Ecotourism and Environmental Ecotourism and Environmental Education: Exploring the RelationshipEducation: Exploring the Relationship

Courtney Hughes, Master of Education, Lakehead UniversityCourtney Hughes, Master of Education, Lakehead UniversityBob Jickling, Thesis Supervisor Bob Jickling, Thesis Supervisor

I was inspired to explore this issue because of my research at the I was inspired to explore this issue because of my research at the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in Otjiwarongo, Namibia. Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in Otjiwarongo, Namibia.

Drawings from children in School Group A; valuations of the cheetah as a tourist attraction, aesthetic qualities (such as beauty), and ecology (its role as a predator).

•collaborated with CCF’s Education program to explore farming children's collaborated with CCF’s Education program to explore farming children's value-based relationships with cheetahs through storytelling activitiesvalue-based relationships with cheetahs through storytelling activities•children created drawn, written, and verbal stories about their children created drawn, written, and verbal stories about their perceptions of, and lived experiences with, cheetahs. perceptions of, and lived experiences with, cheetahs.

Data analysis and interpretations revealed that:Data analysis and interpretations revealed that:•some children appeared to (re)construct valuations of cheetahs as a some children appeared to (re)construct valuations of cheetahs as a tourist attraction, in addition to valuations of the cheetah’s aesthetic tourist attraction, in addition to valuations of the cheetah’s aesthetic qualities, and biological or ecological significance.qualities, and biological or ecological significance.

I also examined CCF’s educational I also examined CCF’s educational materials to learn how children's materials to learn how children's experiences at CCF affect how they experiences at CCF affect how they interpret, internalize, and (re)construct interpret, internalize, and (re)construct their valuations of cheetahs through their valuations of cheetahs through their learning experiences at CCFtheir learning experiences at CCF.•used Elliot Eisner’s (1979) concept of used Elliot Eisner’s (1979) concept of the three curricula as an analytic toolthe three curricula as an analytic tool

•explored statements made through explored statements made through the explicit curricula, embedded the explicit curricula, embedded messages of the implicit curricula, and messages of the implicit curricula, and excluded content of the null curricula excluded content of the null curricula

•evidence suggests CCF portrays their evidence suggests CCF portrays their valuations of cheetahs in valuations of cheetahs in anthropocentric waysanthropocentric ways

•intrinsic valuations were not conveyed intrinsic valuations were not conveyed to children through educational to children through educational materials or activitiesmaterials or activities

•CCF’s cheetah run is a popular tourist attraction, despite its CCF’s cheetah run is a popular tourist attraction, despite its intentions as a form of daily physical activity for cheetahs. intentions as a form of daily physical activity for cheetahs. •interested in the concept of ecotourism and how it might be interested in the concept of ecotourism and how it might be used in environmental education programs. used in environmental education programs. •The International Ecotourism Society’s The International Ecotourism Society’s (2007) definition states:(2007) definition states:

In this conception, some principles of ecotourism are:In this conception, some principles of ecotourism are:

•nature preservation and conservation, to maintain ecosystems in nature preservation and conservation, to maintain ecosystems in undisturbed statesundisturbed states

•minimal damage to the system through activities, such as hiking, minimal damage to the system through activities, such as hiking, paddling, or campingpaddling, or camping

•focus on quality learning experiences to support harmonious focus on quality learning experiences to support harmonious interactions between nature and humansinteractions between nature and humans

•experiencing local cultures, to foster respect and appreciationexperiencing local cultures, to foster respect and appreciation

•active participation to infer mentality of stewardship, to help protect active participation to infer mentality of stewardship, to help protect and preserve the natural environmentand preserve the natural environment

However, ecotourism However, ecotourism activities can have activities can have detrimental effects on the detrimental effects on the natural world. For example:natural world. For example:•air, Water, and soil air, Water, and soil pollution. pollution.

•vandalism, graffiti, and vandalism, graffiti, and trampling of supposedly trampling of supposedly “protected areas.”“protected areas.”

•illegal collection of illegal collection of valuable plants and valuable plants and artefacts.artefacts.

•disturbances and stress disturbances and stress on animals experienced.on animals experienced.

In my experiences at CCF, with In my experiences at CCF, with the school groups, documents, the school groups, documents, and the cheetah run, I and the cheetah run, I developed two contrasting developed two contrasting perceptions of Ecotourism.perceptions of Ecotourism.

•Ecotourism can be an Ecotourism can be an effective series of activities effective series of activities that experientiallythat experientially teach teach individuals about the wonders individuals about the wonders and complexities of the natural and complexities of the natural world.world.

•activities to engage activities to engage individuals in thoughtful individuals in thoughtful considerations of the considerations of the uniqueness and sentience of uniqueness and sentience of the natural world, as well as the natural world, as well as the human role in nature.the human role in nature.

In these instances: In these instances: •experiences resonate with individualsexperiences resonate with individuals•enable awareness and understanding of nature’s intricate enable awareness and understanding of nature’s intricate and interconnected processesand interconnected processes•enable individuals to (re)construct intrinsic valuations of enable individuals to (re)construct intrinsic valuations of naturenature•may be the catalyst to effect change in human behaviors, change in human behaviors, thinking, and attitudes regarding how we live within the thinking, and attitudes regarding how we live within the natural world.natural world.

•might be an effective educational strategy to enable might be an effective educational strategy to enable individuals to think about, and potentially (re)construct, individuals to think about, and potentially (re)construct, personally meaningful intrinsic valuations of the natural personally meaningful intrinsic valuations of the natural world.world.

On the other hand:On the other hand:

•Ecotourism can be a form Ecotourism can be a form of exploitation to animal of exploitation to animal species, landscapes, and species, landscapes, and even cultures, where even cultures, where activities may be based on activities may be based on monetary gains or an monetary gains or an “entertainment factor.” “entertainment factor.”

In these instances:In these instances:

•ecotourism may support ecotourism may support anthropocentric valuations anthropocentric valuations of the natural worldof the natural world

•anthropocentric valuations anthropocentric valuations rest on the utilitarian rest on the utilitarian purposes, economic gains, purposes, economic gains, or materialistic gratification or materialistic gratification the natural world can offer the natural world can offer human lifehuman life

•little or no intrinsic value is little or no intrinsic value is recognized or attributed to recognized or attributed to the natural world.the natural world.

• no no officialofficial globalglobal ecotourism certificationecotourism certification schemescheme

•leaves the interpretation to what actually constitutes and leaves the interpretation to what actually constitutes and guides ecotourism activities open to debate and scrutiny guides ecotourism activities open to debate and scrutiny

•for example, practices are open for individualized or political for example, practices are open for individualized or political interpretationsinterpretations

•may reflect economic and utilitarian worth over ecological may reflect economic and utilitarian worth over ecological integrity and intrinsic valuations.integrity and intrinsic valuations.

Costa Rica example:•now one of the more polluted tourist destinations, due to the high influx of activities. •mass amounts of pollution through ecotourism activities•disruption to sensitive species•displacement of people for site development.

Consider how environmental education programs might Consider how environmental education programs might incorporate ecotourism practices into their activities, and incorporate ecotourism practices into their activities, and what affect this may have on learning outcomeswhat affect this may have on learning outcomes..

Two possible outcomes (but realize there are many more):Two possible outcomes (but realize there are many more):

A) Ecotourism conceptions may contribute to an A) Ecotourism conceptions may contribute to an environmental education program’s conservation or environmental education program’s conservation or sustainability goals by teaching individuals about the sustainability goals by teaching individuals about the complexities and interrelatedness of all life on Earth. complexities and interrelatedness of all life on Earth. Experiences with the program(s) may enable individuals to Experiences with the program(s) may enable individuals to (re)construct intrinsic valuations of the natural world in its (re)construct intrinsic valuations of the natural world in its totality, through direct and immediate nature experiences.totality, through direct and immediate nature experiences.

B) Ecotourism practices may unwittingly yet certainly B) Ecotourism practices may unwittingly yet certainly undermine an environmental education program's efforts of, undermine an environmental education program's efforts of, for example, species conservation by promoting negative, for example, species conservation by promoting negative, devaluing relationships with nature through exploitation. This devaluing relationships with nature through exploitation. This may result in the domination, control, and potential may result in the domination, control, and potential destruction of the natural world for economic gains and destruction of the natural world for economic gains and utilitarian needs. Moreover, cultures may be devalued through utilitarian needs. Moreover, cultures may be devalued through exploitation of the people’s traditions, heritage, etc.exploitation of the people’s traditions, heritage, etc.

Given these Given these considerations I question:considerations I question:

1.1. How might environmental How might environmental education programs be education programs be affected by the affected by the ecotourism industry? ecotourism industry?

2.2. How might individuals How might individuals who experience these who experience these programs (re)construct programs (re)construct their value-based their value-based relationships with the relationships with the natural world?natural world?

3.3. What are some ideas to What are some ideas to help mitigate the help mitigate the complexities inherent in complexities inherent in an ecotourism definition, an ecotourism definition, and how it may affect the and how it may affect the goals of environmental goals of environmental education programs?education programs?

•propose that environmental education programs incorporating propose that environmental education programs incorporating ecotourism activities should consider how they portray animals, ecotourism activities should consider how they portray animals, landscapes, or cultures to visitorslandscapes, or cultures to visitors

•also consider how an individual's experiences might enable the also consider how an individual's experiences might enable the (re)construction of intrinsic valuations of nature, rather than (re)construction of intrinsic valuations of nature, rather than anthropocentric valuationsanthropocentric valuations

SuggestSuggest that environmental education programs: that environmental education programs:

•attend to values and beliefs of staff, and of the program’s attend to values and beliefs of staff, and of the program’s educational agenda, to help mitigate influential effects on educational agenda, to help mitigate influential effects on learnerslearners

•incorporate hands-on, interactive, unobtrusive, learner-centred incorporate hands-on, interactive, unobtrusive, learner-centred experiences that highlight the natural world as an experiences that highlight the natural world as an interconnected system.interconnected system.

•engage individuals in critical thinking, to enable reflection on engage individuals in critical thinking, to enable reflection on personally meaningful valuations of the natural world.personally meaningful valuations of the natural world.

Thank you

ReferencesReferences

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(2007). Exploitation of the eco-tourism label is so rife in Costa (2007). Exploitation of the eco-tourism label is so rife in Costa Rica that some travellers have dubbed it Eco-Disney!Rica that some travellers have dubbed it Eco-Disney! Accessed: May 20, 2008. Available: http:www.frontiercostarica.comhttp:www.frontiercostarica.com

(2007). International Ecotourism Society. Accessed: April 10, (2007). International Ecotourism Society. Accessed: April 10, 2008. 2008. Available:htAvailable:http://www.ecotourism.org/webmodules/webarticlesnet/templates/eco_template.aspx?a=12&z=25

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