University Presentation Showcase: Undergraduate Poster Gallery
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Creation Date
2023
Major
Biology
Department
Biological Sciences
Degree
Undergraduate
Mentor
Stephen Sumithran, Sherry L. Harrel
Mentor Department
Biological Sciences
Abstract
It is vital to assess the attitudes and knowledge of the general public towards a natural resource and its conservation in order to ensure the success of any management activity undertaken by state and federal agencies. It is also important to understand the public’s opinion on those agencies carrying out conservation efforts. We developed an online survey using Qualtrics hosted by EKU. This study received approval from EKU’s Institutional Review Board, as Protocol number #5010. We administered the online survey to residents of Eastern Kentucky, who were reached by social media posts and face-to-face interactions at public businesses. In addition, students at Eastern Kentucky University who were residents of eastern Kentucky were also surveyed. When asked about how knowledgeable a respondent was about threats to freshwater species and water body health, 73% of the respondents claimed to be moderately to extremely knowledgeable about stream pollution from chemical dumping and litter, and 65% claimed to be at least moderately knowledgeable about over-fishing. The least known threat to water bodies was the effects of damming, which only 40% of respondents claimed to be at least moderately knowledgeable about. When asked how much they trust the KDFWR to properly lead and carry out conservation efforts, 84% of respondents said they have moderate to a great deal of trust. Furthermore, 91% of respondents said they would approve of the KDFWR receiving state tax dollars if the money went towards conservation efforts.