Is there a forest in Cozumel Island? Children’s knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions

Background/Question/Methods Islands are particular rich in biological diversity and highly vulnerable towards anthropogenic pressures. Cozumel is the largest populated island in Mexican territory and has a high proportion of endemic species and some at risk of extinction. Environmental education research on children’s perceptions, attitudes and knowledge should be key components in the development of community education programs, management and conservation of natural resources. We used multiple methods (open and closed ended questionnaires, drawings and participant observations) to evaluate children’s knowledge, attitudes and perceptions towards tropical forest in Cozumel, México. We worked with 484 children from primary schools, 20 teachers and 229 parents. We also interviewed teachers and parents to analyze how the learning process at home, school and community affect children’s understanding of the environment. 

Results/Conclusions

Results show that 68 % of the children recognize forest as an important type of vegetation on the island. Only  5% prefer to visit the forest as an outdoor activity, in comparison to 82%, who would prefer to have a walk in the city. In all 14.5% do not recognized the environmental services forests provide. Children’s drawings depicted 29 different species of animals, most of them were exotic species, and very few drew endemic species. These results show that children have limited information about the value of the forest. In order to improve their knowledge and understanding about forest issues it is necessary to work closely with teachers and parents.