EIONET Workshop
October 2007
Public Awareness
Group 3
Objectives/introduction
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Measure: Change in behaviour
Outcomes
Activity
Similar indicators
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Sweden – 2006 assessment of national biodiversity
objectives (based on SEBI). Nothing yet for public
awareness so used membership of different
organisations – increased over the years. Thought
about: people watching nature programmes on TV/
visits to NP (no data yet)
Switzerland – use membership of NGOs. Studies on
topic – evulation of willingness to pay/ perception of
flower strips – could go into indicators. Consumption
of organic food?
Similar indicators
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Norway - Measure of how many kindergartens/
schools have accessibility to green areas. Could look
at NGO membership
Iceland – no direct indicators. But have counted
number of visitors to national parks/ have good
relations with BTCV so links to volunteering/ could
use NGO membership
Rumania - Public awareness campaign for N2K
(public meetings, etc) – impact reported on how
information was received, levels of satisfaction on
delivery.
Similar Indicators
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Greece – membership of NGOs but not used yet.
Slovak Republic – public awareness for N2K (two
projects). Do not measure impact on awareness yet.
In NPs measure visitor numbers. General awareness
is low – tacit knowledge.
Estonia – no indicator yet. Could deliver examples
form list – e.g. NGO membership, frequency of visits
to nature areas (but not all), wildlife gardening,
trained staff in Las. Visits to Nature Trails may be a
good one to use.
Similar Indicators
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Poland – many countries should have data for publilc
awareness. NP visitors, NGO membership – but not
used yet.
Italy – no targeted indicators for this topic. But local
initiatives and could build indicators around visits to
NPs.
Turkey – some NGO projects on public awareness
but no direst
Latvia – no indicators yet (some NGO projects) could
use visits to NPs, NGO membership
Issues
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Trends into outcomes - how to interpret data?
Demographics
How do you separate environmental awareness from
biodiversity? (c.f. UK volunteering)
Collecting data on a regular basis (automatic counting…?)
Sampling issues – can you do it? Resources (people/ finances)
Definitions and terminologies
Ideas into action…
Accessibility to nature is a problem – but could be used as an
indicator/ or it could be too accessible therefore hard to measure
Topic Centre has yet to pursue anything explicitly in relation to
public awareness
Differences in ‘awareness’
Landscape is more attractive than biodiversity – ref. visitors
Recomendations
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Choose methods that can provide comparisons across countries
(questionnaires)
Distinguish number of visitors from quality of visitors – more people
isn’t necessarily good!
Communities of interest/ involvement
Biodiversity mentioned in the media – and timeslots
Training for stakeholder groups – esp. for journalists
Tourism operators – countryside holidays/ eco tourism?
Proxy measures – rubbish!! / carbon off-setting
School curriculum
Accessibility to nature could be used as an indicator
Clear definitions of indicators are required (terminology is critical – e.g.
NPs)
Links to general communication issues (awareness)
Organic foods – good links to lifestyle but caveats
TRY SOMETHING THEN IMPROVE IT…!!! (JDIDD(Y)N)
Problems of definition/
terminology
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Clear definitions of indicators are required
(terminology is critical – e.g. NPs definitions of
visitors may/ do vary between countries)
NGO memberships – which organisations to include
(may also be differences in countries – e.g. hunters,
fishermen)
Biodiversity…..????
Biodiversity is….(links to
awareness)
Datasets/database developing
and/or developed
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We like the Eurobarometer!
Eurobarometer – like to have something similar at a national
level (to increase sample size – 27 countries is only half of
Europe). Most direct way to measure we want to measure.
DG Environment – make package available to countries?
Could have more than one measure because people are
different. Could do – favourites: NGO membership, visits,
volunteering, organic food - but note caveats (and links to
questionnaires)
Different pictures from different countries could be OK
Has intrinsic interest – at a human (not technological scale – c.f.
‘The Independent’)