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CUSTOM TRUCKS, RADIO SNAKE JINGLES, AND TEMPORARY TATTOOS: AN OVERVIEW OF A SUCCESSFUL PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN RELATED TO BROWN TREESNAKES IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
Abstract
The brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) was introduced on Guam during post World War II cargo movements. Brown treesnakes (BTS) have now become exceptionally abundant on Guam and pose a direct, significant, and growing threat to other areas outside of their historic range, including the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), the State of Hawaii, the United States mainland and other sites regionally and internationally. The CNMI is at high risk for a BTS introduction due to its close proximity and the types and amount of cargo received. Limited BTS awareness efforts between 1986 and 2002 in the CNMI resulted in an average response time of 126 hours indicating that an increased awareness of appropriate response actions among the public was needed. An awareness campaign was outlined in three phases: (1) baseline public survey, (2) ten month awareness campaign, and (3) re-evaluation survey. The CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) staff and an outside advertising firm created a baseline survey to gather media consumption information and environmental attitudes. Conclusions of the baseline survey were then utilized to create a ten month awareness campaign to improve average response times. After the campaign, average response times decreased from 126 hours to 1 hour 42 minutes. The re-evaluation survey confirmed the success of specific campaign components and directs current awareness efforts.
... People who have knowledge of issues and related management plans are more likely to support management if the purpose of the management is acceptable based on existing values and beliefs (Bremner & Park, 2007;Kakoyannis, Shindler, & Stankey, 2001). Hawley (2007) Past experiences such as hearing or reading media reports of human-wildlife conflicts, observing the species in the wild, and experiencing property damage may affect perception of the species' densities and promote specific attitudes toward the species (Riley & Decker, 2000). People who have had negative experiences are more likely to support some aspect of management, as long as the proposed management does not interfere with deeply held values and beliefs (Loyd & Miller, 2010a). ...
... This finding suggests that the broadcast media could be a more effective tool to increase support than educational programs. To be effective, educational and informational programs should be designed to target specific stakeholders (Hawley, 2007). Based on our results, we suggest that younger people, females, and people residing in Kanagawa less than a year should be target audiences. ...
... Further studies to identify priority topics for particular stakeholders should also be included in developing management options. Few studies (e.g., Hawley, 2007) have quantitatively evaluated the effectiveness of applying factors identified by studies such as presented here for developing outreach and education strategies in IAS management. A follow-up study to assess the effectiveness of our findings for developing management strategies would contribute to future management of both IAS and other wildlife in Japan. ...
Efforts to eradicate Invasive Alien Species (IAS) often become controversial, yet public support is essential for the success of eradication projects. Issues regarding IAS often require immediate action, but information about public attitudes toward and support for IAS management in Japan is lacking. This study examined public preferences for eradication of raccoons (Procyon lotor) (classified as an IAS in Japan) and identified factors affecting preference. Data were obtained from residents of Kanagawa prefecture in Japan via a Web survey. Logistic regression models revealed that preference for eradication of raccoons was relatively low (31%), and that the public lacked knowledge regarding raccoon management. Attitudes toward raccoons, attitudes toward damage, knowledge of raccoon issues, age, gender, and duration of residence were predictors of public preference for eradication. Preference for eradication was not related to having seen the once popular “Raccoon Rascal” cartoon.
... Millions of dollars are spent annually on BTS interdiction, mitigation, and scientific research due to the ecological and economic damage they cause and the high risk of invasion they pose to other regions (Engeman et al. 2018). Local and federal resource management agencies have organized public campaigns to raise awareness about BTS on neighboring islands (Hawley 2007) and on Guam, including a focus on preventing BTS from reaching Islan Dåno' (Cocos Island, hereafter Dåno'), an offshore islet of high conservation value previously thought to be snake-free (Guam Department of Agriculture 2017). There is therefore great impetus for community members to report BTS in areas outside their current range. ...
Islan Dåno' (Cocos Island) is an islet of high conservation value located 2.5 km off Guam, USA, in the Western Pacific. It has long been considered free from invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis; BTS). A recently confirmed breeding population of BTS puts its wildlife populations, including U.S. Endangered Species Act-listed lizard and bird species, at risk. In response, we established Guam's first volunteer group dedicated to BTS eradication, which we named Friends of Islan Dåno'. We provided training to local volunteer snake searchers and organized regular night searches for BTS on Islan Dåno'. We completed 25 searches between June 2021 and January 2022, which were attended by 89 individual volunteers and removed 14 BTS from the island. This case study provides an example of how public participation can be successfully promoted within the context of a complex multi-agency invasive species eradication project.
... Education has proven to be one of the most effective approaches to the protection of natural resources and cultural heritage. Public service announcements (PSAs) have proven effective in the Pacific, particularly in Saipan, in raising awareness about environmental concerns (see Hawley, 2007 for a discussion on PSAs and eradicating brown snakes in the "Don't give snakes a break" campaign). Thus, it was determined that PSAs would be a useful outreach and education tool for the cave project. ...
Indigenous Pacific Islander heritage has often been investigated through the scope of Western values and ideas. On the island of Saipan in the Western Pacific, this is apparent with the continued focus on combatant military history from World War II and tangible material culture (WWII). In this chapter, two projects focused on Indigenous perspectives and tangible and intangible heritage of the battle for Saipan are discussed, as well as the community-centered approaches taken by these projects. By incorporating oral histories, promoting community involvement in all stages of the research, and providing products and data to the community in a variety of ways, these projects advocate for future projects focused on Indigenous perspectives of war.KeywordsWWIIPacificIndigenousInternment campsCaves
... Finally, limited effort has been made to assess the extent to which previous and current public policy efforts effectively address local needs and concerns and motivate individual citizens to engage in invasive species management actions on their own. So far, few studies have evaluated the various public outreach efforts that aim to increase public awareness and willingness to report sightings of, eradicate, and/or control invasive species (Fritts 2007;Hawley 2007;Martin 2007;Reaser and Meyers 2007). The use of human dimensions research to evaluate a broader range of invasive species policies and programs will provide important insights that can be used in the development of future policies and programs to incentivize the public (including private landowners) to engage in invasive species management actions individually or collectively. ...
Invasive species and their management represent a complex issue spanning social and ecological systems. Invasive species present existing and potential threats to the nature of ecosystems and the products and services that people receive from them. Humans can both cause and address problems through their complex interactions with ecosystems. Yet, public awareness of invasive species and their impact is highly uneven, and public support for management and control of invasive species can be variable. Public perceptions often differ markedly from the perspectives of concerned scientists, and perceptions and support for management are influenced by a wide range of social and ecological values. In this chapter, we present a broad survey of social science research across a diversity of ecosystems and stakeholders in order to provide a foundation for understanding the social and cultural dimensions of invasive species and plan more effective management approaches. This chapter also addresses tribal perspectives on invasive species, including traditional ecological knowledge, unique cultural dimensions for tribes, and issues critical to engaging tribes as partners and leaders in invasive species management. Recognizing that natural resource managers often seek to change people’s perceptions and behaviors, we present and discuss some promising approaches that are being used to engage human communities in ways that empower and enlist stakeholders as partners in management.
... One of the aims of the project was to utilize information gleaned during the public consultation process to raise awareness about the protection of archaeological cave sites more broadly across the island. PSAs (public service announcements on radio and TV) have proven effective on Saipan in raising awareness about biological concerns (Hawley 2007) and more generally in the Pacific related to health issues (Aitaoto et al. 2009). As such, it was determined that PSAs would be a useful outreach and education tool for the project. ...
This paper summarizes a project that involved a community consensus-building and preservation effort focused on the protection of WWII-related caves on private property in Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The project was designed to assess local interest in protecting sites on private property, increase awareness and advocacy for their protection, and create a preservation plan for protection of these sites by both the community and regulatory agencies. As such, it took a community archaeology approach to working with descendant communities on conflict heritage sites.
... • Opportunistic encounters are presently being reported to state/territory or national hotlines. Hotlines of this sort have proven to be of enormous value in locating snakes (Gibble et al. 2014;Hawley 2007). In addition, volunteers can be encouraged to provide systematic searches in areas of special interest. ...
This plan provides basic information and procedures that can be used to respond to terrestrial
snake incursions in Australia. It is designed to be used as a reference resource for the preparation
of species, and region/area specific emergency response plans should a terrestrial snake incursion
occur. Information and techniques in this plan cannot cover all species; as a result, the plan focuses on
five of the 17 Families (Boidae, Pythonidae, Colubridae, Elapidae, and Viperidae). The selection of
Families and genera included in this plan is representative of species that have, or may enter Australia
and is based on their impact, risk of incursion and establishment, and prevalence in the international
and Australian wildlife trade. Species held in zoos or wildlife parks under permit are also included.
... As discussed earlier, passive surveillance is the most fortuitous and accidental of all types of community surveillance (Fig. 1). It is activated and maintained through public awareness campaigns and their associated community engagement activities. 1 Community engagement activities about invasive species are known to raise awareness of that issue (Marchante et al. 2010;Martin 2007;Reis et al. 2011), result in increased passive surveillance (Brooks and Galway 2008;Witmer et al. 2007), reduce reporting times following detection (Hawley 2007), and increase cost-effectiveness of public engagement events over time (Cacho et al. 2012). ...
It has been recognised for some time that the community has an important role to play in invasive-species management. Reports from the community about new incursions can lead to significant cost savings when this early detection results in shorter management programs. Unfortunately there is little to guide invasive-species managers on cost-effective ways to elicit and incorporate information from the public in their pest-management programs. Not all community surveillance is equal: some information from the public about the presence of pests and diseases may arise from chance encounters, other data may be reported by stakeholders from a particular industry or by groups of volunteers organised on the basis of citizen science activities. While the resources, activities and effort required to encourage each type of community surveillance are known to differ, very little is known of the relationships that determine effectiveness, and thus the appropriate level of investment that would be required to encourage a particular level of reporting. In this research we focus on passive surveillance—the most fortuitous type of community surveillance—and review the current knowledge base on measuring its cost and effectiveness. We aim to stimulate the research required to improve our understanding of passive surveillance, and we provide guidance on the type of data that should be collected by agencies to enable this research. This information could then provide us with the ability to design optimal surveillance portfolios that integrate the surveillance opportunities provided by the public to best advantage.
... Because invasive species management involves difficult, value-laden decisions about when and how to intervene (White et al. 2008) and uncertainty in risk assessment leading to conflict among stakeholders (Stokes et al. 2006), public engagement can be critical to success of management policies (Bremner and Park 2007;Garc ıa-Llorente et al. 2008). Efforts to engage the public take various forms, including use of local knowledge in decision making (e.g., Sch€ uttler, Rozzi, and Jax 2011), awareness campaigns to encourage people to report invaders (e.g., Hawley 2007), and direct involvement of volunteers in invasive species removal efforts (e.g., Simberloff 2009). Increasingly, incentive programs are being used to encourage recreational harvest of invasive wildlife such as Asian carp, lionfish, and feral pigs (Pasko and Goldberg 2014). ...
Public engagement is important to invasive species management, and recreational harvest programs are one way agencies seek to involve the public and raise awareness. We surveyed participants (n = 660) and non-participants (n = 77) in the 2013 Python ChallengeTM to understand whether this event achieved its primary goal of raising awareness of the ecological impact of Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) in south Florida. Respondents indicated a high level of ‘concern’ about the seriousness of the python problem and the need for management actions. Concern was affected positively by environmental motivations, experience of seeing pythons in the wild, older age, and female sex, but negatively by level of Python Challenge involvement. Results suggest that ‘proximate’ experience of not seeing a python may reduce concern, whereas ‘ongoing’ experience may temper concern without diminishing involvement. This research highlights the role of experience in shaping beliefs and advises diligence in public participation programs.
... Since 1992, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands has worked to increase public awareness of the threat posed by brown tree snakes (Hawley 2007). ...
Invasive vertebrate species can cause substantial damage to natural resources, property, crops, livestock, and pose a disease hazard to humans, native wildlife and domestic animals. Numerous island species have become extinct or are threatened with extinction from invasive species. The high rate of invasive species introductions continues because of the large volumes of world trade and international travel. Humans are often responsible for introductions, but are also the key to their prevention, management, and eradication. However, many of the values and perceptions of invasive species vary among humans. Hence, the prevention and control of invasive vertebrates often requires adjusting human behaviors, values, and beliefs, along with changing the way decisions are made. Most people have little idea of which species are invasive, what their impacts are, and what control methods might be appropriate for their management. A wide variety of education, outreach, and training programs are needed to help motivate people to take action and raise awareness of the causes of establishment, consequences of invasive species, and the need for prevention, control, and eradication programs. Key messages should target diverse audiences through appropriate media outlets and methods. Surveys to better understand how different stakeholder groups view invasive species, the threats they pose, and the potential methods of control are also needed. We review several programs in place to help achieve the critical need for an informed and active public with regard to invasive vertebrate species. The programs help create an informed public, generate public and financial support for invasive species management, train the public to recognize and report sightings of invasives, and encourage sustainable ecosystems.
Invasive alien species (IAS), introduced intentionally or inadvertently, are one of the main drivers of global environmental change and cause significant ecological and economic damage. IAS threaten biosecurity, human and animal health, ecosystem services, and important social aspects of cultures and communities on every continent. Underserved and marginalized peoples are at great risk from alien species invasions. The issue is a global crisis of enormous proportion and has grown insidiously for decades, exacerbated by the globalization of world economies and increased trade and travel. Globally, the concern for IAS varies greatly from nation to nation, and often lacks the level of conscious proactivity necessary to effectively address the threats before they are insurmountable. This is largely due to capacity limitations for most nations and is aggravated by shortage of funds to implement strategies, lack of policies, and variable levels of public awareness and perspectives on risk. Most importantly, IAS is yet to emerge as a priority issue to tackle for most countries, although there are some changes visible now. The spread of a novel coronavirus (COVID‐19) has rocketed the global biosecurity issue to a new level of consciousness, perhaps galvanizing the world about the importance of disease pandemics and demonstrating that the IAS threat has so many parallel aspects of risk and spread. Through this publication, we attempt to compile information for a better understanding of the global threat of IAS, the diverse array of issues resultant of invasion, and considerations by decision makers for management. It shares information from every continent on the planet. We also attempt to provide a variety of perspectives, problems, solutions, and considerations relevant to invasions, and help illustrate how a large portion of world nations, cultures, communities, and organizations are struggling with the same issues as their neighbors do against the IAS threat. It thus becomes necessary to highlight the IAS threat in terms of a global “call to action” at multiple scales and challenge the world to unify and collaborate at all levels.
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