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Building the Next Generation of Watershed Stewards: Defining, Measuring, and Fostering Watershed Literacy
Spasyk, Alison
Spasyk, Alison
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Abstract
Watershed education aims to equip youth, the decision-makers of tomorrow, with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors necessary to sustainably manage water resources. By teaching students about the complex interactions between humans, water, and the environment, watershed education has the potential to foster both scientific understanding and stewardship competencies. However, the discipline currently lacks language on common goals or shared learning outcomes across programs, and there have been few empirical efforts thus far to evaluate whether watershed education programs contribute to a citizenry that is watershed literate. This thesis combines two complementary studies to advance the field. The first study surveyed watershed scientists and educators across the United States to identify the desired outcomes and competencies of youth watershed education. Responses revealed key themes in knowledge (watershed structure and function, pollution, stewardship), attitudes (action-oriented, eco-centric, humanistic), skills (investigation, critical thinking, communication), and stewardship behaviors (individual, collective, civic). The second study examined the Lake Champlain Sea Grant’s Stream Monitoring and Stewardship Program, using a novel pre- and post-test design with student drawings and short-answer questions to measure changes in watershed literacy. Results showed significant gains in understanding the watershed concept, hydrologic connectivity, human impacts, and stewardship actions. The findings also demonstrated the value of the watershed literacy framework for evaluation purposes and the effectiveness of drawing-based assessment tools. Together, these findings provide a shared language for watershed education outcomes, support reliable evaluation methods, and highlight effective strategies for fostering informed and engaged watershed stewards.
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2025-01-01