Susan Jacobson

University of Florida | UF · Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

Mobilizing communities for environmental sustainability often involves engaging with religious values and beliefs, which can exert powerful influences on the attitudes, norms, and behaviors of the majority of people worldwide. Christianity is the largest world religion and, in some contexts, has also been among the most skeptical of climate and env...

As urgency grows to address global warming, younger generations can play a strategic role in mobilizing communities that have generally been more opposed to climate action and policy, such as political and religious conservatives in the United States. American evangelical Protestants-and white evangelicals in particular-are the largest religious gr...

Wild oyster populations are in decline globally, affecting communities of generational fishers and changing the cultural dynamics of coastal communities. Managers have employed a range of approaches to conserve and restore oyster populations and sustainable fisheries; yet there is little agreement among managers, scientists, and resource users rega...

Zoos, aquariums, and museums are expanding their identities and efforts to support wildlife conservation, but their impact is unclear. We apply a business theory of organizational identity to assess how conservation identities are created and applied. We examine three foundational and three practical components of identity using semi‐structured int...

Conservation is an important organizational focus for zoos and aquariums. Organizational identity theory predicts a relationship between what is central to organizations, such as their mission statements, and their strategic activities. Based on this theory, we tested how organizational missions relate to their conservation strategies and practices...

Organizations can expand their impact through strategic partnerships. We used social network analysis to compare two network theories in order to determine whether zoos’ conservation partnerships form networks that reflect collaborative social movements or business-style competition. Data from 234 zoos revealed a conservation network involving 1679...

Most modern threats to biodiversity are due to human actions. Conservation psychology models provide tools to strategically change human behaviors to reduce these threats; however, behavior change theories have yet to be fully incorporated into conservation strategic planning techniques. The public that may be interested in a conservation issue are...

We adapted instructional activities from entrepreneurship and art training to improve student skills in creative problem solving in fisheries and natural resource fields. The teaching module included: (1) individual exercises that apply specific thinking strategies to improve originality, flexibility, and fluency for creative thinking; (2) group ex...

Decentralized environmental management is a widespread conservation strategy in Africa, yet a better understanding of how community-based programs evolve is critical to success. We conducted 10 focus groups to assess how stakeholder groups in community-based conservancies mature with time, comparing two older, more established conservancies with th...

To evaluate and improve the involvement of stakeholders in community-based natural resource management, we developed a stakeholder collaboration index. We compared the stakeholders of five Kenyan conservancies by conducting 10 focus group meetings with conservancy management committees and wildlife game scouts. We used the nominal group technique t...

We used heart rate change as a tool to study how positive and negative wildlife conservation messaging impacts a viewer, and which types of animal images stimulate greatest reaction. We used scenes from five wildlife conservation videos available from environmental organization websites and YouTube, with positive and negative messaging. We found bo...

La conservación de la biodiversidad, es un gran desafío para nuestra sociedad por cuanto requiere importantes cambios sociales. Sin embargo, difícilmente se podrán impulsar dichos cambios sin un entendimiento de las dimensiones humanas de la conservación. Trabajar en dimensión humana de la conservación de la biodiversidad, significa destinar esfuer...

Evaluation is a critical component of any conservation education strategy, but especially important in highly threatened ecosystems where no formal incentives for conservation are available. We assessed the effectiveness of biodiversity education workshops in influencing knowledge, beliefs, personal norms and conservation behaviors among Chilean wi...

Promoting conservation practices in agriculture to protect biodiversity of rare Mediterranean ecosystems is nowhere more critical than in Chile, where less than 2% of the Mediterranean region is formally protected. We used the theory of planned behaviour to assess what influences Chilean winegrowers’ conservation behaviour and tested whether a sust...

We identified 48 barriers to teaching environmental education reported by teachers in global literature and compared frequency to empirical data we collected from rural Ecuador, part of an understudied region and continent. We utilized Q methodology and interviews with 25 (78%) teachers at 6 schools to identify and categorize barriers. Perceptions...

Understanding the influence of message framing is critical to promote public support for environmental conservation. We tested six brief, online videos about biodiversity conservation with positive (love and benefits) versus negative (loss and warning) messages with 524 participants. The respondents were willing to donate more money and time to org...

Understanding and maintaining ecosystem services requires research and conservation action. Resources for this are lacking, particularly in Africa. Volunteer tourism has increased rapidly and offers an opportunity for funding, training and labour, but few studies evaluate the outputs of these programs. We present 8 years of information from a south...

We assessed influences of conservation and natural resource (CNR) internships on minority students' perceptions of self-efficacy and CNR career goals and expectations, based on social cognitive career theory. We conducted six focus groups using Q methodology, surveyed 134 students, and followed up with 23 alumni and a control group of 11 candidates...

Regulations for boaters can help mitigate adverse effects on threatened marine mammals. One management tool to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales is a 460-m distance restriction rule for all vessels. This study is the first effort to analyze factors that influence recreational boaters’ intentions to comply with this regulation. Using th...

Ranchers living near large carnivores can adopt diverse practices to prevent livestock damage. Effective management interventions to help reduce damage must address the varied needs of ranchers by segmenting audiences for more targeted programs. We developed a typology that conceptualized six types of ranchers based on the theory of planned behavio...

Motivating ranchers to adopt preventive husbandry practices that limit livestock depredation by large carnivores, such as jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor), requires reducing perceived barriers and increasing benefits associated with coexistence. We assessed stakeholder perspectives on preventive practices by conducting eight focus...

Risk perceptions and attitudes toward animals often explain tolerance for wildlife and management preferences. However, little is understood about how these relationships vary across different geographic regions and stakeholder groups. To address this gap in knowledge, we compared differences in acceptance capacity, risk perceptions, perceived enjo...

An evaluability assessment of a program to save a critically endangered bird helped prepare the Blue-throated Macaw Environmental Education Project for evaluation and program improvement. The evaluability assessment facilitated agreement among key stakeholders on evaluation criteria and intended uses of evaluation information in order to maximize t...

Participatory methods for people with diverse literacy levels are needed for community-based wildlife conservation, particularly in developing countries. The Nominal Group Technique was adapted for 55 illiterate and semi-literate attendees across 10 stakeholder meetings with rural populations in Kenya. Ranking cards with different colors, sizes, an...

An interdisciplinary field trip to a remote marine lab joined graduate students from fine arts and natural resource science departments to think creatively about the topic of climate change and science communication. We followed a learning cycle framework to allow the students to explore marine ecosystems and participate in scientific lectures, gro...

Digital media, particularly pictures and videos, have long been used to influence a person’s cognition as well as her consequent actions. Previous work has shown that physiological indices such as heart rate variability can be used to measure emotional arousal. We measure heart rate variability as participants watch environment conservation videos....

Digital media, particularly pictures and videos, have long been used to influence a person's cognition as well as her consequent actions. Previous work has shown that physiological indices such as heart rate variability can be used to measure emotional arousal. We measure heart rate variability as participants watch environment conservation videos....

This document is Cir1426, one of a series of the Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date December 2002. Revised April 2013. Reviewed March 2016. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

Using a framework based on social cognitive career theory, we conducted 38 interviews and four focus groups with college students to identify motivations and barriers faced by underrepresented groups to natural resource careers. Interviews revealed career satisfaction as the most important goal for both natural resource and a comparison of liberal...

Climate change is a significant global risk that is predicted to be particularly devastating to coastal communities. Climate change adaptation and mitigation have been hindered by many factors, including psychological barriers, ineffective outreach and communication, and knowledge gaps. This qualitative study compares an expert model of climate cha...

Racial and ethnic diversity in natural resource careers does not reflect U.S. population trends. To explore potential drivers of underrepresentation in this field, we used a life-cycle analysis to review 55 scholarly articles to identify barriers and supports influencing career choices (i.e., personal, contextual, self-efficacy, outcome expectation...

Human–wildlife conflicts are common in agricultural communities and mountainous villages in Japan. Tochigi prefecture has one of the highest amounts of agricultural damage caused by wildlife in the country. To reduce conflicts, the Nature Preservation Division of Tochigi Prefecture launched a wildlife damage prevention program. We evaluated the eff...

Effective communication shapes how urban audiences affect and are affected by wildlife, ranging from policy making and management to citizen science and conflict resolution. This chapter reviews the elements of communication: Sources, Encoding, Messages and Media, Decoding, Receivers, and Feedback. We describe the process for identifying communicat...

Identifying stakeholder beliefs and attitudes is critical for resolving management conflicts. Debate over outdoor cat management is often described as a conflict between two groups, environmental advocates and animal welfare advocates, but little is known about the variables predicting differences among these critical stakeholder groups. We adminis...

Traditionally, conservation programmes assume that local peoples' support for parks depends on receiving material benefits from foreign exchange, tourism, development and employment. However, in the case of forest parks in Africa, where annual visitation can be small, local support may instead result from ecosystem services. Kibale National Park, a...

Public perceptions of wildlife vary by species, context, and culture. Understanding these perceptions helps managers understand how their decisions may generate conflict among stakeholders. We mailed questionnaires to residents in the northern region of Hyogo prefecture in Japan to examine their willingness to tolerate wildlife species of greatest...

Conservation education and outreach programs are a key approach to promote public understanding of the importance of biodiversity conservation. We reviewed 85 biodiversity conservation projects supported by the Spanish Ministry of Environment's Biodiversity Foundation. Through content analysis and descriptive statistics, we examined how the project...

Humar dimensions of wildlife management is an academic field developed in the United States, and aims to provide tho information that will improve the decislon-making in the management process. Based on the idea and methods of human-dimensions studies, we conducted a survey to understand residents' behaviors and attitudes regarding Asiatic black be...

Asiatic black bears Ursus thibetanus are threatened in Japan but are generally considered to be nuisance animals because of the damage they cause to agriculture and property, and because they cause human casualties. We analysed media coverage of black bears in Japan to understand social discourse and potential influences on public perceptions about...

The management of free-roaming domestic cats is a controversial and challenging issue for animal welfare organizations and government agencies. In this article, we used a previously validated concept, wildlife acceptance capacity, to measure tolerance for free-roaming cats. We also identified the demographic, situational, and affective factors infl...

Wildlife authorities and conservationists are working to improve attitudes toward elephants (Loxodonta africana) among residents of the Greater Amboseli Ecosystem in southern Kenya; yet information on existing attitudes and their antecedents is lacking. In 2005, we conducted a survey of 569 randomly selected residents of group ranches—communally he...

Human-wildlife conflict challenges wildlife managers globally. In Japan, the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) is listed as a vulnerable species under IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species. In Hyogo Prefecture it is listed as an endangered local population, but bears are considered a nuisance because of agricultural damage and occasional human...

The general public and corporations are both stakeholders in the biosphere and can be involved in nature conservation through citizen science and corporate social responsibility (CSR). This involvement can take many forms, ranging from volunteer-based environmental clean-up days and implementation of species conservation measures. This chapter cons...

Agricultural damage caused by wildlife have been serious problem in Tochigi Prefecture, located in central Japan. In order to develop model cases of reducing human-wildlife conflicts, the prefecture launched the Model District Program from 2010. In this program, several villages were designated as model districts, and the prefecture offered seminar...

Education and training programs for local residents and stakeholders to acquire knowledge and skills to prevent human-bear conflicts have been practiced all over the world by government, NGOs, and other organizations, however there have not been many evaluation conducted to determine the success of those programs. We evaluated the effectiveness of...

Human expansion into core habitat of the Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) increasingly threatens this endangered carnivore. To understand the social dimensions of the influence of humans' proximity to risk from panthers on public support for panther recovery, a telephone survey was conducted in March 2007 on a random sample of 802 Florida, USA...

Background/Question/Methods We examined the tourism experience in Laikipia, Kenya using Q-methodology. A series of photographs and statements representing Laikipa’s wildlife, landscape features, cultural heritage, and a variety of service variables that may influence visitor satisfaction were Q sorted by a non-random sample of guides and managers...

Undergraduate and graduate programs in natural resource management focus on interventions to sustainably manage wildlife, fisheries, and forests. Coursework usually provides in-depth content on the biology and ecology of species and ecosystems. Topics such as climate change are framed as environmental problems, and risks and impacts to the natural...

Individual perceptions of free-roaming cats can vary from "voracious predators of small birds and mammals" to "cherished and beloved companion animals." This paper focused on the influence of situational variables (e.g., experiences with outdoor cats), cognitive variables (e.g., attitudes toward cats and cat management), and demographic variables (...

Protected area management in developing countries faces the challenges of building support for conservation among neighbouring residents and monitoring the social and ecological impacts of conservation programming. This study examined a collaborative resource management (CRM) programme at Kibale National Park (Uganda) that permits residents to fish...

Media influence public awareness through agenda setting and framing of news by selecting what is published, how frequently and through what frames. This content analysis compares portrayals of climate change based on political ideology of the media. It examines daily coverage of climate change in Santiago, Chile by the conservative, El Mercurio, ne...

Populations of large carnivores are declining globally, and analysis of public discourse about carnivores is useful for understanding public opinion and influences on management and policy. Portrayal of carnivores in the media affects public perceptions and support for their conservation. We conducted a content analysis of 513 articles about Florid...

Environmental education is a widespread, yet relatively unexamined strategy to reduce human-wildlife conflicts. We evaluated knowledge, attitudes and behavioral intentions toward bear conservation after five years of environmental education in a Quichua community. Conflicts with livestock predation created mixed attitudes and behaviors toward bear...

Asiatic black bear population in Hyogo Prefecture was once on the verge of extinction, however recovered its number in the past decade under conservation policies. Meanwhile, human-bear conflicts have grown with increase of the bear population. We evaluated the effectiveness of the community bear education seminar held at Hidaka Town of Toyooka Cit...

Co-existing with wildlife and maintaining rural livelihoods are common challenges in remote villages in Japan. The authors assess the effects of the Monkey-Persimmon Environmental Education Program developed to reduce wildlife conflicts and to revitalize a community in Nagano Prefecture. Development of a logic model helped guide interviews with sta...

Conservation of bears is a challenge globally. In Japan, Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) and brown bears (Ursus arctos) are considered a nuisance because of agricultural and property damage and personal human danger due to occasional human casualties. Reduction of human–bear confl icts in Japan would improve long-term conservation of bears a...

Most global climate change models predict serious ecological and social problems. In Japan, biologists have found climate change is affecting species and ecosystems, including the earlier flowering time of cherry trees which are an important cultural symbol in Japan. Cherry blossom festivals are also important to local economies. This study explore...

Survey research is commonly conducted in the United States and other Western countries to understand a particular population's characteristics, behaviors, or opinions; however, few studies have been conducted in Japan to adopt survey methodologies such as the Tailored Design Method developed in the United States. In Japan, mail surveys are generall...

Conservation education goals generally include influencing people's conservation awareness, attitudes, and behaviors. Effective programs can help foster sustainable behavior, improve public support for conservation, reduce vandalism and poaching in protected areas, improve compliance with conservation regulations, increase recreation carrying capac...

Participatory evaluation represents an innovative approach for assessing environmental education programmes as the methods involve stakeholders in the design and implementation of evaluation. This study applied participatory evaluation to the largest grassroots environmental education programme for youth in Africa, the Wildlife Clubs of Kenya (WCK)...

IntroductionGoals of conservation educationHistorical contextConservation education for parks: examples from Malaysia and BrazilConservation education addressing threatened species: reversing population declines in Canadian seabirdsCommunity conservation education: integrated approaches at the Community Baboon Sanctuary, BelizeConservation educatio...

This study engaged key stakeholders in developing a recreation management plan for Abaco National Park. Using a stakeholder analysis and participatory mapping exercises, we determined current and desired future land uses of representatives from the tourism industry, hunters, teachers, business leaders, local community members, and environmentalists...

Whether you are managing wetlands, protecting endangered species, or restoring ecosystems, you need to be able to communicate effectively in order to solve conservation and resource management problems. Communication Skills for Conservation Professionals can help you do just that—it is a practical and inspiring book that provides user-friendly gu...

Water management policies in Florida emphasize the need for public involvement in managing watersheds, yet little is known about the environmental literacy of key stakeholders – nearby residents and recreational user groups. A mail survey was conducted to assess public environmental knowledge, attitudes, and information needs about watershed manage...

Watercraft collisions account for 25-30% of manatee deaths annually in Florida. Education and outreach interventions for boaters are strategies for reducing manatee mortality. We evaluated the effectiveness of the Manatee Watch program by surveying primary boat users whose boats were approached by Manatee Watch. We compared the attitudes, knowledge...