Environmental Educator Resource Kit

Does biodiversity education work? A case study using Birds in Backyards

In 2010, Birds in Backyards began an evaluation of its environmental education activities after being awarded a grant from the NSW Environmental Trust. The evaluation consisted of a large survey of members, a survey of the non-members for comparison, a focus group with other environmental educators, and focus groups with members and non-members. The survey of members was received very well, with 2670 completed responses, a total of 23% of the membership at the date of deployment (July 2011). After analysing the survey responses of both members and non-members we have produced a large volume of information on what our members attitudes, behaviours and knowledge are like in comparison to non-members, and what they would like to see from Birds in Backyards in the future. 

The benefits from the project have been numerous, and Birds in Backyards hopes that through the forum for Environmental Education on the Birds in Backyards website; making the results of the project and the survey questions available to all, that these benefits will be disseminated throughout the environmental education sector in NSW, the rest of Australia and internationally.  

Please click on the attachment on the right for the full Environmental Educator Resource Kit. The kit contains:

• An introductory letter
• A step by step guide for conducting evaluations
• Birds in Backyards Outcomes Hierarchy – as an example of how an outcomes hierarchy can be constructed for an evaluation
• Final Survey Questions – XPS and Word versions that can be used or adapted (with appropriate acknowledgements) by other environmental education projects
• Focus Group Recruitment Survey – an example of what questions can be used to screen focus group participants
• Focus Group Transcripts – a copy of the transcripts of two BIBY member and two general public focus groups held in Sydney
• Dissemination Workshop Presentation PowerPoint – this presentation was given to 51 environmental educators in 3 workshops in Sydney. It provides details on the findings of this project specifically as well as general information on conducting effective evaluations
• Project Summary Report – highlighting the major methodologies used and findings of the project
• NSW Environmental Trust Final Report – report provided to the funding body

Raw data from the survey may be available shortly subject to approval from the University of Sydney Human Ethics Research Committee, and will be available on request. If you wish to use any of the survey questions in any form of publication you must contact Birds in Backyards at to obtain permission and provide acknowledgement of this contribution in the publication. Questions 9, 10, 11, 32 and 33 must not be used in any form of publication without the express permission of Ms. Gill Ainsworth, Phd candidate of Charles Darwin University. Ms. Ainsworth can be contacted at .