Determining how an outdoor ethics course influences pro-environmental behaviors in youth

Less time spent outdoors is associated with both a decrease in health among youth and fewer pro-environmental behaviors. Recent studies have evaluated how youth connect with nature, determining that a consumerism attitude is responsible for their lack of environmental knowledge. Research argues that consumerism in the United States promotes materialism and discourages people from considering the scarcity of natural resources. As a result, younger generations may prefer material goods to environmental conservation. Research shows that early experiences in the outdoors can influence youth to adopt pro-environmental behaviors that they may carry forward to adulthood. Outdoor recreation participation is associated with greater interest in conservation and minimizing harm to nature. Establishing environmental education (EE) curricula that discourages consumerism and introduces students to the outdoors is important to fostering future environmental leaders. This study evaluated whether and how an outdoor ethics class influenced young adults to adopt pro-environmental behaviors.

Located in Colorado, the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics established the Promoting Environmental Awareness for Kids (PEAK) campaign to encourage youth to spend time outdoors while minimizing their impact. The Leave No Trace principle encourages outdoor recreationists of all ages to leave nature as they found it. For example, it advises that all participants carry out their trash, stay on the designated trail, and do not take anything from nature. The PEAK program focuses primarily on the Leave What You Find Principle (LWYF), which emphasizes leaving natural objects in their place of natural state.

This study occurred at an outdoor school (ODS) for fifth and sixth grade students in Pennsylvania. ODS is an overnight EE program that teaches students the importance of nature by implementing outdoor lessons and activities. Prior to this study, the ODS curriculum did not include a lesson focused on an outdoor ethic principle. Students at ODS were randomly assigned to groups of 10 to 12 participants. Once the students were divided into their groups, the groups were assigned as control or treatment. The control groups underwent normal ODS activities, while treatment groups also participated in a LWYF activity from the PEAK program. Pre- and post-surveys recorded participant students' perceptions of the LWYF principle. The surveys asked students to indicate their agreement with 11 statements about leaving natural objects in nature. The researchers received 153 surveys from the control groups and 193 from the treatment groups, and used statistics to analyze them. The researchers also created an activity to test if ODS students from both control and treatment groups elected to keep a unique object they found in nature. The activity required students to dig through soil to identify buried objects. Prior to the activity, researchers placed collections of unique artifacts, such as fossils and arrowheads, within the dig site to see if students would keep the objects. The researchers recorded how many of the observed objects were kept or left on site.

Overall findings demonstrated that students who participated in the outdoor ethics education module at ODS were more likely adopt pro-environmental behaviors than students who did not partake in the module. The surveys indicated that students from the treatment groups who participated in the PEAK education module showed a greater increase in pro-environmental behaviors than students from the control groups. However, students from both groups showed a positive shift toward LWYF attitudes. For example, both groups indicated they disagreed with picking flowers and collecting rocks. While the treatment group did agree with some statements that do not support the LWYF principle, the overall results demonstrated that students who participated in the PEAK program at ODS developed pro-environmental behaviors.

Results from the field activity indicated that students from the PEAK module disagreed with the importance of bringing an object home in order to feel more connected to nature. Students from the control group kept 29 of 41 objects found, while students from the PEAK group removed 24 of 40 objects found. While the researchers anticipated lower removal rates, they hypothesized that the unique artifacts were harder for students to leave than common natural objects such as wildflowers or rocks.

The authors caution against generalizing results because self-reported behavioral measures can be inaccurate. In addition, students who participated in the outdoor school may have previous knowledge of Leave No Trace or LWYF Principles, generating different results than students who have little to no previous knowledge. Lastly, the same EE curriculum or approach may not have the same effect on students of varying ages or in outdoor schools in other locations.

The researchers recommended that outdoor ethics courses be included in EE curriculum to encourage conservation and pro-environmental behaviors in youth. The authors suggest a longer and more intensive outdoor ethics course may have had a greater impact on youth. Future EE programs should consider using skill-based courses, such as Leave No Trace ethics taught in the field, to promote pro-environmental behaviors and attitudes among students.