Adult education and watershed knowledge in upstate New York

Integrated watershed management encompasses complex physical and social iss ues that have impacts on environmental resources. A key aspect of this holi stic effort is public education. Most researchers and practitioners agree t hat an informed public is a crucial part of the environmental management pr ocess. Yet, educational programs that provide stakeholders with information about physical processes in watersheds are often unavailable. This paper a ssesses the effect of an education program for residents of the New York Ci ty watershed. Surveys evaluated certain knowledge levels and attitudes of p articipants and compared three groups: individuals who utilized the educati onal materials completely (full users), those who received the materials bu t did not use them completely (partial users), and watershed residents who did not receive the educational program (nonrecipients). Full users display ed a higher level of knowledge concerning specific watershed processes than did partial users and nonrecipients. In terms of applying that knowledge a cross linked concepts, however, we observed no significant differences betw een the three readership levels. Furthermore, partial users engaged in less evaluation of issues that related to the broader watershed context. The fi ndings from this project have implications for educational and regulatory i nstitutions and program development relating to watershed protection.