2018 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 2_39-48
The purpose of this study was to obtain proposals for the improvement of shitti kyoiku (wetlands education) in Japan. Although many educational programs for water sites, including rice fields, rivers, wetlands, and oceans exist individually, little study has been done to construct a systemization of education about water in a general framework. Therefore, it is important to create such educational programs in order to develop human resources for the effective conservation of wetlands in Japan; this viewpoint is discussed using a case study of wetlands education in the U.S. In this study, we reviewed two cases of an educational package program with a focus on environmental education, namely “Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program” and “WOW! The Wonders Of Wetlands.” Data were collected from one staff member, the Education Specialist at the Clark River National Wildlife Refuge, using an interview. Furthermore, we sent out questionnaires using Survey Monkey to eleven volunteers who are involved in wetland educational practices at the refuge. We collected all data and analyzed them to understand wetlands education. In line with the survey results, this paper concludes that to enhance educational practices for the conservation of wetlands, shitti kyoiku would require the consideration of the usefulness of wetlands education as a tool corresponding to wetland conservation.
