Assessment of the Potential for Youth Engagement In
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UGANDAN YOUTH DETERMINED TO PROTECT GORILLAS i ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIAL FOR YOUTH ENGAGEMENT IN MOUNTAIN GORILLA CONSERVATION IN UGANDA By Samson Elijah Werikhe A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES) Antioch University New England Keene, New Hampshire, USA 2021 UGANDAN YOUTH DETERMINED TO PROTECT GORILLAS i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation would never have reached its final stage without the help and support of so many individuals in various organizations. First and foremost, I’d like to thank the chair on my dissertation committee, Dr. Beth Kaplin. Beth, thank you so much for your guidance in all possible ways to make this dissertation completion a reality. I am equally grateful to my committee members, Dr. Libby McCann also of Antioch University New England and Dr. Martha Monroe of the University of Florida for your insights and direction. To all head teachers and wildlife clubs’ patrons in schools where I conducted the survey, thank you for allowing me to interact with your awesome students, and to the students who participated, I am highly indebted to your overwhelmingly positive response. Your interest and engagement in wildlife activities were very conspicuous. To my research assistant, Denis Agaba, I thank you so much for reconnecting me with my friends and colleagues in the wildlife club’s fraternity in Kisoro District. Furthermore, thank you for taking your time to explain to students whenever questions would be asked and your profession as a learned teacher helped get the best out of students’ participation in my research work. You took over leadership of the survey while I was back in the United States for additional course work and you neatly packed my survey ready for shipping to the US. Thank you so much my friend and colleague. To the National Coordinator Wildlife Clubs of Uganda, Mr. Peter Olanya, thank you for letting WCU be my local affiliate institution during the survey. This helped greatly in securing clearance for research from the President’s Office, Uganda. I’d also like to thank staff of the Uganda National Center for Science and Technology in the President’s Office, Uganda, particularly Ms. Leah Nawegulo for granting me permission to conduct UGANDAN YOUTH DETERMINED TO PROTECT GORILLAS ii research in Kisoro, Uganda and for kindly introducing me to the Resident District Commissioner, Kisoro. This helped me conduct my research with ease and confidence. Ms. Helena Nambogwe, thanks for delivering my surveys to Ms. Lilly Ajarova who kindly and safely hand carried them to the United States. I am grateful to you Lilly for your tremendous helping hands. Without you, I was ready to fly back and get my data but you assisted a great deal. Thanks again. To my family, thanks for being patient and loving. Patience pays and it has done it. Lastly, all my friends, colleagues and fellow scholars who shared with me the related wisdom, courage and determination, I say this: the doctoral journey is a challenging endeavor and although I have not mentioned your names here, you vividly remember your role played in this process and I thank you so very much for your involvement. Once again, to all those of you who participated in one-way or another, please accept my deepest appreciation and thanks. UGANDAN YOUTH DETERMINED TO PROTECT GORILLAS iii Contents Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................... i List of Tables ............................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ............................................................................................................ vii Abstract ..................................................................................................................... viii Chapter One: Introduction ....................................................................................... 10 The study is described in five chapters. ............................................................................................... 12 Chapter Two: Can Young People in Developing Countries Contribute to Conservation of Endangered Species? .................................................................... 14 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 14 Status of Mountain Gorillas .............................................................................................................. 15 Poaching and Youth Participation .................................................................................................... 16 Childhood Experiences .......................................................................................................................... 19 Environmental Values ............................................................................................................................ 22 Environmental Knowledge ................................................................................................................... 22 Attitude ......................................................................................................................................................... 24 Future participation: Self-efficacy and Outcome Expectancy .............................................. 26 Future Participation: Intentions ........................................................................................................ 29 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 30 Chapter Three: Conserving Mountain Gorillas: Knowledge and Attitudes of Young People Living Around Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Uganda ........... 31 Abstract ........................................................................................................................................................ 31 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 32 Methods ........................................................................................................................................................ 35 Study Site .................................................................................................................................................. 35 Surveying Knowledge and Attitudes of Young People ............................................................. 36 Participants .................................................................................................................................................. 37 Survey Instrument ................................................................................................................................... 37 Instrument Validity and reliability ...................................................................................................... 38 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................... 39 Results .......................................................................................................................... 40 Knowledge about Mountain Gorillas and their Conservation .................................................. 40 Knowledge about Gorilla Conservation ............................................................................................. 42 Harmful activities to the gorillas .......................................................................................................... 47 Activity Statements ............................................................................................................................. 50 UGANDAN YOUTH DETERMINED TO PROTECT GORILLAS iv A – Farming in the Park ....................................................................................................................... 50 B – Setting snares in the Park ............................................................................................................ 50 C – Bamboo cultivation outside the Park ....................................................................................... 50 D – Expansion of villages around the Park .................................................................................... 50 E – Mountain climbing ......................................................................................................................... 50 F – Gorilla trekking ............................................................................................................................... 50 G – Conservation education................................................................................................................ 50 Sources of information about gorillas................................................................................................ 50 Sources of information ........................................................................................................................... 55 A – Wildlife Clubs of Uganda ................................................................................................................ 55 B – Radio ......................................................................................................................................................