WHAT DO CLASSROOM TEACHERS NEED TO TEACH CONSERVATION EDUCATION IN HAWAI'I? Those who engage in consemation racrices and make conservatio?? decisrons must be sensrltve lo o d c o ~ q i c a ~ rheoty and an apprecr- ation of ~iaturc's values as we l7 as to polirrcal con~iderrrtrons.

Edna L. Demanche

Before engaging in a discussion of needs in conservation education in Hawai'i, it will be useful to clarify terms used by academiciaris and educators relative to this tooic.

Conservation is concerned with conserving, protecting, and if pozsihle enhancing, our natural resources--valuing them on their own merit and for their benefit to our greater good. Naturd resources include both the physical and the biological: plants, water, soil, animals, air, habitats, and whatever else in nature merits special valuing.

Because conservation interests and responsibilities are so vast, many sub- cateeories of soecialization exist. Wildlife hioloeists. soil conservationists. fore<rers, consbation iohhyists, park managersrand many other sp&ali;ts oversee the proper and responsible use of natural resources. Federal. Sratc. and local conse~at ion organizations devote time and effort to ~ u h l i c educa: tion in collscrvatlt~n. Co&rvation activities have a prsc,ical a i d morally respon.rible thrust t h a ~ ties conservation ro good citizenship and to caring, humanitarian behavior.

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I < c d o ~ is 3n academic discipline that delves into theory. knowledge, -- and underrtmding of the balanccs in nature. Ecologists study food wchs, fond chains, and lrnphic levels: make population, densitv, and freauenw measurerne'nts in different communities and biomes: deie-rmine the niches occupied hy various species; [rack ch;tnges both nati;ral and imposed that occur i l l population irruptions, succession, and climax communilies; thev a!so study all orhcr facets oi the physical and h~ological world uhich form rel:ition- sh~p>. 1':cology is usuallv a college and graduaie level course of study not inrrinsicallv oriented to the aractical. As such. i r form5 an informat~on base for conserjation but does not necessarily leadone to an appreciation for, or activities in, comervation biolom.

Nature Study is ecology strl ped of advanced mathematics and other complexities, for study in schoo /' s and public circles. In nature study, students observe the environment, make simple measurements, study the plants. ani- mals, and physical bases of natural communites, and learn about their simple interrelationships. The objective is understanding and knowled e leading to appreciation. Appreciation can lead to a conservation ethic a n t caring behavior. but t h~s is not necessarilv stressed in nature studv.

Lnderstanding oitheoretical Eco~o~~cn l princ~plcs cot;ceming the complex and delicate halances in nature must he apphed 111 formulat~ng well-conceived

Needs of Classroom Consemation Education Teachers\Demmche 191

and long-term conservation laws and activities. Conservation measures Dro- posed to save an endangered spccics or alter a habitat must be carefully' weighed lest what is done to gain one gotid should yield three unforeseen harms.

At the school level, nature study i an effective preparation for students to understand conservation pr:~r.tices. If in their nature studies and field ex- periences students arrive 31 an ~nderslundinx and avpreciation of nature. conservation ~ractices are more avt to take root in both head and heart. 'For

~~~ . .. example, students who ha\< v~s:tcd. studied, and grown to love wild flowers are more likel) to agree wth and ul)cv wild flower conservation reedations than students who hive simply been cautioned not to pick wild flowers, or who are oblivious to their oresence. ~~~ .~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~~~ r~~~

Great polenrial overl;~p cui>ts among the science of ecology, nature s tud~ . and con~crvalion. The studv oi theoretical ecoloeical orincioles constantlv spills over into practical interests; those who engage in' conskrvation pract'ices and make conservation decisions must he sensitwe to ood ecological theory and an appreciation of nature's values as well as to pofitical cons~derations.

Now to the point of this essay: What do teachers and other educators need in order to do an effective job on behalf of good conservation?

WHAT DO TEACHERS OF CONSERVATION NEED?

Technical Knowledee Knowledre mtl under;iandinr of the theories and interactions of world L ' C ~ ~ ! . . ~ I ' ~ I I I I - - I'iwher, need an academ~c grounding in ecolo&y (which i n t u r n llnJcrg~rd, their c~~n\ervation principles and activities). Such hackeround I I ~ I K I I I ! requires having taken college courses (or their equivalcnl) In the r~itursl 4:ncc\, with an emphasis onspecific courses in ecology, including I:,horatorv and field uork. It may also ~nclude in-service u)unes, workchops. seminars,~lectures, and participaiion in field days.

Knowledee and understandine (includine field knowledce) of ecomtems in &y&--Our teachers need to make additional and special study of the environment of Hawai'i. Hawai'i enjoys a subtropical, insular ecology. It has a 12-month growing season and climates which range from rain forests to dcwrts: it lacks numerous groups of animsl .;pccics chltracteristic of conti- ncntal biomes. It is isolated from other large h i d muses hy over 2,01)0 miles oi water in all directions. Thew circumctmes h:r\e contributed to the develo~ment of s~ec ia l ecosystems and an explosion of divergent endemic specie; of birds, hsects, Ian2 snails, and ntn& group^. Kn~ndedge gleaned from Mainland texts or experiences forni.; ;t good huckground, 11111 several aspects of oceanic islands and 1lawhii:ln ecdodv ~ r o h l e r n ~ rewire suecia1 -. un'derstandings and knowledge.

Informationon conservation nractices currr.n:l\ neede~l or in ooeration in ---Teachers need to knriw ahout the ip&ii~s c n n w w t i ~ prac!ices and re ulat~ons which have been developed in 1 la\r.:~i'~ to conserve 11s deltcate 7 ba ances and orotect its all-too-numerous Endangered s~ecies. Natural preserve area; both on the reefand on land huke'hcen designated. Prac- tical conservation studies and experiments are also sontinuousl) under way (for example, sheep exclosure experiments on the slopes of Mauna Kea).

Needs of Classroom Conssrvarion Educafion Tcachers\Dcmanche 1W

H o u . j ~ k n o w ~ ~ r & - - M a n y nf our teachers hold degrees in science, -- uith majors in hlological and ecological sclenccs. Teachers who lack iormal s re-rervlce course work gradually achieve an euu~valenw hv ~a r t i c i~a t in r in in-service courses and workshoos offered eitheidurine the &imme<or s&ad - r ~ ~~-

through the school year. All tekhers, whether formaiiy or infornlall) pre- pared, keep up in their field hy attendance at workhops, seminars, lenure.. and field dabs. The hation:iI Park Service. the Uni\crdv of Ha\vaii. mJ . ~ ~~~

other pul):icand private as.~o~ia~ions arc. g&erc~ur in a r r h & for hoth lectures and lecturers who have much 10 give. I'uhlic hikes and guided tours through pri\,ate und public arcas of n n t u r d interest arc advertised in the daily p;,pers and through mailed announcements.

Getting to public lectures and engaging in other public educational oppurt~~nities is enhanced hy memhership in one or morc of the many nation:~l and local organizations havtng a concern with the environment. Membershill usunlly includes 3 suhzcription to 3 newsletter or iournal. In these are found informative articles and advertisements of new books on general or specific topics. Examples of conservation-related organizations are given at the end of this paper.

Textbooks that give good expositions of general ecological principles are meager in their treatment of insular Hawaiian communities. Some specialized texts are available at the graduate level. But our endemic species and habi- tats are best understood when studied in the field under comoetent euidance. - ~~

Teachers may also keep currcnr on locd cnvin~nm,-nt;~l need- and move- nlenls b) b~ ing slert to ne\r,spaper item\ :md tele:ls~on specia!c, ;ml hv rn:~in. taining i n act5e membership in one or more consemti& or nature gioups.

Instructional Skills p r t i n e knowledee and ins~irine action- Teachers of the natural environment need special skills in arousing interest, enthusiasm, and motivation, and in coaching young students in powers of observation. They are "salespersons" for the environment. Successful and dvnamic environmental and fonservation teachers reflect in their own lives

~ ~ ~ - ~ ~ - ~ ~ - ~ ~~~ . ~ ~ . ~ ~ . ~ . . .. and behavior a genuine knowledge and love of thc out-of-doors that come, through to their student> a\ an exciting kind of le;im~ng. Such tcxhers son11 a varied pedagogy in meeting the learning needs of dif7erent student lea;%& styles, pose questions that require real thinking, and respect thoughtful student questions and ideas.

Succes~ful con>ewation and nature stud! teachers are generallv ndept in teaching via hmds-on experiences and have their studcnts engage in projects. u hich (hey report in notebooks. Ihcy ~eldom or never lecture from a text hut u,e a multitu~ie of various types of references (wveral different tevtbooks, trade hooks, journals, student magalines, newspapers, and so forth).

Such teachers put students in direct. "hands-on' contact with rile prime source of knowledge about nature--nature itself. A student who holds a cllunk of aa in hand or ctrokes the fallen feather of a hird while standing in the s~~rroundings from which the ohiect came has five timcs (and five senses, more opportunityto absorb the impact, the beauty, the wholeness, the "fit" of ' nature.

Many students learn better from objects-in-hand. They are sensitive to the visual, auditory, and tactile aspects of objects, which for them reach beyond a written description. Often students classified as having learning disabilities and for whom printed words form a stumbling block to meamng,

Needs of Classroom Cortsenrarion Educolion Teadms jDemmcRe 193

i ind th;~t zi r e d object speaks to them without the verbal harrier. Expericn- rial learner\ hc\t rememher u hat they havc learned, arc mo.t often inspired III furtllcr purwe a point. and hest o f all. are hest equipped to drsw an;~logie\ III ne\v and other ide:~c from the manv facets :lnd relat~on.;hips opened to them h! dircst contact with n:~tl.ral phenomena. Knouledge gained through ~,kpcrience in the field 1s oftcn wi$dom g ~ i n e d for 3 l i~'eti~i ie.

H o w do teachers acquire teaching expertise?--First of all, they have the aca- demic background mentioned above. which emoowers them to soeak with a rccognizcd authority anu move frcel) iron1 nnc topic and ot)sen.ation to ;,nother huth in cld.;.. ;lnd i n the iield.

Second, they have "done their homework in the specific areas into which thev take their students on field trios. Their local exoertise is attained hv attendance at local, on-site, out-of!door workshops and hikes conducted'hy conservationists, ecologists, and other scientists, as well as experienced fellow-teachers.

Third. they have acquired by study and by experience the technical skills of handling students in a variety o f ways suitable to their varied learning needs and potential. They are continually increasing their teaching skills by observation and sharing with fellow teachers with whom they form a profes- sional teaching community.

'l'e:tcnt~rs nc,cd huniari rcwurce; to :!,si>t them in their to&--E\,en the most c&ipetent and d \nxn ic tc:,cher c;,nnnt do the ]oh ;tloiic. 'l'caching is a coni- munltv c.ffort and re;oon\ihilit\, The Denartment o i E d u c d t ~ m e m t ~ h ~ v > . ,. ,cicnie resource tca;hc,rS i n eich distr~ct'to a,sist science teschers, p:irtlcil. I ;dv u i th l;~horaton :ml iield uork. I<ewurcc wa~hers arc ususllv inrnicr claisroom teachers-known for their dynamism. who are assigned to each dis- trict to assist isience tc~shers, partict;lar~) with Iahor;~tnry :id fic.d w r k . Thev \&it cl:~r\room\ on request to give xi;t:~nce. Thev :$re especi:~llv help- fu l in setting u o and conduciine fiela trios. Often they conduct ihe science- - . in>truction:,l part o i a i ic ld t r ipat de\ib'~ated f i d d st.idy rite;. Science dspartmenr ch:,irpcrsons in hoth puhllc and non-pl.hlic w h m k also are h e l p fuicolleaeues to ieachers.

Another helpful hum;m resource for tcxhcrs is the scientist visitor to the c lasm~om. Vis:tc to a cIas\ hv 3 professiond scientist can range i n effective- ness i r ~ m most insrlirine to 3 comolete uaste o i timc. The latter ill result . - ~:\ual) ,terns from simpl! inviting's pr~liessional scientist (for ex;mple. a wildl i c hlnlopi,r or s o ~ l c~~nservat i~~n is t ) to visit. w i thwr prepnrdtion ( ~ i either the teacher. the class. or the scientist. as to what irexuected 01 ,les:red. Thc suhjcct must tie in with u hat the cia\\ is doing: or is read) III ,lo, and there must he idlou,-up.

.A class visit u ~ t h a scientist in his or her place of work is even hetter r h m a xientist's visit to a classroom. A class viiit 'to, for example. a Tolest ranger's oitice or a marine fi,herir\ Iahoratory can he mosl insplrlng to .tudent>. Another very valuahl~' interface herween \cicnt~sts and students is the programs which h a w heen set up by various profess,ional organizat~ons. hv which students and teachcrs are apprcnticxd to a scientist for a day, a week, a summer.

Teachers need material resources to suuuort their efforts--They need bdG. As mentioned earlier, the most dynami2 and effective teachers seldom Or

never lecture or read to a class from a text. This does not mean that good teachers are against hooks. Thcy went through a whole libraly of books in oreoaration for their teachine, orofession, and they still use books of all kinds i s ieferences: textbooks, tra% books, re'ferencesi periodicals, journals, even newspapers. New books are constantly being learned about from pertinent periodicals and are added to the collection. What teacher who has been in the business for a few years does not have a file of bulletin hoard pictures, clippings, brochures, and printed matter of every description as resources for hnnging oints to student attention?

~eacRers ielp themselves further by keeping their school librarian informed of choice volumes, which tben become available to their students. Availability alone is not enough. They promote the borrowing and readmg of books and magazines by their students, sometimes by assignment, sometimes by other means of stimulation.

A number of books and programs have been developed for the particular environment of Hawai'i. Many teachers use the five volumes entitled Hawaii Nature Study Program (Demanche 1980), containing a total of 1,300 pages of indoor and outdoor hands-on activities. The activities are pitched to elemen- tary grades but have been used by high school and even beginning college students and at adult workshops. Local book stores display sections of trade books on Hawaiian subjects, many of which have an environmental theme or promote specific information about local birds, flowers, and trees.

Field Site Guidebooks are availahle from the Dzpartment of Education for teachers to use in selection of sites to visit and are very helpfu! to teachers by giving them preliminary information on locations, available lavatory facilities, and so forth. Brochures on field sites are published by the National Park Service and the State Division of Parks and Recreation.

Teachers nee&lass. l a h o r ~ n d & k l ~ ~ - - F o r class, laboratory, ant! field ure, teachers need a few simplc technical supplies, chicfly hand lenses (one per student), field thermometers. and metric measuring instruments. Thevbeed a few more items of common local ~urchase, such as buckets. ropds, string, pins, netting. wire, and similar supplies of >upcrrnarket and general store origin. Most of all, they need space in which to keep thesc and 311 the important, useful gadgetry thcy and their students collect from all sorts of mentionable and unmentionable sources.

A common error of newcomers to lahoratory and field science education is the illusion that much exnensive eaui~ment isneeded. Yoone, students learn basic principles of e c h g y alrn&t'in inverse proportion to-the cost of the equipment used. Comnlercial instruments tend to be 'black boxes.' Black hoxes yield sophisticated data hut reveal alrnoct no understanding of the processes and princil~les in\olved in gettin2 the data. W~th student-made equipment concocted from string, boxes, glue, and so forth, basic principles are eras~ed. The data are likelv to be messv lo the point of inaccuraq, hut that% Ginor compared to the ieed (in education) to understand h l i b e principle of operation.

Recognition and Support Teachers necd recognition and su port from tbcir hupervisorc and em-

~loverr so that the ioh can be done efffcientlv and effectively. Principals and r ~ - , - ~-

school supe&sors bho understand the dimehiom and the ipecific educa- tional needs ot'outdoor educatirm stand high in the cause ofsucccss in

Needs of Classroom Conservotion Education Teadrers\Demanche 195

environmental studies and conservation. Without their understanding and suwort. even excellent teachers who have all the qualities, oreoaration. and resources noted above can he stvmied and diminished in effectiveness.

that make for enriched ieachine and learnine boonrtunities in e&ronmental - - A .

and conservation education.

Some Important Resources

Local groups with conservation-related newsletters are listed here; groups listed with an asterisk provide in-service workshops and training.

Bernice P. Bishop Museum * Moanalua Gardens Foundation Environ. Educ. Specialist Education Director P.O. Box 19W0-A 1352 Pineapple Place Honolulu, Hawaii 96817 Honolulu, Hawaii 96819

Conservalion Council Outdoor Circle for Hawaii 2 N North Vineyard Blvd. P.O. Box 2923 Honolulu, Hawaii 96817 Honolulu, Hawaii 96802

* Puppets on the Path Hawaii Auduban Society Environmental Entertainers P.O. Box 22832 P.O. Box810 Honolulu, Hawaii L)6822 Volwno, Hawaii 96785

* Hawaii State Dept. Parks and Recreation [various islands]

Hawaii Nature Centcr 2131 Makiki Hts. Drive Honolulu, Hawaii 96822

Hawaii Volcanoes National Pa lnrernretation Divisiun P.O. Box 52 Hawaii Nal'l Park, HI 96718

* Hawaiian Acadcmy of Scicnce P.O. Box 19073 Honolulu, Hawaii 96817

Hawaiian Botanical Society c/o Botany Departmcnt University of Hawaii 3190 Maile Way Honolulu, Hawaii 96822

* Sea Life Park Education Coordinator Makspu'u Point Waimanalu, Hawaii 96795

The Naturc Conservancy of Hawaii 1116Smith Street, Suite 201 Honolulu, HI 96817

* University of Hawaii [various departmenls] Islands of Hawai'i, O'ahu, Kaua'i

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Environmental Services P.O. Box 50167 Honolulu, Hawaii 96850

* Waikiki Aquarium 2777 Kalakaua Avenue Honolulu, Hawaii 96815

Needs of Classmom Consnnrrion Education Tenchers\Demanche

Honolulu Botanic Gardens Waimea Arboretum 50 N. Vineyard Blvd. and Botanical Garden Honolulu. Hawaii %817 59-864 Kamehamcha Highway

Hale'iwa, Hawaii 96712

Important References for Curriculum Development

Bibliography of Publicatiom. Hawaii Agricultural Erperiment Station. U.H. Manoa Publications Office.

Dcmanche, E.L. 1980. Hawaii Nafure Sfudy Pmpm. Scdions on Insects (with M. Nachbar Hapai), Planls, Small Mammals of the School Neighborhood, Reef and Shore, + Program Manual. Looseleaf, mimeographed. Curriculum Research and Development Group, Universityof Hawaii, 1776 University Avc., Honolulu, HI 96822.

Dcmanche, E.L. 1987. So.ence Czuriulum Gmder K-12for 77rc C~llwlic Schools Diocese of Ho~olulu. The Catholic School Depl., St. Stephen Dioman Center, 6301 Pali Huy, Kaneohc. Hawaii. %74.

Foster. N., B. pope, W: G a p 6 and A. Thomas. 1987. Hmurri'i: A Calendar of Nanval Ewnls 1988. Bishop Museum Special Publ. 79. Kamehameha Schools and Bishop Museum Presses. ~onolulu. (1989 edition is scheduled.)

Hawaii Department 01 Education. 'compendium of~oaslal ~ i e l d ~iles. Office of InstrucCional Services. Honolulu.

Hawaii Deparlment of Planning and Eeonomie Devclapmsnt. Annual Rep& ofSlale Energv Resources. Honolulu.

Hawaii Department of Planning and Eeonomic Development. Directory ofHawaii'sScientific Rcsames. Hmdulu.

Universilv of Hawaii Curriculum Research and Develonment Grouo. himine Resources Dmcrury furSr~co,~Jory Educalio,t. Honululu

Univcrsily of Hawaii Urhan and Rcgional Planning Program. D;cron, ofSrie,tr@, Et@necnn& and Tr rh~~~ca l Resolme Perronnel. I lonolulu.

Some Field Guides for Hawai'i

Armstrong, R.W. (ed.). 19113. Allas ofHawaii. 2nd cdition. Univ. Hawaii Press, Honolulu.

Edmondson. C.H. 1974,1979. Hawaii'sSeaslme Tmasrrres. The Potroglyph Press, LId., Hilo, Hawaii. (Originally publishcd as Seashore Tnonrms, 1949.)

Fielding, A. 1979. Hawaiian Reefs and Tidepook: A Guide lo Hawaii's Sltollow- Wale, Inverlebrates. The Oriental Publ. Co., Honolulu.

Fielding, A,, and E. Robinson. 1987. An Undewafer Guide lo Hawoii. Univ. Hawaii Press, Honolulu.

Haselwood, E L , and G.G. Molter. 1983. Handbook of Hawaiiort Weeds. 2nd edition, revised and eltpandcd by R.T. Hirano. Univ. Hawaii Press for Harold L. Lyon Arborclum, Honolulu.

Kepler, A.K. 1983. Howaiiaiz Henloge Plonls. The Oriental Publ. Co., Honolulu. Lamourcux, C.H. 1976. Trailside Plano of Hawaii's Narional Pmks. Hawaii Natural

History Assaciation, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and US. Govl. Printing Office, Washington, D.C.

Magruder, W.H., and J.W. Hunt. 1979. Seoweeds of Howaii: A Plrologroplric Idenl$calion Guide. The Oriental Publ. Co., Honolulu.

McKeown. S. 1978. Hawaiian Reptiles ondAntpl8ibians. The Oriental Publ. Co., Honolulu.

Merlin, M.D. 1977. Hawoiion Coastal Plants and Scenic Shmlines. The Oriental Publ. Co., Honolulu.

Merlin, M.D. 1980. Hawoiran Fowst Plants. 3rd edition. The Oriental Publ. Co., Honolulu.

Pratt, H.D., P.L. Brunner, and D.G. Berrett. 1987. A FieldGzcide lo the Birdsof Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific. Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, New Jcrsey.

Randall, J.E. 1981. Underwater Guide lo Hawaiian ReeJFishes. Harrowood Books, New- Square, Pennsylvania, and Treasures of Naturo, Kaneohe, Hawaii.

Shallenberger, R.J. (ed.). 1984. Hnwali'sBirdr. Hawaii Audubon Society, Honolulu. Sohmer, S.H., and R. Gustafson. 1987. Planls andFlowers of Hawaii. Univ. Hawaii Press,

Honolulu. van Riper, S.G., and C. van Riper 111. 1982. A Field Guide to the Mn~nmols in Hawaii.

The Oriental Publ. Co., Honolulu.