Communicating Science in a Biological Natural Park to Enhance Citizens' Pro-Environmental Behaviours

Abstract

The consequences of human actions on Earth are becoming increasingly evident, leading us to consider that the �climate collapse has begun�, as the General Secretary of the United Nations (UN) warned at the beginning of September 2023. At less than a decade from 2030, the goals and its targets for sustainable development (SD) in the UN 2030 Agenda are far from being achieved, requiring urgent actions. Their fulfilment is at risk, particularly considering recent events such as the war(s) and the pandemic. Developing individual and collective awareness for action is essential. To this end, it is necessary to develop pro-environmental knowledge and attitudes in all citizens, not just the scholar public, which can translate into behaviours favouring the environment and SD. Based on this framework, quantitative research was developed into the scope of communication workshops in a natural biological park in Portugal. This study aimed to evaluate visitors� knowledge about SD and pro-environmental behaviours (PEB) after participating in two science communication workshops: Night of the Fireflies and Recreation of the Wool Cycle. In both workshops, the activities highlighted sustainable development themes in the scope of species extinction and biodiversity. A questionnaire was applied to 47 visitors (n=47) at the end of the activities. The results indicated that all visitors became familiar with SD, although they evaluated their knowledge as just sufficient. Participants also indicated that reducing waste and using plastic are PEBs that most contribute to SD. Finally, visitors considered that the PEB they would be willing to adopt due to their participation were the preservation of cultural and natural heritage and the non-disruption of fauna and flora during a visit to a park or natural area. Developing workshops enhanced citizens� awareness and reflection on aspects of nature protection and SD.