2.049 6491.0 < 0.001Private 104 6.952 1.902

Knowledge Gain Public 63 0.540 1.950 4702.0 0.024Private 104 1.010 1.681

Correct Responses to the Knowledge Questions MANAGEMENT

Public (N=63) Private (N=104)

SURVEY Pre-Tour Post-Tour Pre-Tour Post-Tour

QUESTION % Correct % Correct % Correct % Correct

1. Development of most caves in Missouri. 65.1 63.5 36.5 56.7

2. Development of cave formations. 71.4 88.9 53.8 77.9

3. Effect of touching cave formations. 79.4 87.3 72.1 77.9

4. Temperature a cave maintains. 14.3 14.3 5.8 5.8

5. Group of animals that live in cave year round. 73.0 76.2 59.6 63.5

6. Adaptations of animals that live deep in cave. 82.5 85.7 71.2 75.0

7. Disturbing affect on hibernating bats. 77.8 82.5 57.7 63.5

8. Number of recorded caves in Missouri. 36.5 54.0 27.9 36.5

9. Rate a cave formation grows. 42.9 36.5 47.1 38.5

10. Above ground pollution affect on cave. 66.7 74.6 49.0 52.9

11. Where plants grow. 85.7 87.3 62.5 76.0

12. Description of cave, away from opening. 73.0 76.2 51.0 66.3

Attitude Scores for the Public and Private Caves.

VARIABLE CAVE N MEAN StDev W p-valuePre-Attitude Public 63 4.516 0.460 6431.5 < 0.001

Private 104 4.082 0.811Post-Attitude Public 63 4.560 0.444 6144.5 0.002

Private 104 4.334 0.522Attitude Gain Public 63 0.044 1.182 4792.0 0.093

Private 104 0.253 3.105

Attitude Selections and the Resulting Mean Scores

MANAGEMENTPublic (N=63) Private (N=104)

SURVEY Pre-Tour Post-Tour Pre-Tour Post-TourQUESTION Point SCALE % % % %

13. 5 49.2 49.2 31.4 33.7 Limitation of human 4 44.4 44.4 47.1 55.8 visits in caves with 3 3.2 1.6 12.8 4.8 endangered bats. 2 3.2 3.2 7.8 1.9

1 0.0 1.6 1.0 3.8N 63 63 102 104

Mean 4.397 4.365 4.000 4.13514. 5 85.7 84.1 63.1 74.8 Trash and other 4 7.9 14.3 21.4 21.4 materials have no 3 3.2 0.0 1.9 0.0 effect on cave life. 2 0.0 0.0 3.9 2.9

1 3.2 1.6 9.7 1.0N 63 63 103 103

Mean 4.73 4.794 4.243 4.66

MANAGEMENTPublic (N=63) Private (N=104)

SURVEY Pre-Tour Post-Tour Pre-Tour Post-TourQUESTION Point SCALE % % % %

15. 5 55.6 61.9 31.4 41.7 Bats are a threat 4 34.9 36.5 55.9 48.5 to human health. 3 6.3 0.0 9.8 8.7

2 3.2 1.6 2.0 1.01 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0N 63 63 102 103

Mean 4.428 4.587 4.147 4.31116. 5 61.9 55.6 46.5 47.1 Governments 4 30.2 41.3 42.6 45.2 should monitor 3 6.3 1.6 5.0 2.9 citizen trash and 2 0.0 0.0 2.0 1.9 litter disposal near 1 1.6 1.6 4.0 2.9 sinkholes. N 63 63 101 104

Mean 4.508 4.492 4.257 4.317

Attitude continued

Age and Education-level of the Survey Participants MANAGEMENT Mann-WhitneyPublic Private W p-value

AGE 10-19 8.3% 11.8% 3807.5 < 0.001 20-29 50.0% 8.8% 30-39 16.7% 27.5% 40-49 15.1% 30.4% 50-59 10.0% 13.7% 60-71 0.0% 7.8% Total 60 102 MEAN 31.35yrs 39.30 yrs

EDUCATION No Diploma 9.7% 8.9% 5456.0 0.181

Level High School 22.6% 31.7%

College 41.9% 41.6%

Graduate Degree,Non-science

9.7% 11.9%

Graduate Degree,Science

16.1% 5.9%

Total 62 101

What Cave Tourists Remember Most About Their Tour.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Response Frequency

CAVEAPPEARANCE

PEOPLE HISTORY LIMITINGFACTOR

VARIEDRESPONSE

Remembrance Categories

Public

Private

Visitors' Suggestions For Improving Tours.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Response Frequency

Current TourChanges

FutureProgramAdditions

ManagementIssues

VariedSuggestions

No Change

Improvement Categories

Public

Private

Cave Tourists' Reasons For Protecting theCave Environment.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Response Frequency

Limited/NoProtection

With Use For Future Beauty Educational Environment For Animals ForGroundwater

Reasons To Protect (in Categories)

Public

Private

• The Public cave respondents had a higher pre- and post-survey knowledge level.

• The Private cave respondents had a higher knowledge gain from pre- to post-survey.

• The Public cave visitors also had a higher pre- and post-attitude level.

• Both cave groups had high pre- and post-attitude scores.

Recommendations

• Address misconceptions.

– Improve communication skills of guides.

– Design program to correct inaccurate conceptions about the cave environment.

• Implement an interactive program.

– Ask the cave audience questions that are cave-related.

– Develop directive brochures.

– Incorporate effective educational displays...

Recommendations

Recommendations

• Build on existing attitudes

– Supply more concepts and facts (knowledge) about how to conserve the cave environment.