Environmental Awareness and Knowledge in the Watsonville Area 2008

Transcription

1 Environmental Awareness and Knowledge in the Watsonville Area 2008 Applied Survey Research P.O. Box 1927, Watsonville, CA (831) West Hedding, Suite 102, San Jose, CA (408)

2

3 Environmental Awareness and Knowledge in the Watsonville Area 2008 Introduction The Pajaro Valley is a diverse ecosystem in southern Santa Cruz County that includes urban and rural communities, rich agricultural lands, the Pajaro River, and some of the largest remaining freshwater sloughs on California s central coast. The water systems of the Pajaro Valley flow directly into Monterey Bay. With its high percentage of Mexican immigrants, the Watsonville community reflects both the cultural and socio-political diversity of the Monterey Bay area. In December, 2004, Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) began an integrated approach to ocean conservation through a long-term partnership called Mar y Campo (Sea and Field) with communities in the Pajaro Valley. Mar y Campo helps to realize MBA s strategic goal of creating the next generation of ocean conservationists through a series of culturally relevant programs that will inspire young people, educators, community organizations, and families to develop a stronger connection to the Aquarium, the local environment, and the ocean, and encourage them to take the next steps in becoming active and effective conservationists. The Long-Term Outcomes of Mar y Campo Include: 1. Pajaro Valley/Watsonville community members will see MBA as part of their community. They will know about and participate in MBA programs both at the Aquarium and in the community. 2. Community members will be inspired and act to conserve the ocean and their local environment. 3. Pajaro Valley/Watsonville youth will become conservation leaders in their community and beyond. Research Partner and Project Approach To measure progress towards these outcomes, MBA hired Applied Survey Research (ASR), a Watsonville-based community nonprofit social research firm with over 28 years of experience helping organizations measure, improve, and sustain their service initiatives by creating meaningful data, facilitating information-based planning, and developing system strategies. The MBA staff and ASR worked together to develop an Adult Community Survey and Youth Survey with the purpose of studying the long-term impact of Mar y Campo on the Pajaro Valley/Watsonville community. These surveys will provide MBA with an initial measure against which they can compare future survey results, and assess change over time Applied Survey Research 1

4 Environmental Awareness and Knowledge in the Watsonville Area 2008 Methodology Two custom surveys were used to collect primary data: a telephone survey of adult Watsonville and Pajaro residents, and a self-administered survey of youth ages 15 to 19 attending school and/or living in the Watsonville and Pajaro area. Both surveys received approval from ASR s Institutional Review Board (IRB) which approves, monitors, and reviews any research that involves interaction with people, with the aim of protecting the rights and welfare of these people. Data from these surveys will be used as an initial measure against which MBA can compare future survey results and assess change over time. Adult Community Survey In December, 2007, Applied Survey Research (ASR) conducted a random digit dial (RDD) telephone survey, in both English and Spanish, with 401 Watsonville area residents, ages 18 years or older. ASR is 95% confident that the opinions of the overall survey respondents do not differ from those of the population of Watsonville by more than +/- 5%. This margin of error is useful in assessing how likely it is that the responses observed in the sample would be found in the population of all residents in Watsonville if every resident were polled. Youth Survey The 2008 Youth Survey was a self-administered survey conducted in January and February, 2008 with 290 respondents ages 15 to 19 years old who were recruited by 36 Youth Survey Coordinators (YSCs) of the same age. YSCs represented local public high schools including Watsonville High School and Pajaro Valley High School, alternative schools, adult education, and youth not attending school. Prior to participation, all YSCs were required to have a consent form signed by their parent if they were under 18 years old and complete an extensive survey facilitation training. MBA paid each YSC $5 per completed survey. YSCs confirmed that potential survey respondents lived in the Watsonville/ Pajaro area or attended a local Watsonville/ Pajaro area school prior to survey administration. Survey respondents were also asked to sign an informed consent form before receiving the survey. Once the consent form was returned to the YSC, the respondent received the survey and a marked envelope. The YSC waited nearby while the survey was completed. To ensure confidentiality, respondents placed their completed survey in the provided envelope prior to returning the survey to the YSC. Once the survey was turned in, respondents were compensated with a $5 gift card to Starbucks Applied Survey Research

5 Environmental Awareness and Knowledge in the Watsonville Area 2008 Major Findings & Implications Research Question #1: How familiar are Pajaro Valley/Watsonville community members with Monterey Bay Aquarium, its programs, and its role in ocean conservation? Are they aware of conservation organizations and activities in their community? Youth and adult respondents were knowledgeable about the Monterey Bay Aquarium and most had visited the Aquarium. Eighty-six percent (86%) of adults and 90% of youth had visited the Aquarium. o Adult Caucasian respondents were significantly more likely than Latino respondents to have visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Youth and adult respondents were aware of the role aquariums have in addressing ocean and marine issues. A little over two-thirds (69%) of youth strongly agreed or agreed that they knew about what aquariums do to help the oceans and marine life whereas almost threequarters (74%) of adults strongly agreed or agreed that they knew a lot about what aquariums do to help the ocean and marine life. Adult respondents were most aware of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the Watsonville Wetlands Watch. However, less than a third of adults had heard of MBA programs, such as Seafood Watch, Shelf to Shore, Splash Zone Head Start, Young Women in Science, and WATCH. o Adult Caucasian respondents were significantly more likely than Latino respondents to be aware of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the Watsonville Wetlands Watch, and Seafood Watch programs. o Adult Latino (27%) respondents were significantly more likely than Caucasian respondents (13%) to be aware of the Shelf to Shore program. Participation in Aquarium programs was low among youth respondents; however, the majority had participated in a field trip to the Aquarium. Youth involvement in environmental activities most often took the form of a student field trip to the Aquarium (83%). Less than 10% of surveyed youth were involved in the Aquarium Members Program, Student Guides, WATCH, and the Student Oceanography Club Applied Survey Research 3

6 Environmental Awareness and Knowledge in the Watsonville Area 2008 Youth respondents indicated that they rely primarily on the Internet for information whereas adult respondents reported that newspapers and magazines were their primary sources of environmental information. Adults relied on the Monterey Bay Aquarium (44%) as a source of information about the environment less than standard media sources, such as newspapers and magazines (69%), television (61%), and radio (56%). o Adult Latino respondents were significantly more likely than Caucasian respondents to get information about the environment from television, friends/ family-word of mouth, radio, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Compared to adults (59%), more youth turned to the Internet/ web sites (74%) as their primary source of information about the environment. Implications for Mar y Campo Initiatives: Both youth and adults in the Pajaro Valley/Watsonville community felt that they understand the role the aquariums plays in ocean conservation; however, significantly fewer Latinos than Caucasians felt knowledgeable about ocean issues and aquariums role. Additionally, the community as a whole was unfamiliar with many of the MBA programs. There was a large and new prospective audience in the Pajaro Valley for MBA programs that increase ocean conservation awareness and action. The MBA needs to identify better ways to share program information with community members and work to eliminate barriers to their participation. Research Question #2: How aware are Pajaro Valley/Watsonville community members of local and ocean conservation issues? How involved are they in various conservation activities? healthy oceans for future generations. Youth and adult respondents cared about ocean health and felt personally responsible for the preservation of local wetlands and the ocean. Virtually all adult (100%) and youth respondents (97%) agreed or strongly agreed that We need to take responsibility for ocean health today to ensure that there are The large majority of youth agreed or strongly agreed that A healthy ocean is important to me (93%) Applied Survey Research

7 Environmental Awareness and Knowledge in the Watsonville Area 2008 Only a small percentage of adult and youth respondents rated the condition of their local ocean as excellent. Adult respondents rated the condition of their local ocean more highly than the condition of their local natural environment. Forty-three percent (43%) of adult respondents rated the health and quality of their local ocean as good, while only 15% rated it as excellent. o In comparison, 26% of youth rated the health and quality of their local ocean as good, while 3% rated it as excellent. When asked to rate the condition of the natural environment in the Watsonville area, nearly half of adults rated it as excellent (7%) or good (38%). Water pollution and littering were identified as conservation issues that concerned youth and adult respondents most. Adults thought that the most serious ocean conservation issues were oil spills in the ocean 1 (83%), commercial fishing (63%), and trash on beaches (62%). o Adult Latino respondents were significantly more likely than Caucasian respondents to feel that oil spills in the ocean and trash on beaches were very serious ocean conservation problems. Youth reported that they were most concerned about pollution of drinking water (63%) and trash or litter (62%). Youth and adult respondents were knowledgeable about the local environment. A majority (83%) of adult respondents felt somewhat or very knowledgeable about Watsonville s natural environment, compared to 77% of youth respondents. o Adult Caucasian respondents were significantly more likely than Latino respondents to report being knowledgeable. Youth and adult respondents reported that they often talk to their families about various environmental issues. Most adults reported that they talk to their family always or frequently about littering (75%) and water conservation (64%). o Adult Latino respondents were significantly more likely than Caucasians to report talking to their family about littering and water conservation. Forty-three percent (43%) of adults said that their children always or frequently share information or discuss the natural environment with them. 1 The oil spill involving the Costco Busan in the San Francisco Bay occurred during the telephone surveying and may have influenced responses Applied Survey Research 5

8 Environmental Awareness and Knowledge in the Watsonville Area 2008 Similar percentages of youth said they talk every day or at least once a week with their family about littering (44%), water conservation (43%), and energy conservation (41%). More youth than adult respondents had participated in beach clean-ups. About one quarter (26%) of adults and a third (34%) of youth said that they have participated in beach clean-ups in the past 12 months. Adult respondents reported that they donated money to an environmental cause more than they volunteered. Thirty-eight percent (38%) of adult respondents donated money to an environmental cause and 20% volunteered for an environmental cause. o Adult Caucasian respondents were significantly more likely than Latino respondents to volunteer and donate money. Many adult respondents reported that they did not have enough free time to devote to environmental activities. Implications for Mar y Campo Initiatives: Over half (58%) of adults reported having a barrier that prevented them from being involved in environmental activities. o Adult Caucasian respondents were significantly more likely than Latino respondents to report that they had a barrier that prevented them from being involved in environmental activities. The top two reasons given for not being involved were time/ work (57%) and health/ age issues (21%). There data showed that there is a strong environmental ethic in the community. Residents of Pajaro Valley/Watsonville reported that they value and feel a personal responsibility for the ocean and their local environment. Many reported participating in outdoor activities with their families, visiting parks, the beach, and local trails. They were also concerned about environmental issues. Recycling and litter reduction are widely practiced in the community, but barriers to participation in other conservation activities exist among adults. Family members communicate regularly about environmental issues and concerns. Participation in conservation action could be increased by: o Using the school as a conduit to sharing accurate and timely information with the community Applied Survey Research

9 Environmental Awareness and Knowledge in the Watsonville Area 2008 o Identifying meaningful and easy-to-implement conservation actions that tie directly to the health of the local community. o Finding ways to eliminate or circumvent some of the barriers that residents feel. Research Question #3: Do members of the Pajaro Valley/Watsonville community see youth as conservation leaders in their community? Adult respondents value Watsonville youth more highly than the youth respondents perceive they are valued. Eighty-three percent (83%) of adult respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the Watsonville community values youth, compared to 61% of youth responding to the same question. Over half (59%) of youth agreed or strongly agreed that adults around me value youth. The majority (72%) of adult respondents agreed or strongly agreed that youth have a positive impact in their community. Youth and adult respondents believed that youth have a role to play in local environmental activities. Compared to adult respondents, a higher percentage of youth respondents agreed or strongly agreed that youth play an active role in caring for our local environment (80% of youth vs. 74% of adults), energy conservation (77% vs. 70%), and water conservation (79% vs. 69%). A higher percentage of adults agreed or strongly agreed that youth played an active role in wetlands conservation (76%) than did youth (68%). Youth respondents reported recycling at school and felt supported by their schools to improve the environment. Most (81%) youth agreed or strongly agreed that their school encourages them to improve the environment. A higher percentage of Pajaro Valley High students than Watsonville High students said that their school encourages them to improve the environment (95% vs. 79%). Only about one-third (34%) of youth always recycle at school, and about another third (29%) of youth respondents reported frequently recycling at school. Implications for Mar y Campo Initiatives: A generally positive attitude about youth exists in the community. Both adults and youth felt that youth have an important and active role to play in conservation. Youth-led conservation activities could have a potentially substantial impact on the awareness, understanding and involvement in conservation behaviors in the community Applied Survey Research 7