Birch, Joanna C.

Environmental education and the non-governmental organisation.

A case study of The Wildlife Trusts.

2003

344 p ; Durham theses, Durham University.

This thesis describes and discusses an investigation into the education provision of The Wildlife Trusts as a UK environmental non-governmental organisation (NGO), comprising 47 local Trusts. Prior to this study, The Wildlife Trusts organisation had not been examined as a whole partnership, as an NGO or as a provider of environmental education. Research questions focus upon what The Wildlife Trusts does as an organisation in terms of providing environmental education and the associated limits and potentials. Specific areas of investigation are The Wildlife Trusts' educational activities, its strengths and weaknesses and its educational culture. Such enquiry is valuable for The Wildlife Trusts itself, other NGOs, environmental educators and indeed all concerned with environmental education provision. The empirical work was conducted as a research-based case study and derives and builds upon research done for a commissioned review of The Wildlife Trusts' education provision. The thesis is influenced by Grounded Theory and draws predominantly on qualitative, but also quantitative techniques for data analysis and presentation. Interviews with Wildlife Trust personnel provided the primary source of data, supported by questionnaires, documentation obtained from Trusts and the author′s personal field notes. It is concluded that The Wildlife Trusts deliver numerous and diverse educational activities, yet neither as a unified NGO nor in sufficient partnership with other NGOs. The Wildlife Trusts is well placed to tailor activities effectively to local community audiences. It is recommended that The Wildlife Trusts overcome internally held negative attitudes towards 'education' through strengthening internal communications and developing a broader concept of 'people work'. It is argued that The Wildlife Trusts NGO has the potential to provide environmental education for all ages in both formal and informal education settings, in particular by providing outdoor and affective experiences on Trusts' reserves.

Chapter 1 Introduction

1.1 Inspiration, aims and implications

1.2 Thesis organisation

Chapter 2 The Wildlife Trusts and the conservation movement

2.1 Overview of Chapter 2

2.2 The origins of The Wildlife Trusts as a conservation organisation - its establishment and growth through the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves and the County Trusts.
2.2.1 The aims of the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves
2.2.2 Early public involvement
2.2.3 The origins of the SPNR nature reserves
2.2.4 The formation of the County Trusts
2.2.5 Conservation for scientific understanding
2.2.6 Reserves for public education
2.2.7 Challenges for the SPNR and the County Trusts
2.2.8 Expansion of the County Trusts
2.2.9 A rise in popularity for the conservation movement
2.2.10 The transition from the SPNR to the RSNC

2.3 Conservation and people - the involvement of a wider public in the conservation movement.
2.3.1 Education of the public
2.3.2 Publicity and public relations
2.3.3 Understanding members and volunteers
2.3.4 Connecting people with nature
2.3.5 Community participation
2.3.6 Conservationists' links with commerce

2.4 Summary of Chapter 2.

Chapter 3 Non-governmental organisations - NGO characteristics and the place of The Wildlife Trusts as a UK environmental NGO.

3.1 Overview of Chapter 3

3.2 Understanding NGOs

3.2.1 NGOs as distinct from governments
3.2.2 NGOs and political theory
3.2.3 NGO characteristics and influences upon their success
3.2.4 A global context for NGOs

3.3 New themes for NGOs - Biodiversity and Sustainability
3.3.1 Biodiversity
3.3.2 Sustainability

3.4 The Wildlife Trusts as an NGO
3.4.1 The Wildlife Trusts' links with Government
3.4.2 The Wildlife Trusts as a global NGO
3.4.3 The Wildlife Trusts and other NGOs

3.5 Summary of Chapter 3

Chapter 4 Environmental education: development of understanding and approaches

4.1 Overview of Chapter 4

4.2 The influence of conferences, initiatives and publications
4.2.1 Understanding the term'environmental education'
4.2.2 Environmental education initiatives of the 1970s
4.2.3 Environmental education within UK formal education
4.2.4 Education for Sustainable Development within schools

4.3 The influence of environmental education research
4.3.1 Changes and trends in environmental education thinking and research
4.3.2 Research into people's relationship with environment: development of a 'pro-environmental disposition' or PED

4.4 Linking environmental education initiatives, research and practice
4.4.1 Parallels and anomalies between research and proposed practice
4.4.2 Implications of initiatives and research for The Wildlife Trusts and other NGOs

4.5 Summary of Chapter 4

Chapter 5 Methodology

5.1 Overview of Chapter 5

5.2 Origins and Aims of Research
5.2.1 Origins of Research
5.2.2 Aims of Research

5.3 Selection of Research Focus
5.3.1 The Wildlife Trusts as a Case Study
5.3.2 Selection of the sample

5.4 The Data Collection Procedure
5.4.1 Initial stages of data collection
5.4.2 Description of data sources
5.4.3 Explanation for choice of data sources

5.5 The Data analysis process
5.5.1 Organisation of the data
5.5.2 The coding procedure
5.5.3 Data presentation
5.5.4 A qualitative - quantitative balance
5.5.5 Theory building

5.6 Methodological issues and limitations
5.6.1 The place of the researcher within the study
5.6.2 Methodological limitations
5.6.3 Methodological strengths
5.6.4 Influential research

5.7 Summary of Chapter 5

Chapter 6 Presentation of Data

6.1 Overview of Chapter 6

6.2 The educational activities provided by the Trusts
6.2.1 Community activities
6.2.2 Activities for members, volunteers, other adults
6.2.3 Wildlife Watch work
6.2.4 Publicity
6.2.5 Schools activities
6.2.6 Use of centres
6.2.7 Further/Higher education
6.2.8 Work with young people

6.3 Strengths and weaknesses of The Wildlife Trusts' education provision
6.3.1 Strengths
6.3.2 Weaknesses

6.4 The Educational Culture within The Wildlife Trusts
6.4.1 Understandings of education
6.4.2 Ideals for education
6.4.3 Influences and experiences affecting the environmental concern of education staff

6.5 Summary of Chapter 6
6.5.1 Summary of 6.2
6.5.2 Summary of 6.3
6.5.3 Summary of 6.4

Chapter 7 Discussion and Conclusions

7.1 Overview of Chapter 7

7.2 The educational activities of The Wildlife Trusts
7.2.1 Community activities
7.2.2 Members, volunteers and other adults
7.2.3 Wildlife Watch activities
7.2.4 Publicity activities
7.2.5 Schools activities
7.2.6 Use of centres
7.2.7 Further/Higher education
7.2.8 Work with young people

7.3 Strengths and weaknesses of The Wildlife Trusts' education provision
7.3.1 Providing experiences in wildlife environments
7.3.2 Educating communities and educating locally
7.3.3 Attracting people to The Wildlife Trusts' education
7.3.4 Sustaining education: members and volunteers
7.3.5 Educating young people including children
7.3.6 Empowering decisions and action
7.3.7 Managing The Wildhfe Trusts'education

7.4 The Educational Culture within The Wildlife Trusts
7.4.1 Ambiguous and negative meanings of education
7.4.2 The importance of people
7.4.3 The value of experience and affective response

7.5 Conclusions
7.5.1 What does The Wildlife Trusts, as a UK NGO, do in its delivery of environmental education?
7.5.2 What can The Wildlife Trusts do in its delivery of environmental education; what are its limits and potentials?
7.5.3 Limitations of the study and suggestions for further research

Appendices

Appendix A Questions for education review of The Wildlife Trusts

Appendix B Questions for visitors to Trust sites

Appendix C Questions for an independent sample

Appendix D Questions for in-depth interviews with education staff

Appendix E Selected in-depth interview

Appendix F Conclusions and recommendations of The Wildlife Trusts'education review

Appendix G Summary of Wildlife Trusts' reported educational activities, potential and limits.

Appendix H A possible two-stage approach for developing Wildlife Trust educational strategy

Bibliography

↑ http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/4020/

12.04.2018