Educators’ and Visitors’ Perceptions of Invasive Species Education in Zoos

Abstract

Management of invasive alien species (IAS) depends on public awareness and cooperation, which may be increased by effective IAS education by zoos. We administered a questionnaire to visitors (n = 221) and educators (n = 44) at three Association of Zoos and Aquariums facilities in Florida to explore their perceptions of the content and effectiveness of IAS education at these facilities. Most visitors recalled seeing IAS on display, with 80% of visitors stating that they considered zoos to be a place to learn about IAS. Both visitors and educators agreed that minimal information on how IAS are introduced to Florida was presented. They also agreed that greater implementation of shows and presentations pertaining to IAS would be highly effective in educating the public about IAS and the need for actions to mitigate species invasions. Zoos may improve their educational effectiveness by making visitors aware of IAS citizen science programs and implementing interactive educational methods.

Keywords:

• Conservation messages
• Florida
• introduction pathways
• management
• non-native
• outreach

Acknowledgments

We thank C.D. Raymond, R.J. Lee, A.D. Glass, and C.A. Fox III for their contributions to this research and manuscript. We would also like to thank the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida for funding this research through their Jennings Scholarship.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Ethics approval

This research was approved on June 14th, 2019 by the University of Florida Institutional Review Board (IRB protocol #201901426).

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to their containing information that could compromise the privacy of research participants.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded through a scholarship (Jennings Scholarship) obtained via the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida.

Notes on contributors

Zachary T. Steele

Zachary Steele received his undergraduate degree in biology from the University of South Florida (Tampa) in 2016. He left Florida in early 2018 to briefly live in Lakeside, California and then to work for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Riverdale, North Dakota. Zachary returned to Florida in 2018 to pursue a Master of Science (MS) degree in wildlife ecology and conservation at the University of Florida (UF). He received his MS in 2020 from UF and now is pursuing his PhD in Ecological Sciences at Old Dominion University.

Elizabeth F. Pienaar

Dr. Elizabeth F. Pienaar received her PhD in agricultural and resource economics from the University of California, Davis, in 2009. She specializes in the human dimensions of wildlife conservation and environmental economics. From 2012 to 2020 she was a faculty member in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, before transitioning to the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia in August 2020. Her research focuses on how human dimensions theories and methods can be used to inform invasion science and improved management of invasion risks.