Naturalists as Facilitators of Environmental Responsibility

Cynde Bierman
Ocean Alliance

This Poster Presentation won 3rd Prize in the 2002 Student Poster Contest.

Whale watch trips are currently the primary way that people come into contact with whales in the wild. Seeing whales can be a powerful experience, yet without a frame within which to support and expand on that experience, it's potential long-term impact might be lost. Close attention needs to be paid to the education on the boats so that people are leaving these trips with something besides a photographic opportunity. The naturalist and other educators as facilitators are the key components to fostering this lifelong change. They facilitate helping people first make the emotional connection to whales, then the logical connection between whales and the environment and finally, the passionate connection between humans and the environment. When facilitating these connections based on educational theories, solid and accurate information, and the expertise of the naturalist, passengers will hopefully emerge with a greater sense of environmental responsibility. In the poster, I will show how naturalists and educators can help facilitate these connections.