scholarly journals Using County Typology Informed by Population Size to Understand Key Audience Characteristics for Tailored Landscape Water Conservation Programs

EDIS ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura A. Sanagorski Warner ◽  
John M. Diaz
Keyword(s):  
Water Conservation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Metropolitan Areas ◽  
Landscape Management ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Conservation Practices ◽  
Extension Programs ◽  
Conservation Programs ◽  
Homeowners Association ◽  
Landscape Water

A major priority for UF/IFAS is the promotion of science-based landscape management practices to conserve water resources. This publication outlines specific opportunities that exist for tailoring landscape water conservation programs to Floridians who live in more and less metropolitan areas. People who live in more populated counties in Florida tend to have longer residency tenure, are more likely to live within a community governed by a homeowners’ association, and to hire a landscape professional. This audience demonstrates increased engagement with specific water conservation practices as compared to other conservation strategies. Understanding these differences among audience subgroups can provide insights to guide impactful Extension programs.

Effect of Cost-Sharing Federal Programs on Adoption of Water Conservation Practices: Results from Propensity Score Matching Approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 06 (01) ◽  
pp. 1950004
Author(s):  
Naveen Adusumilli ◽  
Rowell Dikitanan ◽  
Hua Wang
Keyword(s):  
Propensity Score ◽  
Propensity Score Matching ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Conservation Practices ◽  
Conservation Programs ◽  
Stewardship Program ◽  
Crop Agriculture ◽  
Environmental Quality Incentives Program ◽  
The Impact

The extent of recommended conservation practices is crucial for addressing natural resource concerns on the farms. The practices implementation is supported by working lands conservation programs, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program. The paper applies a propensity score matching approach to evaluate the effects of enrollment in the two federal conservation programs on irrigation water conservation practices adoption in Louisiana row crop agriculture. The analysis reveals that enrollment in the programs leads to statistically significant greater adoption of water management practices. The analysis provides correction for selection bias in adoption that can result from not accounting for the differences between program participants and non-participants. The analysis enables to provide a stronger and relatively accurate argument about the impact of conservation support programs on the adoption of conservation on the ground.

scholarly journals Considering Participants’ Personal Wellness in Conservation-Based Extension Programs: Opportunities for Integrative Development and Evaluation

EDIS ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Diaz ◽  
Erica Odera ◽  
Laura Warner
Keyword(s):  
Water Resource ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Educational Programs ◽  
Extension Programs ◽  
Environmental Behaviors ◽  
Water Users ◽  
Residential Landscape ◽  
Personal Wellness ◽  
Landscape Water

Extension organizations are at the forefront of water resource issues, using educational programs to drive participant behaviors towards water conservation. The effectiveness of these efforts centers on designing programs with considerations of the factors that will change relevant decisions and behaviors among residential landscape water users. We conducted a statewide study to explore the concept of wellness and well-being, and these characteristics' relationship to water conservation behaviors. Our results show that psychosocial measures influence current and future residential landscape water conservation behaviors differently. Perception of well-being is the more consistent predictor for both current behaviors and future intentions. These results demonstrate an opportunity for those focused on environmental behaviors to pair and embed programs focused on personal well-being to empower communities to work toward achieving conservation goals.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc370

scholarly journals Adoption of Landscape Management Practices by Florida Residents

1999 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 262-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glenn D. Israel ◽  
Janice O. Easton ◽  
Gary W. Knox
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Landscape Management ◽  
Waste Recycling ◽  
Cooperative Extension Service ◽  
Master Gardener ◽  
Intensive Training ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Educational Seminar

The Florida Cooperative Extension Service (FCES) teaches residents the importance of proper landscaping practices. FCES offers several educational programs that teach residents how to integrate energy and water conservation, pest management, and waste recycling practices into their home landscapes. In 1997, extension staff and volunteers planned and conducted environmental landscape management (ELM) programs resulting in >800,000 customer contacts. A survey was conducted to measure the adoption of recommended best management practices by program participants and nonparticipants. Results show that, of 39 practices examined, Master Gardener trainees increased the number of practices used by an average of 7.3, while educational seminar and publications-only participants increased by an average of 4.5 and 2.8 practices, respectively. Nonparticipants showed essentially no change. When practices are examined one at a time, the Master Gardeners made statistically significant increases in 28 of the 39 recommended practices. Educational seminar and publications-only participants made similar gains in 31 and 6 practices, respectively, and the nonparticipant comparison group made significant increases in 2 practices and decreases in 8. The results suggest that the publications-only strategy for delivering information to homeowners is less effective than strategies combining educational seminars or intensive training with relevant publications.

scholarly journals Using Perceived Landscape Benefits to Promote Water Conservation Behaviors in Urban Areas

EDIS ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda D. Ali ◽  
Laura A. Sanagorski Warner ◽  
Anil Kumar Chaudhary
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Agricultural Education ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Landscape Management ◽  
Large Percentage

Because a large percentage of water used in urban areas can be applied through irrigation, home landscape management practices are an important factor of water conservation. The information in this 5-page document is the result of a cluster analysis used to identify meaningful subgroups among home irrigation users to encourage water conservation behaviors. Written by Amanda D. Ali, Laura A. Sanagorski Warner, and Anil Kumar Chaudhary and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, May 2018. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc291

scholarly journals Extension Participants and Nonparticipants Differ in Water Conservation Normative Beliefs, Intentions, and Behaviors

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 852-861 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura A. Warner ◽  
Anil Kumar Chaudhary ◽  
Sebastian Galindo-Gonzalez
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Limited Resource ◽  
Extension Education ◽  
Extension Programs ◽  
Landscape Water ◽  
Outdoor Water Use ◽  
Uncertain Future ◽  
Irrigation Practices

Uncertain future availability of water is one of the most critical current issues, and outdoor water use contributes substantially to the strain on water resources. Much of the nation’s outdoor water use is through urban landscape irrigation, and one solution for conservation of this limited resource is to change home landscape irrigation practices. Thus, households that use landscape irrigation are an important audience for Florida extension programs. Complex, statewide water conservation programs are difficult to evaluate because of program variability and limited resources, yet evaluation is an important task that reveals the success, or failure, of a program. This study compared factors between people who have or have not engaged in Florida extension programs. The targeting outcomes of programs model and theory of planned behavior were used as a basis for measuring different levels of possible outcomes. There were no differences in attitudes toward good irrigation practices and perceived ability to adopt them between extension participants and nonparticipants. There were differences between the two groups in perceived normative attitudes, intent to adopt good irrigation practices, and actual engagement in landscape water conservation practices. Findings demonstrate a relationship exists between these characteristics and engagement with extension. The greatest differences were stronger social norms and more engagement in complex conservation behaviors among people who had attended extension programs. It is not known how much externalities play a role in leading certain people to seek out extension education. Extension professionals should use the findings of this study to target nonparticipants and deliver more impactful programs.

scholarly journals Farmers’ Adoption of Soil and Water Conservation Practices: the Case of Lege-lafto Watershed, Dessie Zuria District, South Wollo, Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gizachew Shewaye Yifru ◽  
Birhan Asmame Miheretu
Keyword(s):  
Water Conservation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Soil And Water Conservation ◽  
Conservation Practices ◽  
Local Institutions ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression Model ◽  
Education Status ◽  
Soil And Water

Abstract This study was conducted to assess farmers’ adoption decisions of soil and water conservation practices in Lege-Lafto Watershed, Dessie Zuria District, South Wollo, Ethiopia. Data were collected from 304 farmers using household survey, and through focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and field observation. Binary Logistic regression model and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The results indicated that about 64% of the farmers adopted soil and water conservation practices in their plot of land. The findings depict soil bund, stone bund, stone-faced soil bund, loose stone and brush-wood check dams, hillside terrace and bund stabilized with vegetation are the types of soil and water conservation technologies which are practiced in the study area. The analysis result revealed adoption of soil and water conservation practices in the study area is significantly and positively influenced by the perception of farmers on erosion problem and SWC practices, family labour, education level, and membership in local institutions. However, distance from residence to the nearest market and farmland, off-farm activities, and the ratio of cultivable land to family size influenced the adoption of SWC practices negatively. Therefore, improving farmers’ education status, strengthening local institutions, and empowering their members are vital for sustainable land management practices in the country.

scholarly journals Perceived Landscape Benefits Influence Engagement in Urban Landscape Irrigation and Fertilizer Best Practices

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 424-430
Author(s):  
Laura A. Warner ◽  
Amanda D. Ali ◽  
Anil Kumar Chaudhary
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Social Marketing ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Landscape Management ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Water Quality And Quantity

There are substantial opportunities for residents to conserve and protect water through irrigation and fertilizer best practices without sacrificing landscape quality. Promoting the adoption of practices and technologies to address water quality and quantity issues is one of the most important contributions extension can make to solving complex water problems. Extension needs to use innovative approaches to encourage adoption of landscape water conservation practices and technologies, and one underused behavior change strategy is social marketing. Social marketing can help extension encourage behavior change by positioning desired behaviors in terms of value to clientele. This study examined the relationship between the benefits people believe their home landscape provides and their engagement in good irrigation and fertilization practices. Aesthetics is the most valued landscape benefit but it is not strongly influential on good irrigation or fertilization practices. Individuals who perceive their landscape offers habitat benefits are most likely to engage in good irrigation practices, whereas individuals who believe their landscape provides environmental benefits are most likely to engage in good fertilization practices. People who believe their landscape offers monetary benefits are least likely to engage in good irrigation and good fertilizer practices. Extension professionals should develop programs that relate fertilization best practices to environmental benefits and irrigation best management practices to habitat benefits while emphasizing that landscape management best practices are compatible with landscape aesthetics.

WATER CONSERVATION: OBSERVATIONS FROM A HIGHER EDUCATION FACILITY MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 162-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Cupido ◽  
Laura Steinberg ◽  
Brian Baetz
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Green Building ◽  
The United States ◽  
Facility Management ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Conservation Practices

Sustainable or green building practices have been adopted by most higher education institutions for their new campus buildings, major renovations and daily operations. This paper provides a synthesis of opinions and existing practices related to water conservation in institutional green buildings of member institutions of APPA (formerly the Association of Physical Plant Administrators). A specific focus regarding waterless urinals and their operation was attempted. A web-based survey and follow-up one-to-one interviews were utilized to extract information and data from these industry professionals. The survey evaluated the institution's use of policy related to sustainable building practices and focused on their approaches to water conservation. Regional preferences are provided and barriers to some water conservation practices and approaches have been identified. Operational challenges are evident, particularly as they relate to waterless urinals. It is clear that higher education institutions are engaging in water conservation practices across Canada and the United States. This work contributes to a foundation for future research and analysis related to best-management practices for water conservation in the higher education sector.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document