Motivation for environmental stewardship increased

Full description

This outcome is about how cultural engagement can promote a desire to take responsibility and care for the environment. By environmental stewardship we me the protection and responsible management of the natural world and /or the built environment. The desire for environmental stewardship is essential for any action to occur. Protection of the natural environment is important to ensure the sustainability and health of the natural world that sustains us, while care for the built environment is important to ensure our cities and urban centres are liveable and heritage is protected.

Theory underpinning this outcome

While knowledge of environmental issues is important, a gap has been observed between knowledge of environmental issues and action (Ellsworth, 2013). To achieve a lasting behaviour change, people need to feel a positive emotional connection to the environment (Cho and Lee, 2018). An emotional attachment to place is linked to a greater desire to care for environments and an increased interest in how they are managed (Eisenhauer, Krannich and Blahna, 2000; Shultz, 2002). Children who develop positive emotions towards the natural world are more likely to feel a sense of responsibility for the environment into adulthood (Turtle, Convery and Convery, 2015). One study found that including arts activities in place based education programs resulted in students developing a “sense of stewardship over the land” (Gray and Thomson, 2016)

The ability of cultural activities to impart information while engaging participants emotionally (Curtis et al., 2012) has been linked to greater instances of pro-environmental action (Hungerford and Volk, 1990). The capacity of arts activities and artists to discuss and integrate complex ideas into images, songs or performance can be a factor in motivating change, especially today, as more “traditional” methods of imparting information such as news media are experiencing lower engagement (Branagan, 2005). One recent study found that an aesthetic experience was significant to initiating a greater desire for pro-environmental behaviour (Po-ching & Chi-Ying, 2018).

Evidence that this outcome occurs

People who watched a play about wetland rehabilitation were inspired to either join the conservation group or to do something about the local creek themselves. (Curtis, 2011).

Of the attendees of Nature Concert Hall who responded to a survey, 80.8% reported an increase of knowledge and 43.3% said they had increased pro-environmental activity. (Opermanis. Silvija  and Ainars, 2015).

A survey of 100 participants and 70 audience members of “The Plague and the Moonflower” a at the Woodford Folk Festival, two thirds reported that the experience made them want to do something for the environment (Curtis, Reeve and Reid, 2007).

Activities

As of April 2021, there were 4 activities in Takso selecting this outcome with 0 completed. As activities are completed and evaluated we will update this page.

Processes

People’s attachment to and sense of place is an important factor in their motivation for environmental stewardship (Greene, 1996).

Environmental art and art festivals through encouraging curiosity, new ideas presented in innovative and unexpected ways can provoke imagination and reflection of environmental behaviour. Integrating environmental art in local government events encourages pro-environmental behaviour at a local level. Key factors identified are the presence of art and related activities that encourage social interaction, discourse and reflection and the placement of art in nature to direct focus to everyday environments and place (Marks, Chandler, and Baldwin, 2016).

Encouraging environmental stewardship via arts and culture activities may be able to engage more diverse people and be more successful by engaging hearts and minds (Jacobson, and Monroe, 2007).

Motivation for stewardship of built and/or natural environment has increased.

Branagan, M. (2005). Environmental Education, Activism and the Arts. Convergence, 38(4): 33-50.

Cho, Y., & Lee, D. (2018). ‘Love honey, hate honey bees’: Reviving biophilia of elementary school students through environmental education program. Environmental Education Research, 24(3): 445-460.

Curtis, D. J. (2011) Using the Arts to Raise Awareness and Communicate Environmental Information in the Extension Context. Journal of agricultural education and extension. 17(2): 181-194

Curtis, D. J., Reeve, I., & Reid, N. (2007). Creating Inspiration: Using the visual and performing arts to promote environmental sustainability. Canberra: Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.

Eisenhauer, B., Krannich, R., & Blahna, D. (2000). Attachments to Special Places on Public Lands: An Analysis of Activities, Reason for Attachments, and Community Connections. Society & Natural Resources, 13(5), 421-441

Ellsworth, M. (2013, May). When logic isn’t enough: Science+ Arts= Action. In Keynote paper presented at the Linking Art and the Environment: EcoArts Australis Conference (pp. 14-15).

Gray, T., & Thomson, C. (2016). Transforming Environmental Awareness of Students Through the Arts and Place-Based Pedagogies. LEARNing Landscapes, 9(2): 239-260.

Greene, T. (1996). Cognition and the management of place. In B. L. L. Driver, G. Peterson, G. Elsner, d. Dustin, & T. Baltic (Eds.), Nature and the human spirit: Toward an expanded land management ethic. State College, PA: Venture Publishing.

Hungerford, H. R., & Volk, T. L. (1990). Changing learner behaviour through environmental education. The journal of environmental education, 21(3): 8-21.

Jacobson, S. K., & Monroe, M. C. (2007). Promoting conservation through the arts: outreach for hearts and minds. Conservation Biology, 21(1), 7-10.

Marks, M., Chandler, L., & Baldwin, C. (2016). Re-imagining the environment: using an environmental art festival to encourage pro-environmental behaviour and a sense of place. Local Environment, 21(3), 310–329. https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2014.958984

Opermanis. O, Silvija. K, and Ainars. A. (2015) Merging Science and Arts to Communicate Nature Conservation.” Journal for Nature Conservation 28: 67-77.

Po-Ching, W., & Chi-Ying, Y. (2018). Aesthetic Experience as an Essential Factor to Trigger Positive Environmental Consciousness. Sustainability, 10(4): 1098.

Schultz, P. W. (2002). Inclusion with nature: The psychology of human-nature relations. In Schumuck, P. and Schultz, W.P. (Eds) Psychology of sustainable development 61–78. Springer.

Turtle, C, Convery, I & Convery, K. (2015). Forest Schools and environmental attitudes: A case study of children aged 8-11 years. Cogent Education, 2(1), 14.