Hi all,
For those of you working with invasive species, you might find the Don’t Move Firewood campaign interesting. Initially launched in 2008, this campaign is an outreach partnership led by The Nature Conservancy. The purpose of the campaign is to protect trees throughout North America from invasive insects and diseases that may be carried long distances by contaminated firewood. The campaign explains that everyone can help mitigate the spread of invasive insects (e.g., emerald ash borer) and diseases that kill trees by making well-informed choices about firewood. The central slogan of the campaign is “Buy it where you burn it”. In other words, buy firewood on-site where you are going to burn it instead of transporting it from home.
Some of the features on the website include a firewood map, where you can click on any state, province, or territory in North America to learn more about local rules and regulations for using firewood. They also have a resource library with downloadable posters, ads, postcards, and brochures about the campaign. There is also an index of invasive species and diseases for individuals who are looking for detailed information on a particular one. Additionally, they have a Frequently Asked Questions page, which is quite helpful.
There was an interesting 2016 study completed in four Mississippi state parks, in which 170 campers were interviewed about their knowledge, attitude, and actions regarding forest insects and firewood movement. The study found that although state and federal authorities have long-running educational campaigns, campers' knowledge of the problem was low, and even when they knew about it, their attitudes and actions did not change. This finding may have implications for the Don’t Move Firewood campaign, which is educational. The campaign might benefit from including more behavioral aspects such as influencing social norms or building commitments. For example, I can imagine seeing photos of commitments made by campers on an exhibit at a camping/adventure store. These photos would show campers holding firewood and demonstrating their commitment to buy firewood locally. Of course, any behavioral strategies employed would have to align with the barriers to change.
To see the Don’t Move Firewood campaign website, click here. To review the study’s abstract, click here. (There is a paywall).
For those of you working with invasive species, you might find the Don’t Move Firewood campaign interesting. Initially launched in 2008, this campaign is an outreach partnership led by The Nature Conservancy. The purpose of the campaign is to protect trees throughout North America from invasive insects and diseases that may be carried long distances by contaminated firewood. The campaign explains that everyone can help mitigate the spread of invasive insects (e.g., emerald ash borer) and diseases that kill trees by making well-informed choices about firewood. The central slogan of the campaign is “Buy it where you burn it”. In other words, buy firewood on-site where you are going to burn it instead of transporting it from home.
Some of the features on the website include a firewood map, where you can click on any state, province, or territory in North America to learn more about local rules and regulations for using firewood. They also have a resource library with downloadable posters, ads, postcards, and brochures about the campaign. There is also an index of invasive species and diseases for individuals who are looking for detailed information on a particular one. Additionally, they have a Frequently Asked Questions page, which is quite helpful.
There was an interesting 2016 study completed in four Mississippi state parks, in which 170 campers were interviewed about their knowledge, attitude, and actions regarding forest insects and firewood movement. The study found that although state and federal authorities have long-running educational campaigns, campers' knowledge of the problem was low, and even when they knew about it, their attitudes and actions did not change. This finding may have implications for the Don’t Move Firewood campaign, which is educational. The campaign might benefit from including more behavioral aspects such as influencing social norms or building commitments. For example, I can imagine seeing photos of commitments made by campers on an exhibit at a camping/adventure store. These photos would show campers holding firewood and demonstrating their commitment to buy firewood locally. Of course, any behavioral strategies employed would have to align with the barriers to change.
To see the Don’t Move Firewood campaign website, click here. To review the study’s abstract, click here. (There is a paywall).
