Members of the public are involved increasingly in environmental and wildlife monitoring. This has clear
environmental benefits in terms of the contribution to long-term datasets and monitoring, and it also
yields social benefits, both to the participants concerned and to the wider community. However, there
is concern that participation is not spread evenly across different social or ethnic groups in society, as
is the case for other forms of volunteering. In this paper, we seek to develop a better understanding
of the motivations and barriers affecting participation in wildlife monitoring, through a study of public
participation
in
wildlife
monitoring
schemes
in
the
UK.
We
integrate
information
from
interviews
with
representatives of organisations running the schemes with the results of surveys of participants to identify
organisational
and
personal
perceptions
of
motivations
and
barriers,
and
quantify
the
socio-economic
bias in participation.
Our results show that people from socio-economically deprived areas are under-represented in recor-
ding schemes at both the national and local levels. Organisers of the schemes expressed a desire to change
this, but felt unable to do so due to limitations of resources and the difficulty of attracting the necessary
media coverage. The major motivating factors for current participants in wildlife recording schemes
included the chance to make a positive contribution to conservation and personal benefits, which were
clearly linked with health and wellbeing. Barriers to involvement include a lack of awareness of opportu-
nities,
a
lack
of
motivation,
a
lack
of
accessibility
of
the
schemes,
both
in
terms
of
equipment
or
facilities
and knowledge, and financial costs of participation.
Although
there
are
challenges
associated
with
gathering
ecological
data
through
citizen
science,
includ-
ing data reliability, our findings show that many recording schemes do indeed provide clear benefits to
nature conservation and participants alike. However, biases in representation of participants persist,
despite the efforts of many organisations to make their schemes more accessible. More work still needs
to
be
done
with
groups
currently
under-represented
in
such
schemes
to
understand
and
overcome
the
remaining barriers to participation, so that the personal and social benefits that arise from participation
can be realised.
Members of the public are involved increasingly in environmental and wildlife monitoring. This has clearenvironmental benefits in terms of the contribution to long-term datasets and monitoring, and it alsoyields social benefits, both to the participants concerned and to the wider community. However, thereis concern that participation is not spread evenly across different social or ethnic groups in society, asis the case for other forms of volunteering. In this paper, we seek to develop a better understandingof the motivations and barriers affecting participation in wildlife monitoring, through a study of publicparticipation in wildlife monitoring schemes in the UK. We integrate information from interviews withrepresentatives of organisations running the schemes with the results of surveys of participants to identifyorganisational and personal perceptions of motivations and barriers, and quantify the socio-economicbias in participation.Our results show that people from socio-economically deprived areas are under-represented in recor-ding schemes at both the national and local levels. Organisers of the schemes expressed a desire to changethis, but felt unable to do so due to limitations of resources and the difficulty of attracting the necessarymedia coverage. The major motivating factors for current participants in wildlife recording schemesincluded the chance to make a positive contribution to conservation and personal benefits, which wereclearly linked with health and wellbeing. Barriers to involvement include a lack of awareness of opportu-nities, a lack of motivation, a lack of accessibility of the schemes, both in terms of equipment or facilitiesand knowledge, and financial costs of participation.Although there are challenges associated with gathering ecological data through citizen science, includ-ing data reliability, our findings show that many recording schemes do indeed provide clear benefits tonature conservation and participants alike. However, biases in representation of participants persist,despite the efforts of many organisations to make their schemes more accessible. More work still needsto be done with groups currently under-represented in such schemes to understand and overcome theremaining barriers to participation, so that the personal and social benefits that arise from participationcan be realised.
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