FOWL Survey of Conservation Values
For the second time this year I have asked readers to respond to an online survey. These are the results. The members who responded are mostly older. Those over 56 are in the majority but a healthy blend of younger ages are also represented. Our members are well educated. None reported less than a high school education. Many show High School as their highest level of education and this would include those members who are currently working on a degree. This data does not distinguish between those who have achieved and those who are working on a degree. We have an impressive representation from higher education with two-thirds reporting a Bachelors degree and above. The data on geographic scope is harder to interpret. Asking for a range of agreement responses using Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (DA), and Strongly Disagree (SDA), the following data is presented. In all cases members agreed that each geographic range was appropriate for Friends of Wetlands. Looking at the Strongly Agreed category (Blue), there is a clear tilt toward local and state. Conversely, the Disagree (green) category is more prominent on the national and international categories. The bottom line should be that we do not lose sight of national and international wetland issues but that we should apply more effort to the state and local issues where most of us live. On the policy question members were once again asked to rank each part on a range of agreement. In terms of geographic scope, once again, the strongest agreement was for the most local. In terms of providing education to members versus regulatory agencies, there is no significant difference. FOWL needs to provide the EPA and other regulatory agencies with sound feedback and scientific data as much as to provide the membership with good education. The level of response to the survey was very good. I am pleased that so many members took the time to provide feedback. This gives the FOWL Board good data that will be considered as we plan our activities and prioritize our efforts in the coming year. Thank you for participating.