Eliciting Action and Awareness in Youth of the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region, for managing invasive species.
Date
2024
Authors
Ansari, Anas
Helmke, Frederike
Heising, Laila
Rutherford, Shannon
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
Type
Technical Report
Degree Level
Abstract
Invasive species pose a significant threat to the indigenous flora and fauna within the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region (MABR) as well as local communities by disrupting the balance of its diverse ecosystems and increasing the region's vulnerability to climate change threats. Initial conversations with the MABR community highlighted a concern about the lack of youth involvement in invasive species management, with efforts largely driven by an older population. Youth education and involvement in addressing the issue of invasive species is crucial because young people are the future stewards of our environment. The aim of this research is to find out how the Biosphere Region can raise awareness and elicit action within youth and to propose actions that can be taken in order to overcome this gap in youth involvement. Seventeen shared responsibility holders from various sectors were interviewed to identify existing youth engagement programs, as well as the gaps, barriers, and factors for success. Based on these interviews and a literature review on youth engagement tools, we propose a set of actions to achieve four primary goals for the shared responsibility holders of the MABR: improving outreach to youth, incorporating invasive species topics into educational curricula and programs of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), engaging youth as co-creators to foster responsibility, and strengthening collaborations with schools, stewardship groups, and the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region Research Institute (MABRRI).
Description
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Keywords
TRANSECTS, MABRRI, managing invasive species, Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region, Duck Pond