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Cryptogenic species are those whose native and introduced ranges are unknown. The extent and long history of human migration rendered numerous species cryptogenic. Incomplete knowledge regarding the origin and native habitat of a species poses problems for conservation management and may confound ecological and evolutionary studies. The Lesser Antilles pose a particular challenge with regard to cryptogenic species because these islands have been anthropogenically connected since before recorded history. Here, we use population genetic and phylogeographic tools in an attempt to determine the origin of Eleutherodactylus johnstonei, a frog species with a potentially widespread introduced range and whose native range within the Lesser Antilles is unknown. Based on elevated estimates of genetic diversity and within-island geographic structure not present elsewhere in the range, we identify Montserrat as the native island of E. johnstonei. We also document two major clades within E. johnstonei, only one of which is the primary source of introduced populations throughout the Americas. Our results demonstrate the utility of genetic tools for resolving cryptogenic species problems and highlight E. johnstonei as a potential system for understanding differences in invasive potential among sister lineages.

Do more natural settings improve students' learning? We collected surveys immediately following 283 U.S.-based environmental education (EE) field trip programs for youth and used land cover data to examine the relationship between levels of naturalness, defined as the percentage of natural land cover of the EE field trip site, and student learning outcomes. We also examined whether differences in levels of naturalness between students' day-to-day environment and the field trip setting were related to student learning outcomes. When controlling for grade and race, both levels of naturalness and novel levels of naturalness accounted for approximately 4% of the variance in student outcomes suggesting that other field trip characteristics are more influential.

Which approaches are associated with better student learning outcomes in environmental education (EE)? We observed a sample of 299 day-long EE field trip programs occurring across the U.S.A. for youth in grades 5-8 (ages 9 to 14). We tracked the extent of use and quality of implementation of 66 programmatic, educator, and setting characteristics and measured student outcomes immediately after the programs using a retrospective survey. A series of complementary tests identified 11 characteristics that were most powerfully and consistently associated with learning outcomes, accounting for 18% of variance in learning outcomes. These included group size, naturalness, novelty, place-based pedagogy, verbal engagement, quality questions, transitions, and staging, as well as the responsiveness, comfort and clarity, and emotional support provided by the educator. Some of the most commonly promoted practices in the EE field were rarely observed. Implications are discussed for both practice and research.

Background: Continuing education programs for teachers seek to enhance outcomes for participants and their students. Experiential wilderness-based programs offer outdoor-recreational activities and experiential teaching initiatives. Research needs to be conducted to reveal how they influence individual behaviors. Purpose: This research investigated whether a wilderness-based program influenced individual beliefs and confidence in using experiential teaching methods within a classroom. Methodology/Approach: A pre-, post-, and follow-up closed survey was administered to educators who had participated in the North Carolina Outward Bound Educators Initiative (NCOBEI) 2017-2018. Furthermore, retrospective follow-up surveys were administered to alumni (years 2007-2016). Responses were analyzed to determine how participants integrated learning within the classroom. Findings/Conclusions: Participation positively influenced educators' beliefs, confidence, and intentions to implement experiential techniques within the classroom immediately following the experience, although the benefits diminished over time. Educator beliefs and confidence were poor predictors of using experiential learning in the classroom. Implications: Experiential wilderness-based professional development (PD) has the potential to positively build confidence and skills for use in the classroom. PD and future research should address how to perpetuate the influence of wilderness-based continuing PD programs at the individual and institutional levels.

COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement have changed the social and political landscape in which environmental educators work. To meet these challenges and to assess current training needs, we invited members of three national U.S. organizations to rate 28 different professional competencies in terms of importance and preparedness to perform. Our results showed that educators have the greatest need for training in diversity, equity, and inclusion; and communicating about complex and controversial issues. Additionally, environmental educators prefer training that is delivered through in-person exercises, online courses, and participation in learning communities. This information can help prioritize future professional development.

Many environmental educators shifted to online programs in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a systematic literature review to identify program characteristics from digital environmental education experiences that are associated with one or more elements of environmental literacy. After reviewing 153 candidate articles, 32 articles that evaluated 47 diverse programs met our selection criteria. For each of these programs, we systematically coded the articles to identify guiding theories, program types, program characteristics, and outcomes assessed. We also identified the authors' explanations and empirical evidence for program characteristics that led to positive outcomes. In this paper, we synthesize the results and present 12 guiding principles that show promise in enhancing outcomes related to environmental literacy in online programs for K-12 students. These principles, which are defined and illustrated with examples from the literature, include: social-ecological connections, relevance, social interactions, role models, autonomy, active involvement, challenge, use of multiple modalities, positive framing, preparation, feedback and reflection.

Evaluation has not been used to its fullest potential in environmental education (EE). Pressures from external stakeholders can cause organizations to focus on reporting requirements at the expense of conducting evaluations that support programmatic improvement. Understanding practitioners' satisfaction with their evaluation processes and the drivers of this satisfaction may reveal strategies for improving evaluation processes in the field of EE. We administered an online survey to EE practitioners in the United States via email and social media. Our results indicate low satisfaction with evaluation processes overall, but greater satisfaction from organizations engaged in systematic "formal" evaluation, particularly processes focused on adaptive management and programmatic improvement, when compared to evaluations focused on satisfying external accountabilities or using "informal" evaluation processes based on nonsystematic observation and reflection. Our results also highlight current gaps in using evaluation for adaptive management and for furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the field.

Despite growing calls for greater inclusivity and cultural responsiveness, little is known about how environmental education (EE) may differentially affect diverse audiences. As part of a national study of 334 environmentally focused day field trips for adolescent youth in the United States in 2018, we examined how outcomes differed for students of different grade levels, racial backgrounds, and socioeconomic status. Participants who were younger, Hispanic, and from lower socioeconomic classes exhibited more positive outcomes than older, non-Hispanic, and wealthier participants. Differences in Hispanic populations are likely at least partially attributable to known survey response biases. We also found that programs with non-White instructors tended to yield higher levels of satisfaction in groups where the student majority was not White. We discuss potential explanations for these trends and call for further research on culturally responsive and age-appropriate approaches to EE.

Theoretically strategic planning improves management activities, employee motivations, and ultimately, organizational performance. Comprehensive interpretive planning, a form of strategic planning, also should theoretically assists organizations that provide interpretive services by identifying audiences, key stories, interpretive themes, and goals regarding visitor experiences. However, many in the field find both the process as well as products associated with strategic planning ineffective. This study sought to examine the influence of strategic planning on strategic management, and the influence of both on workplace conditions, employees' organizational commitment, and organizational performance. We created an online questionnaire and administered it to all National Park Service (NPS) employees with Interpretation & Education responsibilities at any of the 424 NPS units in 2023. Results suggest that strategic plans are important both for employees' commitment to the organization and for the organization's overall performance. Results also suggest that strategic management activities, which include holding employee's accountable for work tasks; regularly seeking to improve programs and services; collaborating with external stakeholders and partners; communicating clear job performance expectations and feedback; having clear goals and measuring performance toward these goals are also important for improving employees' commitment to the organization and for overall performance. The implications for theory and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positive motivation to perform work tasks has been associated with better performance and outcomes in both the organizational and informal education literature. In environmental education (EE), this means that more motivated instructors are likely to provide better programs for their participants. In this exploratory study across 15 states in the USA, grounded in interviews with EE instructors and their supervisors, we examine the most salient factors motivating EE instructors to perform their work and how the practices of their organizations influenced those factors. Organizational practices related to enhancing EE instructors' feelings of autonomy, competence, relatedness, and meaningfulness of their work each contributed to positive motivations. A strong sense of shared values and interests underpinned each of these factors. We discuss recommendations for maintaining and enhancing instructor motivations, including hiring and onboarding strategies, participatory evaluation processes, and professional development opportunities. We also consider subtle differences in motivations at different career stages.

Environmental education (EE) aims to create environmentally literate individuals that have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to solve important environmental issues. However, little research examines whether and which educators' emotional support behaviors, such as responsiveness and positive communications, enhance outcomes in an EE program. Utilizing student surveys, programmatic observations, and qualitative notes collected from 334 EE field trip programs for fifth through eighth grade students (ages 9-12) provided by 90 different organizations across the U.S., this study examined linkages between educators' emotional support behaviors and positive learning outcomes. Past research in formal educational settings suggests that emotional support behaviors yield positive outcomes for students. This research also found that positive emotional support behaviors positively influenced student outcomes and explained 10% of the variance. Based on the resulting model, we suggest that positive emotional support behaviors should be considered in future environmental educator training programs.

Studies of individual environmental education (EE) field trip programs have found that pre-visit preparation and post-visit follow-up activities can enhance desired student outcomes. We examined these relationships across a broad sample of single-day EE field trip programs for adolescent youth (grades 5-8) across the United States. We measured student outcomes, reflecting environmental literacy, 21st century skills, positive youth development, and student learning, through end-of-visit retrospective student surveys and follow-up surveys with visiting teachers two weeks after the field trip. Pre-visit logistical preparation as well as both pre-visit preparation and post-visit follow-up related to the subject matter were each associated with more positive student outcomes. The study provides further evidence across a large sample of programs that pre-visit preparation and post-visit follow-up can have meaningful impacts on student outcomes for EE field trips. We discuss the implications of the findings and provide examples and guidance for future programming efforts.

Environmental education (EE) typically occurs in natural settings, which research suggests may enhance learning outcomes. Although field trips are commonly used to teach EE, few studies have isolated the influence of different setting characteristics for enhancing participant outcomes during an EE field trip. According to the literature, certain attributes of the natural setting, including novelty, beauty, and naturalness, as well as how the setting is used such as through place-based education, immersion, and time spent inside vs. outside, are thought to positively impact people's experiences with nature. In this study, we collected data from 334 EE field trip programs for 5-8th grade students to investigate the influence of these natural setting characteristics on positive learning outcomes. Results suggest that the naturalness and novelty of the setting, the use of place-based education, and spending more time outside vs. inside all positively correlated with more positive student outcomes. The implications of the results for environmental educators are discussed.

In this study, we explore the influence of student engagement on middle school students' environmental literacy outcomes at a residential environmental education (EE) program. We observed 80 lessons and 17 educators, observing six measures related to engagement. We also administered immediate post-experience surveys measuring students' self-reported levels of engagement and environmental literacy outcomes. Only self-reported student engagement was significantly associated with more positive outcomes. As such, observations of engaged or enthusiastic EE participants may not necessarily be indicative of achieving desired learning outcomes. The study reveals the importance of systematic evaluation over simplistic observations for gauging participant learning.

The personal and professional outcomes of experiential wilderness-based professional development programs for K-12 educators have not been adequately evaluated. This study used open-ended survey questions to identify a range of personal (i.e., self-awareness, new perspectives, self-confidence) and professional (i.e., changes in classroom practices, appreciation for educational practices, improved classroom culture) outcomes. Educators also identified the programmatic elements that were most influential to both personal and professional outcomes. Links between specific programming elements and each unique outcome are also discussed. Results from this study may be used to design experiential continuing professional development approaches for educators.