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A unique approach to volunteer marketing research involved a mail survey with natural resources professionals from across Pennsylvania. Previous work identified this group as a source of potential volunteers for the 4-H youth natural resources program. The results give insights into those most likely to volunteer to teach youth through 4-H programs. Self-perceived confidence with youth, confidence in knowledge about natural resources, and personal interest in the specific subject matter to be taught were key factors predicting willingness. Additionally, a need to fulfill feelings of social responsibility and high levels of outdoor activity were also important predictors. This study demonstrates the value of surveying and working with a specific population of potential volunteers to determine their promise for volunteer involvement and program expansion. (Contains 5 tables.)

Results are presented from a formal evaluation of The Pennsylvania Bureau of State Park's Watershed Education (WE) curriculum developed for students in grades 6-12. The primary research objective was to measure the impact the training and subsequent use of the WE curriculum had on teachers' behavior, confidence, and self-efficacy in teaching about watersheds. A statewide mail survey measured these attributes in both curriculum participants and non-participants. Comparisons between the two populations revealed that teachers who participated in the WE training, and who use the curriculum in their classrooms, exhibit a higher degree of pro-watershed behavior inside and outside the classroom than do non-participants. Additionally, participants exhibit greater confidence and self-efficacy than teachers who have not participated in the WE training. (Contains 5 tables.)

A fundamental feature of human locomotor control is the need to adapt walking patterns in response to changes in the environment. For example, when people walk on a split-belt treadmill, which has belts that move at different speeds, they adapt to the asymmetric speed constraints by reducing spatiotemporal asymmetry. Here, we aim to understand the role of balance control as a potential factor driving this adaptation process. We recruited 24 healthy, young adults to adapt to walking on a split-belt treadmill while either holding on to a handrail or walking with free arm swing. We measured whole body angular momentum and step length asymmetry as measures of dynamic balance and spatiotemporal asymmetry, respectively. To understand how changes in intersegmental coordination influenced whole body angular momentum, we also measured segmental angular momenta and the coefficient of cancellation. When participants were initially exposed to the asymmetry in belt speeds, we observed an increase in whole body angular momentum that was due to both an increase in the momentum of individual segments and a reduction in the coefficient of cancellation. Holding on to a handrail reduced the perturbation to asymmetry during the early phase of adaptation and resulted in a smaller aftereffect during early postadaptation. In addition, the stabilization provided by holding on to a handrail led to reductions in the coupling between angular momentum and asymmetry. These results suggest that regulation of dynamic balance is most important during the initial, transient phase of adaptation to walking on a split-belt treadmill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]