Exploring Sense of Place and Environmental Behavio

Authors: Nicole M Ardoin

Publish Date: 2014/04/23

Volume: 42, Issue: 3, Pages: 425-441

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Abstract

This article reports on three case studies that explore the personplace relationships that occur on an ecoregional scale and whether and how those place connections relate to residents undertaking action on issues about which they report being concerned The research was conducted in three ecoregions of high priority for conservation the Galapagos Islands Ecuador the KlamathSiskiyou northern California/southern Oregon in the United States and the Chesapeake Bay eastern coast of the United States Data were collected through surveys n = 330 n = 248 and n = 320 respectively interviews n = 32 n = 29 and n = 21 and ethnographic study Across the three ecoregions between onefifth and onequarter of residents indicated that their place connections occurred at an ecoregional scale Among those who reported taking action—or when prompted to report at what scale they would take action—respondents indicated a scale of action roughly reflective of the scale at which their place connections occurredThanks to Stephen Kellert William Burch and Carol Carpenter at Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies for research guidance Thanks to Alison Bowers Kimberley Marchant Janel Schuh and Deborah Wojcik for research and data analysis assistance Grant support was provided by WWFUS the Charles Darwin Foundation the Mountaineers Foundation Project AWARE the Switzer Foundation the Tropical Resources Institute Morris K Udall Foundation the Urban Resources Initiative the Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies and the Yale Center for International and Area Studies I am grateful to the many interviewees and survey participants who generously shared their time and experiences without them this research would not have been possible

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