Coloring for Conservation: Outreach Science for Eastern Hellbender Salamanders

Abstract

Engaging K-5 future citizen scientists is a challenge which balances effective outreach science and curriculum development, as well as in and out-of-classroom experiences. Environmental education programs should be designed to both engage and inform the public on important conservation issues related to local biodiversity. Amphibians, especially salamanders, are experiencing worldwide declines, but are relatively overlooked by the public when compared with frogs and other more charismatic species. To this end, we developed a hellbender-focused, outreach-education coloring book, which was provided to either stream visitors as part of ongoing education programming or in classroom/summer camp settings, in two states where eastern hellbender salamanders occur. We assessed whether this coloring book activity engaged and informed K-5 level participants by performing a short, post-implementation survey. Results indicate that the hellbender coloring book was effective as an educational tool and provided an engaging experience for participants, while concomitantly teaching that moving rocks within streams can be potentially harmful for aquatic organisms, including larval hellbenders. We recommend conservation managers from state and federal agencies work closely with community educators to implement similar programs to inform the local general public on environmental programs using conservation themed coloring books.