Despite a recent increased emphasis on emotional connections to nature and their relationship to stewardship and health outcomes in the environmental education and other literature, there is a lack of understanding of what qualities of nature experiences actually influence emotional connections to nature, otherwise known as environmental sensitivity or connectedness to nature. In an effort to begin to explore this area, we conducted a qualitative study at three U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) sites with environmental education programs.

We connected youth of the Mushkegowuk Territory (specifically Fort Albany First Nation) with environmental science and technology mentors in an outreach program contextualized to subarctic Ontario that addressed some of the environmental concerns identified by members of Fort Albany First Nation. Most activities were community-based centering on the general theme of understanding a changing environment (e.g., long range transport of contaminants, global warming, and postglacial isostatic rebound); however, our initiative also included an annual trip for Grade 8 students to the Ontario Science Centre and the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Ontario, to expose students to science in an interactive, fun setting. We found that informal educational settings, resources that relied on spatial/visual cues, group activities, and hands-on and experiential teaching were effective in engaging the schoolchildren. Our hope is that some of the students that attend our community-based camp will pursue a postsecondary education in the environmental sciences.

Environmental education in Mexico takes many forms and plays a wide variety of roles. Through an online survey, we addressed the need to present a wider picture on the current state of environmental education practices in Mexico: Who is engaging in environmental education practices, how important is it for their organization, who are they targeting, which methods and settings are they choosing and what environmental issues are they addressing? Representatives from 118 conservation and environmental education agencies and organizations responded to the survey. Results show that conservation Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are taking the lead in the field of environmental education in Mexico. Conservation education represents a big piece of the overall environmental education field in Mexico. Education appears to be an important tool used widely by environmental and conservation organizations. At the same time, there seems to be a serious lack of funding.

The Sacramento County Water Agency has made available 2 water conservation programs to its customers. The Data Logger Program attaches the Meter Master Model 100 EL data logger to the customer's water meter for 1 week and provides a detailed report of water usage from each fixture. The Water Wise House Call Program provides findings and recommendations to participants after an hour-long house call by a trained water efficiency professional. This article reports on the effectiveness of these programs for a sample of 100 participating households. The results indicate that although both programs are effective, the Data Logger Program results in greater water conservation. The role of more informative communicative feedback to customers as an explanation for this finding is discussed. The findings emphasize the importance of providing information that target behavioral changes and the provision of timely feedback of the effect of the behavioral changes to the success of water conservation efforts.

This article describes a simulation-based teaching approach that helps university students learn about negotiation in the context of environmental regulatory enforcement. The approach centers on negotiation of a penalty between government agencies and a fictitious corporation that has violated provisions of the U.S. Clean Water Act. The exercise teaches negotiation and environmental problem-solving skills by providing a realistic situation similar to ones encountered by environmental professionals. In comparison with traditional teaching methods, students in three successive courses reported an increased understanding of environmental enforcement procedures and environmental negotiation processes. The simulation can be modified for application in high schools and other educational settings.

Independence for the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia has not led to press freedom, solutions to pressing environmental problems, or development of effective grassroots nongovernmental organizations. This article examines relations between journalists and environmental nongovernmental organizations, and it identifies barriers to in-depth, balanced, and accurate news coverage of environmental issues and events.

In this article, the authors analyze evidence regarding the dissemination of mistaken ideas concerning the presence and function of pine trees (Pinus halepensis) in a Mediterranean archipelago: the Balearic Islands (Spain). The main errors concerning the natural vegetation that are disseminated among citizens by the forest management sector are explored. Second, the authors analyzed how this issue is addressed in the principle textbooks of the Balearic Islands’ secondary education, and they conclude that the messages transmitted by these educational resources could contribute to promoting erroneous beliefs about the nature and significance of pine trees in the Balearics.

This article explores the communication model and nature of change in terms of deforestation in China since 1949. Through Lasswell's communication model and the theory of change and via historical analysis and extended literature review, we have discovered: First, Mao's government adopted an effective one-way top-down communication model with Chinese characteristics during 1949 and 1978, which facilitated deforestation in China leading to massive economic dislocation and immense waste of resources. Second, the Chinese government's change to practical ideology brought about new administrative practices of enacting forest protection laws and reorientating the relevant workforces to use available technologies for the production of exported furniture with imported timber. Finally, the paradigmatic shift in the Chinese forest management has partially relocated deforestation from China to other countries, which calls for urgent international attention.