A quantitative survey study to understand students' knowledge and attitudes towards rewilding in England

Abstract

Rewilding is a strategy that attempts to return an ecosystem to their original state before human alterations were imposed. Rewilding is a concept that originated from North America in the 1980s where it was originally called wildness recovery. The aim of this study is to explore and gain an understating of student’s knowledge and attitudes towards rewilding in England. The objectives were to ascertain student’s knowledge of wildlife and conservation in England, and to understand student’s attitudes towards rewilding projects in England. An online questionnaire was developed and distributed to students aged eighteen and over who are currently enrolled in a university based in England. A convenience sampling approach was used in recruiting participants via social media such as Instagram and Facebook. The researcher also approached LJMU gatekeepers and posted it onto their online platform CANVAS.

There was a higher percentage of female student participant’s and those aged 33 years old or older taking part in the study. The data shows that students have a positive attitude towards nature and think rewilding is a good idea that can benefit society and the economy. The study concluded that a gap in the literature has been filled as the student demographic has been represented. It also concludes that students feel that rewilding is a good idea and can have a positive impact on physical and mental health.