Twitching for values in the human domain: how do Australians value native birds?

1. Twitching for values in the human domain: how do Australians value native birds? Ainsworth, GB, Aslin, HJ, Garnett, ST and Weston, M.

2. Context • 1st year of PhD: • Social Values of Australian Threatened Birds • ARC project: • ‘Increasing the effectiveness & efficiency of threatened bird conservation’ • Action Plan for Birds 2010 • - Biophysical • - Institutional • - Social • Influence of values on conservation outcomes

3. How do Australians Value Native Birds? • native bird species known • valued most widely - values held for threatened & non-threatened native species • values held for particular • native threatened species

4. Wildlife Management Wildlife management: wildlife policy framework interactive relationships information, values & efforts • Biophysical; • socio-structural; • valuational; • institutional/regulatory • (Kellert & Clark 1991) • ecological, • Economic, • socio-psychological (Steinhoff 1980)

5. Values Value: ‘relative worth, merit or importance’ of something:  cannot be observed directly only through their expression in the form of attitudes & behaviours Values are critical: • personal goals: good & bad, right & wrong • interpret events & information • across situations & events Social science perspective:  person’s values towards wildlife  thinking & behaviour in wildlife situation (Manfredo 2008)

6. Values: Attitudes: Behaviours: enduring changeable Cary et al 2000

7. Wildlife Values Research Traditionally: Attitudes tested by empirical research, socio-psychological surveys, representative samples: “I think duck hunting is ok as long as the bird is not endangered” However, knowledge of individual native taxa across Australian society will likely be highly erratic: - variation in prevalence, characteristics and distribution of bird taxa - iconic / locally significant / expert knowledge Measure of values reflected across society for native threatened birds can reveal public interest in and perceptions of individual species

8. Developing a Typology of Bird Values Developing a Typology of Bird Attitudes No precedent for valuing an entire class of fauna such as Australian native birds (~720 species) Review of commonly used empirical approaches to valuing wildlife KELLERT, S. R. (1985) Social & Perceptual Factors in Endangered Species Management. Journal of Wildlife Management, 49, 528-536 - 9 value categories, quantitative • CAMPBELL, L. & SMITH, C. (2006) What Makes Them Pay? Values of Volunteer Tourists: Working for Sea Turtle Conservation. Environmental Management, 38, 84-98 • - 8 value categories, qualitative

9. Native Bird Values Typology The social values of Australian birds….??? expressions of group identity or social experiences & objects of specialized attachments physical attributes & biological functioning of birds strong affection for individual animals material benefit of bird habitat to human society (development) physical attractiveness & symbolic characteristic of birds material benefit of bird products to human society (food) interrelationships between bird species & natural habitats spiritual meaning or message attached to birds Which of these values does society hold for native birds? mastery & control of birds (sport); being a good naturalist exciting experiences with birds in their natural habitat increases / decreases in bird populations conflict between birds & humans duty to protect & preserve birds ? Utilitarian-habitat Utilitarian- consumption Aesthetic physical Aesthetic symbolic Anthopomorphic Conservation Ecological Experiential Spiritual Biophysical Moralistic Mastery Negative • 13 value categories

10. Native Bird Values Correlation Matrix • 13 • Value categories • X • Social profiles • 21 • National projects • nationally representative, publicly available data; • data directly aligned with value category, directly related to individual bird species

11. Media Stories Influence of media on public perception of native birds is important Newsbank – 162 local, regional, and national newspapers 1998 – 2010 Complete full-text content: community events, schools, politics, government policies, cultural activities, local companies, state industries, & people in the community conservation negative 67,156 bird stories identified 2,830 analysed across all value categories moralistic biophysical utilitarian-habitat

12. Wildlife Values &Conservation Outcomes Social profiles = better understanding of our relationship with native birds - as a whole class of fauna, as families, as individual species Better understanding of ourselves as humans and development of Australian culture This research is ultimately important for threatened bird conservation: - understand priorities currently given to individual species - useful for communicating conservation messages to the broader community

13. With grateful thanks to… State / territory conservation departments Birdwatching tour companies National galleries and libraries Australian Defence Forces Conservation volunteer groups Australian Institute of Sport Regional shire councils NT Fiona Douglas Michael Honer Tim Schinkel QLD Joan Dawes Noela Edwards Jean Tucker Maureen Cooper NSW / ACT David Collyer Mimmo Cozzolino Susan Freeman Vanessa Keyzer Cilla Kinross Hollis Taylor Les Terrett Andrea Wild WA Ian Abbott Greg Barrett Fiona Colbeck Clive Nealon Kirsty Sadler VIC Rob Buttrose, Grace Lewis, Megan Moore, Alan Sergi, Janelle Thomas, Paris Yves