Environmental education and environmental monitoring : exploring the interface

Abstract

There have been increasing international and domestic pressures placed on successive governments over the last decade to undertake environmental monitoring that contributes to state of the environment reporting. Against this background, there been an increasing amount of environmental monitoring data collected as part of environmental education programmes.

This paper seeks to explore the potential role of data from this form of community based monitoring in contributing to existing baseline data. It finds that the potential exists, but that there is a need for increased collaboration between the various agencies to realise the full potential of this information.

Using a predominantly qualitative methodology a case study approach used semi-structured interviews, and participant observation to understand environmental education programmes and environmental monitoring within the Lake Ellesmere/Te Waihora catchment.

The results of this research demonstrate the benefits of collaboration between the various actors. The methods to facilitate uptake and extend collaboration in environmental education are discussed. The wider significance of this research and future directions for research are outlined.