Displaying Values, Scripting Stories: Writing Narratives of Environment Citizenship through Permanent Educational Exhibits at Local Nature Preserves

Material and interactive exhibits are important elements of many sites of learning, including science, technology, history and natural history museums. Parks and nature preserves are not usually identified as museums, and their purpose and mission do not necessarily align with the mission focus of museums. We argue here, however, that permanent environmental education exhibits at preserves should be treated as museums for analytic purposes. Preserve displays typically include collections of objects from within the park’s boundaries, i.e., bones, shells, rocks, skeletons, feathers, pelts, cones, etc., in addition to manufactured displays presenting ecosystems and physical as well as living elements of the environment. Exhibits at preserves have not been the focus of scholarship on museums to date. Bringing together analytic tools developed for museum experiences with evaluative frameworks from the field of environmental education provides a rich set of concepts for understanding the work that nature preserve exhibits do to increase ecoliteracy. We analyze permanent and interactive educational exhibits at three nature preserves in Florida through the application of a series of interdisciplinary and overlapping frameworks. We identify opportunities for transmission of knowledge about the environment and human interactions with local landscapes; opportunities for cognitive engagement with material artefacts and for participation in knowledge construction. We identify messages that use emotional engagement to encourage visitors to become active citizens on behalf of nature and humans; and to ultimately engage in sustainable actions to solve environmental problems.

Anthropogenic factors influence the occupancy of an invasive carnivore in a suburban preserve system

Domestic cats (Felis catus) are one of the world’s most damaging invasive species. Free-ranging cats kill billions of wild animals every year, spread parasites and diseases to both wildlife and humans, and are responsible for the extinction or extirpation of at least 63 species. While the ecology and conservation implications of free-ranging cats have well studied in some locations, relatively little is known about cats inhabiting urban nature preserves in the United States. To address this knowledge gap, we used camera traps to study the occupancy and activity patterns of free-ranging cats in 55 suburban nature preserves in the Chicago, IL metropolitan area. From 2010–2018 (4,440 trap days), we recorded 355 photos of free-ranging cats across 26 preserves (ψnaïve = 0.45) and 41 randomly distributed monitoring points (ψnaïve = 0.18). Cats were detected every year, but rarely at the same point or preserve, and cats were largely crepuscular/diurnal. Using single-season occupancy models and a “stacked” design, we found that cat occupancy increased with building density and detectability was highest near the urban/preserve boundary. Based on our top-ranked model, predicted occupancy within individual preserves ranged from 0.09 to 0.28 (ψmean = 0.11) and was poorly correlated with preserve size or shape. Overall, our results suggest that free-ranging cats are rare within suburban preserves in our study area, and that these cats are most likely owned or heavily subsidized by people (which pose different risks and management challenges than truly feral cats). We discuss the conservation and management implications for urban natural areas.HighlightsWe surveyed for domestic cats across 55 suburban preserves from 2010-2018.We modeled occupancy and detectability as a function of urban covariates.Cat occupancy was low overall and best predicted by building density.The risk to native species is highest near preserve boundaries bordered by built environments.

Environment Protection in Israel

In such country as Israel with its high industrialization and urbanization rates the environment protection is of key importance for preserving the biodiversity of nature. Awareness of the need to protect precious natural resources and landscapes of Israel forced to pass numerous laws on protection of nature and wild animals. These laws provide legal basis for protection of environment, natural resources, wild animals, unique nature features and places being of scientific and educational value in this country.Israel locates at the juncture of three continents combining different climatic and botanical regions which have led to appearance of the unique, by diversity and composition, plant and animal world. In Israel you can find 2800 plant varieties (of which 150 are endemics), 8 species of amphibia, 80 species of reptiles, 450 species of birds and 70 species of mammals. For protection of natural biodiversity there were established 224 nature preserves and 203 and historical heritage deserves special mention.In the recent years the governmental and public organizations have focused on development of the programs on environment management for monitoring and ensuring the required quality of water and air and for processing and utilization of solid wastes.Quite spectacular achievements are observed in reintroduction of predatory and bible species, protection of sea turtles, impoundment of the Hula valley and preservation of migratory birds. The government’s initiatives were welcomed by the public that joined in national parks which cover around 23% of the territory of Israel. The nature preserves and national parks represent the whole range of the natural heritage of Israel: Mediterranean forests, coastal and water landscapes, sand dunes, desert and crater landscapes and oases, while the unique archeological these activities. The environmental education, awareness and activities of the society have increased enormously which is proved by the growing number of nongovernmental environmental organizations — from a few in the 1990s to over one hundred nowadays. The greater attention is paid to collection and publication of environmental data.

PARADOXICAL REPRESENTATION OF FEMALE NARATION IN THE SPIRIT OF MAK UNGKAI STORY

The story of Mak Ungkai sea ghost is very commonly heard by old generation of Malay people in Batam coast. The sea ghost portrayed as a scary female ghost, disturbing humans, sinking fishing boats, and harassing coastal people. On the other hand, researchers suspected a paradoxical narrative of Mak Ungkai character which is relatively close to nature, preserves the environment, and counter-patriarch. This problem directed to examine more deeply the image of women in this phenomenon to reveal the interpretation behind the story. This research used an ecofeminist approach with the aim of reversing the stereotypes of women narrated by the community against the character of Mak Ungkai and its relation to the environment and nature. According to Shiva (1998), ecocritic is a new cosmology that views nature and women as having relationships that maintain, cooperate and protect one another. By using descriptive qualitative method, researchers collected data in depth interviews and immediately plunged into the community. Interviews were conducted directly with 5 speakers from the indigenous Malay community in Sebulang Island, Batam. The research used recordings and cameras which are then transcribed in narrative texts that are easily understood. The results of the study found that (1) the existence of patriarchal stereotypes through mak ungkai sea ghost story (2) the paradoxical representation of women based on ecofeminist framework behind the story.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND HINDUISM

Under the environment, air, water, vegetation, plants, animals, humans all come. In nature, all these quantities and their composition are arranged in such a way that a balanced life continues on the earth. For the last few years, ever since the Earth came into being as animal, animal and other bacterial consumers, this cycle of nature has been going on continuously and smoothly. Whatever is needed and is getting from nature and nature preserves it by producing more in itself. If we observe human history, five hundred and seven hundred years ago, man was close to nature. The food he got from nature was normal, it was his happy life, when water and air were safe. But gradually the change took place with time and the desire of man to live happily increased. With the advancement of science man began to interfere with the natural cycle. The effect of this was that the items of the primary needs of human beings began to lack water, air and food. The immense reserves of nature started decreasing day by day and the word pollution emerged. There was a need for environmental protection. पर्यावरण के अन्तर्गत वायु जल भूमि वनस्पति पेड़ पौधे, पशु मानव सब आते है । प्रकृति में इन सबकी मात्रा और इनकी रचना कुछ इस प्रकार व्यवस्थित है कि पृथ्वी पर एक संतुलनमय जीवन चलता रहे । विगत करोंड़ांे वर्षो से जब से पृथ्वी मनुष्य पशुपक्षी और अन्य जीव-जीवाणु उपभोक्ता बनकर आये तब से, प्रकृति का यह चक्र निरंतर और अबाध गति से चल रहा है । जिसको जितनी आवष्यकता है व प्रकृति से प्राप्त कर रहा है और प्रकृति आगे के लिये अपने में और उत्पन्न करके संरक्षित कर लेती है । मानव इतिहास का अवलोकन करे तो आज से पंाॅच सौ सात सौ वर्ष पूर्व मनुष्य प्रकृति के समीप था । प्रकृति से मिले भोजन पर सामान्य आश्रित था , वह उसका सुखमय जीवन था, जब जल वायु निरापद थे । लेकिन धीरे-धीरे समय के साथ परिवर्तन हुवा और मनुष्य मंे सुखमय जीने की लालसा में वृद्धि हुई । विज्ञान की प्रगति के साथ मनुष्य ने प्राकृतिक चक्र में हस्तक्षेप करना शुरू कर दिया । इसका दूष्प्रभाव यह हुवा कि मनुष्य की प्राथमिक आवष्यकताओं की वस्तुऐं जल, वायु भोजन का अभाव होने लगा । प्रकृति के अपार भण्डार दिन प्रतिदिन कम होने लगे और प्रदुषण शब्द का उदय हुवा । पर्यावरण संरक्षण की आवष्यकता होने लगी ।