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Peoples’ understanding and appreciation of wildlife are crucial for its conservation. Nevertheless, environmental education in many tropical countries is seldom incorporated into public-school curricula and wildlife topics are often underrepresented. In this research we aimed to (1) assess the effects of an environmental education intervention focused on improving students’ awareness about wild vertebrates and their ecological functions and (2) to evaluate whether previous exposure to general environmental education could improve the effects of the intervention. We worked in four schools in a high-biodiversity shade-coffee-producing region in Mexico; two of the schools had received general environmental education as part of a Community Program, while the other two had not. In all schools we conducted a targeted intervention providing information about wild vertebrates and their ecological functions. Through questionnaires, we assessed students’ awareness before and after the intervention. We found that students’ awareness about wildlife was improved by our intervention, and that this effect was stronger in students that had attended the Community Program. Our results contribute to Sustainable Development Goals 11 and 15 by showing that targeted education interventions can help achieve specific conservation goals, and that previous community-based environmental education can condition peoples’ awareness, improving the assimilation and/or understanding of new concepts.
Ellen Andresen; Paulina López-Del-Toro; Montserrat Franquesa-Soler; Francisco Mora; Laura Barraza. Teenagers’ Awareness about Local Vertebrates and Their Functions: Strengthening Community Environmental Education in a Mexican Shade-Coffee Region to Foster Animal Conservation. Sustainability 2020, 12, 8684 .
AMA StyleEllen Andresen, Paulina López-Del-Toro, Montserrat Franquesa-Soler, Francisco Mora, Laura Barraza. Teenagers’ Awareness about Local Vertebrates and Their Functions: Strengthening Community Environmental Education in a Mexican Shade-Coffee Region to Foster Animal Conservation. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (20):8684.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEllen Andresen; Paulina López-Del-Toro; Montserrat Franquesa-Soler; Francisco Mora; Laura Barraza. 2020. "Teenagers’ Awareness about Local Vertebrates and Their Functions: Strengthening Community Environmental Education in a Mexican Shade-Coffee Region to Foster Animal Conservation." Sustainability 12, no. 20: 8684.
Three major flyways of the Nearctic – Neotropical bird migration system converge at the coastal plains of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Mexico. Approximately one million vultures and raptors traverse the area during the autumn migration season, and more than 60 species of nocturnally migrating birds have been recorded there. Furthermore, more than 60 bat species inhabit this region, which also harbors the most important wind resource area of the country. There, the number of wind turbines increased from 98 to >1500 between 2006 and 2015. We estimated bird and bat mortality at three wind farms in the Isthmus, correcting for different sources of bias. Between June and November 2015, we found 75 bird and 72 bat carcasses, belonging to 30 and 20 species respectively. Although we found more bird than bat carcasses, our corrected estimates are higher for bats than for birds. Corrected mortality ranges between 4.0 – 5.6 birds/MW and 9.08 – 21.23 bats/MW during the months of the study, or between 9.06 – 12.85 birds/MW/year and 20.47 – 43.79 bats/MW/year. Contrary to patterns of aerial vertebrate mortality at wind farms in temperate latitudes, all bat and most bird fatalities were from resident species, even when considering bird migration months only. Corrected bird mortality was highest at the wind farm with the tallest wind turbines. Our estimated fatalities/MW/year are higher than rates of bat and bird mortality recorded at numerous wind farms in the United States, and our estimates may still be biased low. Thus, our results offer a first glimpse to the magnitude of bird and bat mortality at this tropical hotspot for aerial vertebrates. More than 15 wind farms are currently operating in the region, hence a larger-scale effort is needed to fully understand the cumulative mortality of aerial vertebrates, particularly of resident species, at this wind energy hub and diversity hotspot.
Sergio A. Cabrera-Cruz; Juan Cervantes-Pasqualli; Montserrat Franquesa-Soler; Óscar Muñoz-Jiménez; Guillermo Rodríguez-Aguilar; Rafael Villegas-Patraca. Estimates of aerial vertebrate mortality at wind farms in a bird migration corridor and bat diversity hotspot. Global Ecology and Conservation 2020, 22, e00966 .
AMA StyleSergio A. Cabrera-Cruz, Juan Cervantes-Pasqualli, Montserrat Franquesa-Soler, Óscar Muñoz-Jiménez, Guillermo Rodríguez-Aguilar, Rafael Villegas-Patraca. Estimates of aerial vertebrate mortality at wind farms in a bird migration corridor and bat diversity hotspot. Global Ecology and Conservation. 2020; 22 ():e00966.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSergio A. Cabrera-Cruz; Juan Cervantes-Pasqualli; Montserrat Franquesa-Soler; Óscar Muñoz-Jiménez; Guillermo Rodríguez-Aguilar; Rafael Villegas-Patraca. 2020. "Estimates of aerial vertebrate mortality at wind farms in a bird migration corridor and bat diversity hotspot." Global Ecology and Conservation 22, no. : e00966.
Several studies suggest that 63% of primate species are currently threatened due to deforestation, pet-trade, and bushmeat hunting. Successful primate conservation strategies require effective educational programs capable of enhancing critical system-thinking and responsible behavior towards these species. Arts-based conservation education can simultaneously foster cognitive and emotional processes. In this paper, we evaluate an arts-based educational program focused on the conservation of black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra). Our goals were to determine (1) whether children’s knowledge changed with our educational techniques, (2) if there was a particular educational technique that better improved the children’s learning, and (3) the children’s emotional feedback regarding the whole program. A total of 229 children from communities located in primate-habitat areas, both inside and outside protected areas, participated in the study. Different educational techniques were tested (storytelling, theater and shadow puppets), contrasted with a control group, and evaluated through an analysis of drawings. Our results showed that children’s knowledge increase with each art-based technique, with storytelling being the most effective for children’s learning. Specific drawings indicators also revealed the increase of children’s knowledge and a decrease of misconceptions between pre and post evaluations. Finally, a satisfaction survey about the program showed a high positive feedback. The study highlights the value of designing multidisciplinary projects, where arts-based education program (grounded in scientific information) has shown to be a successful way to communicate animal knowledge and promote conservation.
Montserrat Franquesa-Soler; Lucía Jorge-Sales; John F. Aristizabal; Patricia Moreno-Casasola; Juan Carlos Serio-Silva. Evidence-based conservation education in Mexican communities: Connecting arts and science. PLOS ONE 2020, 15, e0228382 .
AMA StyleMontserrat Franquesa-Soler, Lucía Jorge-Sales, John F. Aristizabal, Patricia Moreno-Casasola, Juan Carlos Serio-Silva. Evidence-based conservation education in Mexican communities: Connecting arts and science. PLOS ONE. 2020; 15 (2):e0228382.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMontserrat Franquesa-Soler; Lucía Jorge-Sales; John F. Aristizabal; Patricia Moreno-Casasola; Juan Carlos Serio-Silva. 2020. "Evidence-based conservation education in Mexican communities: Connecting arts and science." PLOS ONE 15, no. 2: e0228382.
Mentoring has proved useful in gathering knowledge and creating leadership when mediating hands‐on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) experiences. This article describes the implementation of an educational project transformed through an ESD leadership program. A case study in Mexico is used to discuss the importance of contextualizing local education within the global framework of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Escuelas Ya'ax aims to empower students and help them make sustainable lifestyle choices through use of examples from their own culture; the project based at the school also helps students acquire the skills needed to lead a self‐reliant and sustainable life. To achieve SDGs 3, 4, 11, 15, and 17, a network of sustainable schools was created in five states across Southern Mexico (Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo) using knowledge of the indigenous culture of Mayan communities. During the implementation of the project various methodologies were used (for example, visual arts, co‐design, networking, and bottom‐up approaches) to seek a synergistic educational transformation. The SDGs acted as a referential guide to assure aligned objectives, but the program also incorporated shared intergenerational concerns.
Montserrat Franquesa-Soler; Juan Carlos A. Sandoval-Rivera. Mentoring Program to Achieve SDGs in Local Contexts: A Case Study in Communities from Southern Mexico. Sustainability 2019, 12, 109 -114.
AMA StyleMontserrat Franquesa-Soler, Juan Carlos A. Sandoval-Rivera. Mentoring Program to Achieve SDGs in Local Contexts: A Case Study in Communities from Southern Mexico. Sustainability. 2019; 12 (2):109-114.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMontserrat Franquesa-Soler; Juan Carlos A. Sandoval-Rivera. 2019. "Mentoring Program to Achieve SDGs in Local Contexts: A Case Study in Communities from Southern Mexico." Sustainability 12, no. 2: 109-114.
Learning theories are rarely considered in the design of conservation education programs in Mexico. However, if students are taught in a way in which they can easily relate, this could improve the educational experience through better attitudes toward the natural environment. The learning preferences of 354 Mexican children at the primary level were evaluated to identify the effect of context (rural or urban) and gender on learning preferences. Statistical differences related to the children's context and gender-associated context were found. The authors discuss different discourses of critical thinking and experiential education, the predominance of traditional education found in rural communities, and how conservation education could enrich these processes. Studying how children learn can provide valuable information for the development of effective conservation education programs, establishing a dialogue about learners' strengths and weaknesses, enhancing their participation, and empowering them to take action.
Montserrat Franquesa-Soler; Laura Barraza; Juan Carlos Serio-Silva. Children's learning preferences for the development of conservation education programs in Mexican communities. The Journal of Educational Research 2018, 112, 28 -37.
AMA StyleMontserrat Franquesa-Soler, Laura Barraza, Juan Carlos Serio-Silva. Children's learning preferences for the development of conservation education programs in Mexican communities. The Journal of Educational Research. 2018; 112 (1):28-37.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMontserrat Franquesa-Soler; Laura Barraza; Juan Carlos Serio-Silva. 2018. "Children's learning preferences for the development of conservation education programs in Mexican communities." The Journal of Educational Research 112, no. 1: 28-37.
This study seeks to understand children's perceptions and knowledge of endangered Mexican primates. The black howler monkey (Alouatta pigra) is a charismatic species endemic to Southern Mexico, Northern Belize, and Guatemala and is a symbol of the region that fosters a sense of local pride. Therefore, it can be considered a flagship species for the forests of Southern Mexico. We evaluated the perception and knowledge that 297 Mexican elementary school children (8–10 years old) have about black howler monkeys. Specifically, we analyzed and categorized drawings made by these children based on gender, geographic context (rural or urban), and residence within or outside of Protected Areas (PAs). Student drawings were categorized into three levels of knowledge (no familiarity, basic knowledge, and sophisticated knowledge). Common misconceptions and important landscape elements for black howler conservation were gathered from these visual representations. Children were largely unfamiliar with black howlers, despite sharing the same geographical location. Knowledge was affected by context and residence, with students living within PAs more aware of black howlers than students living outside of PAs. However, overall the children showed a deep understanding of the current forest conservation situation in Southern Mexico; meaning they could be presenting a shifting baseline syndrome. The study highlights the value of assessing children's drawings as a tool that can be used to help policy makers and educational practitioners in fine-tuning educational, environmental, and marketing programs. More importantly, it is a methodology that can be applied in future research for understanding children's perceptions and knowledge about endangered species and environmental change in deciding how to improve the effectiveness of conservation messaging.
Montserrat Franquesa-Soler; Juan Carlos Serio-Silva. Through the eyes of children: Drawings as an evaluation tool for children's understanding about endangered Mexican primates. American Journal of Primatology 2017, 79, e22723 .
AMA StyleMontserrat Franquesa-Soler, Juan Carlos Serio-Silva. Through the eyes of children: Drawings as an evaluation tool for children's understanding about endangered Mexican primates. American Journal of Primatology. 2017; 79 (12):e22723.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMontserrat Franquesa-Soler; Juan Carlos Serio-Silva. 2017. "Through the eyes of children: Drawings as an evaluation tool for children's understanding about endangered Mexican primates." American Journal of Primatology 79, no. 12: e22723.