A social learning approach to raising environmental awareness at the catchment scale: the Eye Brook England.

Abstract

There has been considerable scientific research into sustainability issues associated with climate change adaptation and mitigation, water management, renewable energy generation and other issues associated with declining resources and increasing population growth and consumption. There remains a need for an effective means of raising popular awareness of these issues so that the results of this research are translated into widespread behavioural change. This paper describes a four-year (2006-2010) project in the 67-km² Eye Brook catchment in central England and takes an innovative and inclusive social learning approach. The project recognises, values and capitalises on three knowledge cultures: scientific, local and historical, through professional inter-disciplinary research, public events, a newsletter, group and individual research, a teaching pack and a book. The principles are widely applicable to other sites and circumstances.