{"id":8571,"date":"2015-03-10T16:15:01","date_gmt":"2015-03-10T16:15:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/?p=8571"},"modified":"2015-04-24T17:07:54","modified_gmt":"2015-04-24T21:07:54","slug":"a-new-study-finds-time-spent-outdoors-boosts-conservation-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/a-new-study-finds-time-spent-outdoors-boosts-conservation-action\/","title":{"rendered":"A New Study Finds Time Spent Outdoors Boosts Conservation Action"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>What inspires people to support conservation? As concerns grow about the sustainability of our modern society, this question becomes more important. A new study by researchers at Cornell University provides one simple answer: bird watching and hunting.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group sidebar-alignright sidebar-space order-bottom\"><!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-a8fe3c9a-217b-40fd-b1ff-2bb76ebe2cf3\"><span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-a8fe3c9a-217b-40fd-b1ff-2bb76ebe2cf3\" id=\"hs-cta-a8fe3c9a-217b-40fd-b1ff-2bb76ebe2cf3\"><!--[if lte IE 8]><div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div><![endif]--><a href=\"http:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/95627\/a8fe3c9a-217b-40fd-b1ff-2bb76ebe2cf3\" ><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" id=\"hs-cta-img-a8fe3c9a-217b-40fd-b1ff-2bb76ebe2cf3\" style=\"border-width:0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/95627\/a8fe3c9a-217b-40fd-b1ff-2bb76ebe2cf3.png\"  alt=\"New self-paced course: Learn How to Identify Bird Songs, Click to Learn More\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/a><\/span><script charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/js.hscta.net\/cta\/current.js\"><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> hbspt.cta.load(95627, 'a8fe3c9a-217b-40fd-b1ff-2bb76ebe2cf3', {}); <\/script><\/span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code -->\r\n<!--<span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-394b2cc2-4447-4677-b18b-d2f2de5b57cd\">\r\n    <span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-394b2cc2-4447-4677-b18b-d2f2de5b57cd\" id=\"hs-cta-394b2cc2-4447-4677-b18b-d2f2de5b57cd\">-->\r\n        <!--[if lte IE 8]><div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div><![endif]-->\r\n        <!--<a href=\"http:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/95627\/394b2cc2-4447-4677-b18b-d2f2de5b57cd\"  target=\"_blank\" ><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" id=\"hs-cta-img-394b2cc2-4447-4677-b18b-d2f2de5b57cd\" style=\"border-width:0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/95627\/394b2cc2-4447-4677-b18b-d2f2de5b57cd.png\"  alt=\"Join the Cornell Lab\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/a>\r\n    <\/span>\r\n    <script charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/js.hscta.net\/cta\/current.js\"><\/script>\r\n    <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n        hbspt.cta.load(95627, '394b2cc2-4447-4677-b18b-d2f2de5b57cd', {});\r\n    <\/script>\r\n<\/span>-->\r\n<!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code -->\r\n\r\n<\/div>\n<p>This survey of conservation activity among rural landowners in upstate New York considered a range of possible predictors such as gender, age, education, political ideology, and beliefs about the environment. All other factors being equal, bird watchers are about five times as likely, and hunters about four times as likely, as non-recreationists to engage in wildlife and habitat conservation. Both bird watchers and hunters were more likely than non-recreationists to enhance land for wildlife, donate to conservation organizations, and advocate for wildlife\u2013all actions that significantly impact conservation success.<\/p>\n<p>The contributions of individuals who identified as both bird watchers <em>and<\/em> hunters were even more pronounced. On average, this group was about eight times more likely than non-recreationists to engage in conservation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe set out to study two groups\u2014bird watchers and hunters\u2014and didn\u2019t anticipate the importance of those who do <em>both<\/em>, and wildlife managers probably didn\u2019t either,\u201d said Dr. Caren Cooper, the study\u2019s lead author, now at North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. \u201cWe don\u2019t even have a proper name for these conservation superstars, other than hunter\/bird watchers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cManagers often discuss direct and indirect links between wildlife recreation and conservation,\u201d said study coauthor Dr. Lincoln Larson, now at Clemson University. \u201cOur findings not only validate this connection, but reveal the unexpected strength of the conservation\u2013recreation relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/graph_edit.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/graph_edit.png 547w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/graph_edit-480x333.png 480w\" sizes=\"\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><figcaption>Both hunters and bird watchers were much more likely to engage in conservation activities such as enhancing habitat, donating to conservation, and advocating for wildlife than non-outdoor recreationists, the study found. People who both hunted and watched <a href=\"http:\/\/allaboutbirds.org\">birds<\/a> were even more likely to be conservationists.<\/figcaption>\n              <\/figure><\/div>\n<p>The study, published in the <a href=\"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/jwmg.855\/abstract\"><em>Journal of Wildlife Management<\/em><\/a>, speaks to wildlife agency managers. Findings could assuage concerns about diminishing support for conservation in the United States and its historic ties (both socially and economically) to hunting, an activity that has been declining for decades.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur results provide hope for wildlife agencies, organizations, and citizens concerned about conservation,\u201d offers study coauthor Dr. Ashley Dayer of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. \u201cBird watchers, a group not traditionally thought of as a constituency by many wildlife management agencies, have real potential to be conservation supporters, if appropriate mechanisms for them to contribute are available.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As agencies and conservation organizations ponder how to better work with bird watchers, hunters, and hunter\/bird watchers on conservation, one take-home message is clear: The more time we spend in nature, the more likely we are to protect it.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>For more on conservation:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/jwmg.855\/abstract\">Abstract<\/a> of the scientific paper<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/2014\/10\/31\/moneyball-for-shorebirds-how-precision-analytics-are-changing-habitat-conservation\/\">Moneyball for Shorebirds: How Precision Analytics Are Changing Habitat Conservation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/2014\/09\/05\/first-ever-world-shorebirds-day-highlights-need-for-conservation\/\">First-Ever World Shorebirds Day Highlights Need for Conservation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/2013\/11\/12\/on-natural-history-aesthetics-and-conservation-video\/\">On Natural History, Aesthetics, and Conservation [Video]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>(Top image by Joan Condon\/GBBC.)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What inspires people to support conservation? As concerns grow about the sustainability of our modern society, this question becomes more important. A new study by researchers at Cornell University provides<a class=\"excerpt-read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/a-new-study-finds-time-spent-outdoors-boosts-conservation-action\/\" title=\"ReadA New Study Finds Time Spent Outdoors Boosts Conservation Action\">&#8230; Read more &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":8572,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_birdpress_living_bird_toc":0,"_birdpress_living_bird_toc_title":"","_birdpress_featured_image":false,"_birdpress_hero_toggle":false,"_birdpress_hero_type":"image","_birdpress_hero_image_type":"image","_birdpress_hero_style":"default","_birdpress_hero_ratio":"","_birdpress_hero_h1":"","_birdpress_hero_media_id":0,"_birdpress_hero_media_array_id":[],"_birdpress_hero_media_array":[],"_birdpress_hero_media":0,"_birdpress_hero_video_id":0,"_birdpress_hero_video":0,"_birdpress_hero_youtube":"","_birdpress_hero_content":true,"_birdpress_hero_byline":"","_birdpress_hero_byline_bottom":"","_birdpress_hero_button_link":"","_birdpress_hero_button_text":"","_birdpress_hero_button_color":"","_birdpress_hero_date":false,"original_guid":"","_birdpress_hide_search":false,"_birdpress_page_width":"","_birdpress_global_cta":false,"_birdpress_widget_sidebar":"","_birdpress_next_article":0,"_birdpress_next_article_title":"","_birdpress_prev_article":0,"_birdpress_prev_article_title":"","_birdpress_sub_navigation_id":0,"_birdpress_sub_navigation":"","_birdpress_sub_navigation_title":false,"_birdpress_anchor_navigation_id":0,"_birdpress_anchor_navigation":"","_birdpress_postType":"both","_birdpress_categoryID":0,"_birdpress_tagID":0,"_birdpress_parentPostID":0,"_birdpress_parentPostTitle":"","_birdpress_menuID":0,"_birdpress_menuName":"","_birdpress_listHeader":"","_birdpress_listLayout":"card-display","_birdpress_listColumns":"","_birdpress_maxItems":12,"_birdpress_listPaginate":true,"_birdpress_displaySort":true,"_birdpress_sortOrder":"DESC","_birdpress_sortBy":"date","_birdpress_listID":"","_birdpress_listClass":"","_birdpress_displayImages":true,"_birdpress_displayCaptions":false,"_birdpress_displayExcerpts":false,"_birdpress_attTop":"","_birdpress_attBottom":"","_birdpress_showLogos":false,"_birdpress_post_logo":0,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_topic":0,"wds_primary_content-format":0,"wds_primary_cornell-lab-project":0,"wds_primary_host-project":0,"wds_primary_read-more-tag":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[86,136,203,1094,451,506],"topic":[998,1043],"content-format":[1055],"cornell-lab-project":[1065],"host-project":[],"read-more-tag":[],"class_list":["post-8571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservation","tag-ashley-dayer","tag-bird-watcher","tag-caren-cooper","tag-conservation","tag-hunter","tag-journal-of-wildlife-management","topic-news-and-features","topic-science-conservation-news-and-features","content-format-article","cornell-lab-project-conservation-science-2"],"metadata":{"_edit_last":["2"],"wdsi_do_not_show":[""],"_wpas_done_all":["1"],"hs_social":["1426004101000"],"_thumbnail_id":["8572"],"associated-posts":[""],"_edit_lock":["1444146109:1"],"custom-byline":["<em>By 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