Bruce Lauber, Nancy Connelly, and Richard Stedman

Geographic Regions

 Awareness
 Concern
 Knowledge
 Stakeholder groups
 Behaviors
 Willingness to change behaviors
 Message testing
 Information sources

 Most residents of New York State:
 Low awareness of invasive species
 Little knowledge of invasive species

Telephone
Screening
Survey
Follow-up
Web/Mail
Survey
Stakeholder
Interviews

 Before I called today, had you ever heard the term
“invasive species?”
 It means non-native plants and animals that can cause harm to the environment, the economy, and society.
Have you ever heard of plants or animals like that?

Follow-up Survey and Interviews
 Questions that require awareness of invasive species
 Stakeholder-specific questions

 Follow-up Survey
 Anglers
 Boaters
 Campers
 Hikers
 Gardeners
 Interviews
 Water gardeners
 Aquarium owners
 Farmers/Nursery stock growers

 Telephone screening survey
 Preliminary results from partial sample (11/2014)
 Preliminary results from full sample (12/2014)
 Full results (1/2015)
 Follow-up web/mail survey (4/2015)
 Stakeholder interviews (6/2015)

 Sampled by geographic regions using PRISMs as underlying structure
 Conducted enough interviews in each region to make region-specific estimates, and combine for statewide estimates
 Conducted telephone interviews between
September and November, 2014.

 79% of those reached by telephone completed the interview
 3,406 interviews were completed
 8% refused to be interviewed
 3% could not be interviewed due to a language problem (14% in NYC & Long Island region)

 General awareness of invasive species
 Stakeholder characterization
 Sources of information

Overall Awareness of Invasive Species
100
50
40
70
60
90
80
30
20
10
0
Know the term "invasive species" or definition Know something about invasive species

Awareness of Select Invasive Species
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Water chestnut Wild pigs Zebra mussels
Never heard of it
Wild parsnip
Recognize name only
Emerald ash borer
Hydrilla
Know something about it
Kudzu

Example: Awareness of Zebra Mussels
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
NYC & Long Island Lower Hudson &
Catskill
Capital/Mohawk
Never heard of it
Adirondack & SLELO
Recognize name only
Finger Lakes
Know something about it
Western NY STATEWIDE

Participation by Stakeholder Groups
Stakeholder Groups
Gardeners
Hikers
Anglers
Campers
Boaters
Aquarium Owners
Water Gardeners
Farmers or Nursery Stock Growers
Participated in past year
55.8
30.6
19.7
17.1
11.4
9.2
4.9
2.4

% Who Know Something by Stakeholder Groups
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Gardeners Hikers Anglers Campers Boaters Aquarium
Owners
Water
Gardeners
Farmers or
Nursery Stock
Growers

 47% responded
 1,043 respondents

 Knowledge of invasive species
 Concern about invasive species
 Stakeholder behaviors

100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
NYC-Long Island Lower Hudson Capital Distict Adirondacks-St.
Lawrence
Know Something
Finger Lakes Western NY

100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
NYC-Long Island Lower Hudson Capital Distict Adirondacks-St.
Lawrence
Moderately or Very Concerned
Finger Lakes Western NY

 83% always drain water-holding compartments
 7% never do
 79% always clean vegetation off boat
 3% never do
 62% always dry boats before using in another water body
 17% never do
 34% always wash off their boat when they get home
 18% never do

80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Camping: Bring firewood from home
100
90
Never Some of the time Most of the time Always
%

80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Camping: Take leftover firewood home from campsite
100
90
Never Some of the time Most of the time Always
%

80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Camping: Clean camping equipment
100
90
Never Some of the time Most of the time
%
Always

 92% never take plants they find when they are hiking home with them to plant
 8% sometimes do

80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Hikers: Clean off clothes and hiking gear
100
90
Never Some of the time Most of the time Always
%

100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Removed invasive garden plants Replaced invasive plants with native or noninvasive plants
%
Found out whether a plant was invasive

 Telephone screening survey (complete)
 http://www2.dnr.cornell.edu/hdru/pubs/HDRUReport
15-2.pdf
 Follow-up web/mail survey (4/2015)
 Stakeholder interviews (6/2015)