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Coins to conservation: how do the values of avifauna to
Australian society affect conservation outcomes?
Gill Ainsworth, Heather Aslin, Stephen Garnett: Charles Darwin University
Mike Weston: Deakin University
Charles Darwin University
Context
1st year of PhD:
Social Values of
Australian
Threatened Birds
ARC Linkage
project:
Action Plan for
Birds
‘Increasing the
effectiveness &
efficiency of
threatened bird
conservation’
- Biophysical
- Institutional
- Social
Charles Darwin University
Influence of
values on
conservation
outcomes for
threatened native
birds
How do Australians Value Native Birds?
- native bird species known
- valued most widely
- values held for threatened &
non-threatened native species
- values held for particular
native threatened species
Charles Darwin University
Values
Value: ‘relative worth, merit or importance’ of something:
 cannot be observed directly only through their expression in the form of
attitudes & behaviours
Values are critical:
 personal goals: good & bad, right & wrong
 interpret events & information
 across situations & events
Social science perspective:
 person’s values towards wildlife
 thinking & behaviour in wildlife situation
(Manfredo 2008)
Charles Darwin University
Values: Attitudes: Behaviours:
enduring
culture & society
general beliefs/worldviews
values
specific beliefs/specific attitudes
behavioral commitments & intentions
changeable
Attitudinal
research
behaviours
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Cary et al 2000
Wildlife Values Research
Traditionally:
Attitudes tested by empirical research, socio-psychological surveys, representative
samples:
“I think duck hunting is ok as long as the bird is not endangered”
However, knowledge of individual native taxa across Australian society will likely be
highly erratic:
- variation in prevalence, characteristics and distribution of bird taxa
- iconic / locally significant / expert knowledge
Measure of values reflected across society for native birds can reveal public interest
in and perceptions of individual species
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Developing a Typology of Bird Values
Developing a Typology of Bird Attitudes
No precedent for valuing an entire class of fauna such as Australian native birds
(~720 species)
Review of commonly used empirical approaches to valuing wildlife
KELLERT, S. R. (1976) Perceptions of Animals in American Society. 41st North
American Wildlife Conference.
- 9 values categories, quantitative
CAMPBELL, L. & SMITH, C. (2006) What Makes Them Pay? Values of Volunteer
Tourists: Working for Sea Turtle Conservation. Environmental Management, 38,
84-98
- 8 values categories, qualitative
Charles Darwin University
Native Bird Values Typology
expressions of group identity
Which
of
these
values
does
The
social
values
of
mastery
physical
interrelationships
material
spiritual
material
&
attributes
benefit
meaning
benefit
control
of
of
of
between
or
&
bird
bird
birds
biological
habitat
products
(sport);
or
social
experiences
&
physical
strong
exciting
increases
affection
attractiveness
experiences
/
decreases
for
individual
with
&
in
birds
conflict
duty
to
between
protect
&
birds
preserve
&
humans
birds
society
hold
for
threatened
Australian
birds….???
being
functioning
bird
to
message
to
human
human
species
apopulations
good
attached
society
society
of
&
naturalist
birds
natural
(development)
(food)
to birds
habitats
objects
of
specialized
symbolic
animals
in
bird
their
natural
characteristic
habitat
of birds
birds?
attachments
13 value categories
Charles Darwin University
Aesthetic
UtilitarianAesthetic
Anthopomorphic
Conservation
Biophysical
Spiritual
Ecological
Experiential
Mastery
Moralistic
Negative
symbolic
consumption
habitat
physical
?
Measuring Bird Values
in Australian Society
Native Bird Values (13)
Value Indicators (22)
Aesthetic symbolic
Media stories, council logos, coins, faunal emblems, stamps, symbols,
ADF mascots, place names, sports teams
Aesthetic physical
Media stories, artworks, voice
Spiritual
Media stories, journal articles, Aboriginal myths
Anthropomorphic
Media stories, figures of speech
Biophysical
Media stories, journal articles
Conservation
Media stories, volunteer programs, journal articles
Ecological
Media stories, natural heritage list, journal articles
Mastery
Media stories, game hunting, birdwatching, captive birds
Moralistic
Media stories
Experiential
Media stories
Negative
Media stories, pests
Utilitarian-consumption
Media stories, (Indigenous consumption, commercial industries)
Utilitarian-habitat
Media stories
Charles Darwin University
Some
Very Preliminary Data
Value indicator data normalised, averaged and ranked to select top 20 species
for further study
11%
0% 3%
4%
Spiritual
1%
18%
21%
Symbolic
9%
Conservation
6%
1%
0%2%0%
4%
Aesthetic Physical
4%
5%
Mastery
Ecological
2%
Anthropomorphic
88%
Moral
9%
5%
Experiential
8
12%
Negative
Scientific
10%
22%
32%
Utilitarian Consumption
Utilitarian Habitat
Least concern, intro, vagrant
11%
Threatened or extinct
(606 species)
Charles Darwin University
(117 species)
conservation
Implications for
Threatened Bird Conservation
Communications:
- talk to target groups in their language (policymakers, artists, hunters etc)
- mainstream bird conservation
Better understanding of how society perceives threatened birds
- as a group, as species, as individuals
Threatened species management:
- identify who holds which values
- examine priorities currently given to individual species
- mitigate potential clashes / reinforce consensus
Charles Darwin University
With grateful thanks to…
Heather Aslin, Stephen Garnett, Mike Weston, Judit Szabo
State / territory conservation departments
NT
Birdwatching tour companies
Fiona Douglas
National galleries and libraries
Michael Honer
Australian Defence Forces
Tim Schinkel
Conservation volunteer groups
Australian Institute of Sport
Regional shire councils
WA
Ian Abbott
Greg Barrett
Fiona Colbeck
Clive Nealon
Kirsty Sadler
QLD
Joan Dawes
Noela Edwards
Jean Tucker
Maureen Cooper
NSW / ACT
David Collyer
Mimmo Cozzolino
Susan Freeman
Vanessa Keyzer
Cilla Kinross
Hollis Taylor
Les Terrett
Andrea Wild
VIC
Rob Buttrose, Grace Lewis,
Megan Moore, Alan Sergi,
Janelle Thomas, Paris Yves
Charles Darwin University
Please send comments or questions to:
[email protected]
Charles Darwin University