4.2. Results of the Two-Phase Model Analysis
Results of the two-phase decision-making model indicated support for the six key variables that affect citizen science’s (i.e., participants of the Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project) goals and behavioral intentions towards pro-environmental behaviors. The most frequently mentioned variables were perceived seriousness and feasibility evaluation, and they were followed by belief in the effectiveness, ascription of responsibility, cost–benefit evaluation, and social norm evaluation (please refer to
Table 4). Finding for each of these variables will be discuss in the following.
4.2.1. Perceived Seriousness (PS)
There were 14 (out of 24) interviewees agreed that perceived seriousness could potentially influence their pro-environmental behavior. The majority (12) of these interviewees revealed that they were frustrated and discouraged by the ecological crises such as the deterioration of bird conditions and mud accumulation in the farm ponds. There was also a consensus for urgent actions to be undertaken to address the environmental problems. This was supported by a comment that
“I’m just curious to know what those data can do, I’m curious about that. The data generated by the survey we did, after accumulating, maybe we can have, for example, a decisive impact on the development of the land or on the development of the airport”
(Q5)
Eight of the interviewees indicated that farm ponds in the surveyed sites have been through significant changes over the years, which had affected the natural environment. Given the fond memories and close connections to these natural farm ponds of the past, interviewees felt the need for them to take practical environmental actions. An interviewee commented that
“I feel sorry for the things that we saw when we were young. If there is a chance, I also hope that the environment can maintain the kind of human and animal coexistence we used to have, not like now, the whole environment is destroyed, nothing can be seen. Compared to our past, many of those animals can no longer be seen by children today”
(Q4)
Six of the interviewees encountered negative nature experiences while conducting their site observation. Among them were the destruction of beloved sites, the disappearance of farm ponds, and environmental pollution. These unpleasant encounters had left the interviewees feeling upset and having grave concerns. Such sentiments were supported by comments such as
“I feel sad. Basically, the pollution in Taoyuan is quite serious, such as the algae reefs, or the beaches with too much garbage to pick up, and many factories are built in areas that should not be built...etc. It is extremely scary that nature is disappearing all the time!”
(Q19)
“In recent years, the disappearance of large farm ponds has had a great impact on the habitat of the geese and ducks. The places where we can see geese and ducks have become very rare in Taoyuan”
(Q22)
It was agreed by six interviewees that the causes of environmental problems were often complex, and many people tend to oversimplify the causes by attributing them to specific objects and assuming that is the key to solving the problem. Governments and consortia were often regarded by conservationists as responsible for environmental problems because they have the authority to make decisions that impact on the environment. From the government’s perspective, some environmental sacrifices were deemed unavoidable to achieve essential economic growth and development. This was supported by an interviewee’s comment that
“Conservation groups are often relatively disadvantaged and can only provide ecological data for development reference. In general, pond owners do not care much about birds eating the fish, but the biggest disturbance is the pond improvement by the Taiwan Joint Irrigation Association. Beautification of the pond destroys the ecosystem by spending a lot of money on cementing the pond, which should be told to the relevant authorities”
(Q6)
There was a sense of helplessness, as revealed by four interviewees, because the regulations prohibit and limit them in what they could do to protect the environment. They were frustrated with the limited and ineffective actions taken by the government and feared that the seriousness of the environmental problems was being ignored. An interviewee supported this with a comment
“When we went back, the stream was flowing with black water, and there was not a single fish, and no one could do anything about it”
(Q4)
4.2.2. Ascription of Responsibility (AR)
Twelve of the 24 interviewees suggested that their pro-environmental behavior could potentially be affected by ascription of responsibility. Ten interviewees revealed that they were powerless as an individual when dealing with environmental problems; however, this changed when working in a group with an identity. This could be attributed to individuals feeling empowered in a team (e.g., a local bird society) where they could offer support and encouragement to others who shared a common goal in protecting the environment by keeping a close eye on the ecosystem of the farm ponds. This was supported by a comment
“Since serving as the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Wild Bird Society of Taoyuan from 1997 to 2011, I deeply feel that farm ponds are the characteristics of Taoyuan. As a local bird society, it is our responsibility to survey and understand the birds of farm ponds and to establish long-term information for subsequent application when necessary”
(Q5)
Furthermore, eight interviewees indicated that being a part of the team had given them a sense of responsibility and motivation to influence others around them about environmental issues. A comment provided by an interviewee supported this opinion:
“The historical mission of the farm ponds may be changing, but it is our duty to provide winter migratory birds a satisfactory winter habitat”
(Q20)
4.2.3. Belief in the Effectiveness (BE)
Of the 24 interviewees, 13 of them felt that belief in the effectiveness could potentially impact on their pro-environmental behavior. Ten interviewees indicated that the underlying reason for their participation in the Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project was driven by the fact that they believe a better understanding of the environmental problems would help them to identify more effective solutions. Thus, the collection of basic ecological research data over a period of time was considered as an essential part of achieving this. An interviewee commented that
“Long-term survey data, together with landscape changes, can reveal the impact of landscape changes on bird ecosystems, so that specific evidence can be presented during the evaluation of new development projects to determine the extent of ecological impacts so that development projects can be canceled or modified to protect local ecological resources”
(Q22)
Although nine of the interviewees were aware that certain farm ponds had very few birds visiting over the years, they had continued conducting their survey on these sites because of the need for on-going data collection and sampling. An interviewee supported this by commenting
“Because it is scientific, with random sampling, so scattered throughout the Taoyuan. For example, there could be five ponds here, and one of them has a rich ecosystem, but this means nothing if it is not sampled. Research must be persistent, even though there are no birds”
(Q4)
Six interviewees knew the importance of long-term research data collection because of their educational background, while others (seven) learned through their many years of experiences with the bird society activities. Thus, they would continue to participate in this survey to ensure that the ecological data could be collected and helped identify effective solutions to the environmental problems. This was supported by an interviewee’s comment:
“I joined the bird society because of my passion for birds, and my concern for the environment and biomedical training. I am aware of the importance of long-term surveys and the recording of relevant information. I usually make records of bird watching and try to upload the relevant bird survey record system. Therefore, when fellow birdwatcher XXX (a person’s name) first promoted this idea and project, I fully supported and participated in it”
(Q12)
Furthermore, six interviewees revealed that their learnings through participating in surveys had slowly been internalized to become an opinion. This was supported by an interviewee’s comment:
“This is very important for the protection, preservation, and conservation of farm ponds, and is a very important indicator, especially for the winter migratory birds to farm ponds; we give them 800 m2 of land for them to move around”
(Q22)
Some interviewees (five) had also suggested that the longitudinal data collected could be used as evidence to support any initiatives and solutions that aimed at addressing the environmental problems, especially in the Taoyuan region. This was supported by an interviewee’s comment:
“With such a rich amount of data, it is possible to negotiate with the Taoyuan City Government or the relevant engineering division of the Taiwanese Construction and Planning Agency beforehand to find a balance between ecology and engineering”
(Q18)
4.2.4. Feasibility Evaluation (FE)
There were 14 interviewees (out of 24) who agreed that feasibility evaluation played an essential role in influencing their pro-environmental behavior. The majority of these interviewees (11) highlighted the importance of safety in conducting the Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project. When safety was compromised during the conduct of the survey, participants would withdraw from continuing because of the danger involved. This was supported by an interviewee’s comment:
“Dogs are a means to prevent theft in many farm ponds, but for those of us who perform bird surveys, it is a problem for us to maintain our personal safety, and we often put ourselves in dangerous situations while carrying out bird surveys”
(Q20)
The need for better protections (such as insurance, gears) was considered by many interviewees as important to carry out their survey activities safely and at the same time beneficial (e.g., reduce liability) to the organizer hosting the survey project. An interviewee supported this with a comment:
“Especially for those who use volunteers, no matter what they are going to do, insurance is the first thing that matters. (Insurance.) Because we go to sweep the streets, to clean the beach, to save the birds, which involves a lot of risks. If you don’t have insurance, it’s okay if nothing happens, but when something happens, you can’t explain it to the families”
(Q3)
In addition, eight interviewees mentioned that the environmental constraints of the survey sites could present access difficulties to the farm ponds, which were caused by cold wind and rainy weather. In addition, the area to cover for some survey sites was enormous and posed a significant challenge to participants. This was supported by an interviewee’s comment:
“In the beginning, I was in charge of five farm ponds, and they were all very large in size, so it took two days to finish each time. After two years, I finally couldn’t take it anymore and had to drop two ponds in Xinwu, so I was more willing to continue”
(Q4)
Factors affecting the capability to conduct the Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project were also raised by seven interviewees. These interviewees agreed that they joined the bird society and participated in conducting the survey after their retirement while they were still physically fit and healthy. However, as the years passed by, they got older and experienced health issues that began to prevent and limit their participation in the survey activities. This sentiment was support by an interviewee’s comment:
“Because I like bird watching and I am a member of the Wild Bird Society of Taoyuan, I am happy to contribute to the bird watching community. Now that I am old, I still like bird watching, but I am not physically able to do more”
(Q21)
Furthermore, the Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project required participants to have an adequate level of specialized skills and knowledge (e.g., bird watching and identification) to conduct the survey. An interviewee commented
“I was first encouraged by fellow bird watchers. After all, I was a little better than the average person at that time in bird-watching skills. I could tell what kind of bird it was by ear and by sight. They encouraged us to participate in some surveys. Because, if you do not have good identification ability, you will be confused”
(Q22)
Six interviewees stated that there were other factors such as obligations (e.g., career commitments, carer’s duties) in life that made it difficult if not impossible to participate in the Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project. Such considerations were necessary for many people to help determine if they could accomplish the survey activities. This was supported by an interviewee’s comment:
“And parents can’t participate if their children are too young. Our children were young at that time and we had no, also could not … find (time). Although the bird society was established, we cannot regularly attend their activities except the bird watching season organized by them. (Maybe they can attend big events, the kind where you can bring your family)”
(Q21)
4.2.5. Cost–Benefit Evaluation (CBE)
Twelve of the 24 interviewees agreed that cost–benefit evaluation could have a potential effect on their pro-environmental behavior. Time factor was a major consideration by 10 of these interviewees when participating in the Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project. This was particularly evident when changes to the survey schedule were required by the organizer, since participants could have other prior commitments (e.g., related to family, personal, and work) that would prevent them from accommodating such changes in schedule. This could result in unnecessary stress on the participants while they attempted to make any possible adjustments to their other commitments. An interviewee commented
“In recent years, I have been busy with my personal affairs and have been less involved in bird society activities. However, as long as the coordinator of the project sends me a letter, I am willing to exclude other matters and continue to participate”
(Q12)
When a participant was to conduct the survey independently, he or she only needed to consider his or her availability, and it was simple to organize. On the other hand, when some participants chose to conduct the survey in groups, some levels of coordination between them were required, and this would include the complications involved in scheduling the survey and tasks. However, it was acknowledged that there were benefits in a group survey approach that included mutual support, learning, sharing of experience, and knowledge. This was supported by an interviewee’s comment:
“It is a little difficult for different partners to coordinate their time, but sometimes it can be a happy gathering for partners with the same interests”
(Q6)
Seven interviewees indicated that the travel distance to the survey sites was another factor that affected their participation in the Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project. The travelling time and costs to far away survey sites could result in participants withdrawing from conducting the survey. Comments provided by interviewees supporting this included:
“At the beginning of the farm pond survey, there were five of us, and XXX (a person’s name) would drive us because we all lived very far away”
(Q13)
“The volunteers could choose the ones near their homes first. Then the ones that were far away and had not been picked still need to be surveyed. It was not very convenient for some people, like those who had to ride motorcycles”
(Q6)
A lack of manpower to conduct the survey was also raised by five interviewees, since this would increase the workload and caused an additional burden and distress to other participants. Since participants required specialized skills and knowledge, it had been difficult to recruit people with suitable skill sets. An interviewee supported this with a comment:
“Things that are particularly difficult or troublesome: (1) coordinating new participants to join when surveyors change; (2) each survey requires notifications in advance, but also individual telephone follow-ups to ensure that staff do not forget and can complete the bird survey according to the deadline. Factors that can dampen enthusiasm: (1) unsuitable personal physical conditions; (2) inability to find enough birders to help with the survey”
(Q5)
4.2.6. Social Norm Evaluation (SNE)
A total of 12 (out of 24) interviewees indicated that social norm evaluation was considered influential to their pro-environmental behavior. Eight interviewees stated that the perceptions and support of friends and relatives would influence their participation in the Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project. Inputs from family members and friends were regarded as a personal influence of significant others around them, which was also a key reason to many participants joining the bird-watching community in the first place. An interviewee’s commented:
“When my family learned that I was conducting the Bird Survey in TFP, they gave me positive support and encouragement, and XXX (a person’s name) and I had a lot of fun participating in the survey, especially when we had unexpected observations. I often saw winter migratory birds that I would not normally observe. During my own observation, I also found out the importance of Taoyuan farm ponds to the habitat of winter migratory birds. Such meaningful activities are the motivation for continuous participation in the survey”
(Q20)
The scope of this influence of significant others also included large community groups such as the bird society, which further extended the circle of friends to the people in the bird-watching community. A comment by an interviewee support this:
“I joined the Taoyuan bird because of my wife who joined first and asked me to be the driver for bird watching trips, and after going with her many times, I also became interested in bird watching and stayed. After that, I helped in the bird society, and after many times participating in activities, all my friends were bird watchers, so I just became inseparable from the group”
(Q7)
In contrast, four interviewees argued that they had developed a sense of responsibility, attitude, and principle of environmental protection and therefore felt that it was personal when relating to environmental problems. As such, they participated in the Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project because it was a personal and worthwhile activity to pursue, regardless of others’ opinions. This was supported by an interviewee’s comment:
“The decision to participate in the survey is personal, and I could conduct the survey independently. Therefore, the reaction of friends and relatives or how the survey partners interact with each other will not affect my decision to continue to participate in the survey project”
(Q22)
4.3. Results of Theory of Social Networks
Findings from the theory of social networks showed evidence of influence on the participation of the Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project. The results identified three key variables: (1) social networks, (2) learning and growth, and (3) belonging and contribution, and each of these will be discuss in the following.
Table 5 below presented the frequency mentioned on these three variables.
4.3.1. Social Networks
There were 17 (out of 24) interviewees who agreed that social networks could potentially affect their pro-environmental behavior.
Personal symbol and feature. There was a sense from 11 interviewees that bird watching had become a personal symbol and feature. This was evident when colleagues, relatives, and friends began to regard them as the person to go to for questions related to birds, and this had added a new identity and character to their existing interpersonal network. In this process of sharing and helping others with their knowledge, individuals had expanded their interpersonal network. This was supported by an interviewee’s comment:
“When I attended the elementary school reunion, I couldn’t even remember things from the past or the names of my classmates, but I was able to get everyone to listen to me and become the focus (yes, the focus) in that table. Yes, because what I said was very interesting”
(Q4)
Further to the friendships developed within the bird society, eight interviewees had also expanded their acquaintance with residents near the farm pond sites they surveyed. Residents shared with the participants in the Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project about the latest information and engaged closely with them to monitor environmental issues. An interviewee supported this with a comment:
“In the past, our Chairman O used to send gifts and fruits to the residents during the three major festivals. In fact, most of our gifts were fruits, because we cooperated with many small farmers and bought their fruits to give to these villagers. So the villagers’ perception of our bird society is quite positive. Sometimes when there is fishing by electricity or poison, digging roads, or cutting trees, they will inform us”
(Q13)
Six interviewees revealed that they often came across visitors and hikers who are non-local residents at the survey sites, asking them questions related to the Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project. Interviewees were confident in sharing their knowledge and experiences as a result of their on-going participation in this project, especially with the support of the evidence-based survey data collected over the years. This was supported by a comment by an interviewee:
“After long-term participation, besides the increase in the number of wild bird species I have seen, I have also become curious about why the species and number of birds have changed, and I am concerned about the ecological changes around me. Besides, if we encounter tourists or hikers expressing curiosity or interest in wild birds during the survey, we will explain them briefly, hoping to take this opportunity to arouse their interest and increase their liking for the natural world”
(Q12)
Power of commitment. While seven interviewees indicated that there was pressure toward their ongoing commitment to participate in the Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project, it was a sense of self-responsibility and trust in others that kept them going. Having seen the mutual commitments made towards one another, five interviewees considered their participation in the survey as a mission that must be accomplished. This was supported by an interviewee commenting that
“No one came to check if you were doing it properly, but I still spent the full 30 min. Yes, that’s my recognition and expectation for myself”
(Q18)
Personal social networks connection. Despite the increasing use of electronic communication via email, social media platforms (e.g., Facebook), and Apps (e.g., Line), 13 interviewees recognized the need for more personal connections with their social networks as part of the Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project. Eleven interviewees agreed that telephone calls and face-to-face communication would give them a sense of being valued and treated as a valuable individual rather than merely a tool for data collection. An interviewee supported this with a comment:
“So, like the Breeding Bird Survey Taiwan (BBS), they are very thoughtful, will always call. XXX (a person’s name) will also use the phone and will not simply send an email or a text message to tell you to go and survey. So, I think that, as the saying goes “meeting in person leaves a better impression,” personal contact is helpful, is really helpful”
(Q20)
Therefore, attending the various activities (e.g., bird-watching competitions) organized by the bird society would provide opportunities for participants to stay in touch with one another. Some interviewees (six) also indicated that they would feel uncomfortable being left out of such activities, since they valued the opportunity to catch-up with their friends who shared a common interest. This was supported by an interviewee’s comment:
“So, we will get together after the survey and chat, bonding with each other is also very good. In that kind of atmosphere, because if everyone but you in the bird society had participated in the survey, you would not have a common topic to chat with others, you would feel that it’s quite a pity”
(Q17)
4.3.2. Learning and Growth
Of the 24 interviewees, 12 of them revealed that their learning and growth could potentially affect their pro-environmental behavior.
Craving for knowledge drives continued participation. Ten of these interviewees who became involved in citizen science projects came along with an established cognitive concept. Many of them wanted to learn something new in terms of knowledge and skills from a team led by an expert in the field. An interviewee commented:
“In fact, I first wanted to learn a technique that I would not have sought out when I was watching birds in the past. Then when I saw others with us, then they would use their way that I would be curious in this material, because after all, such way of observation is more scientific, and engineers like me prefer scientific observations, which are quantitative in nature”
(Q22)
Six interviewees revealed that they first began to be involved in the Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project because of the opportunity to see certain bird species, but this had gradually changed to environmental concerns for the ecological issues. This was a result of their accumulated knowledge and experience gained from the participation in the survey that had transformed their perspective of the environment. However, they believed that there was much more to explore and learn in this space, which was another driver for their continual participation. This was supported by an interviewee’s comment:
“I think we can learn a lot from this, so we can observe birds in a more detailed way. Then you will learn how wild animals are like humans when they are injured and what the environment is like. I think it is quite special to learn some different knowledge other than bird watching”
(Q12)
Satisfaction in the process of pursuing breakthroughs. Eight interviewees commented that they initially joined the Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project to seek improvements on their photography skills, but were soon exposed to other tasks and activities that challenged their abilities. Their personal development in this process had enabled them to become a better person in life. This was supported by an interviewee’s comment:
“Bird Survey in TFP is to maintain a better environment for the birds in farm ponds. Although there have been obstacles and difficulties, after overcoming them one by one, we feel that we have gained a lot and are happy to do so”
(Q20)
For five other interviewees, their participation in the Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project was motivated by serving others and enjoying the process of helping them to grow and change to become a better person. This gave them a sense of personal accomplishment and giving back to the community. An interviewee support this by commenting that
“This is what motivates volunteers. Volunteers are not in it for the money, they mostly do it for a sense of honor or as a mission to the community”
(Q11)
4.3.3. Belonging and Contribution
There were 11 interviewees (out of 24) who indicated that belonging and contribution could potentially influence their pro-environmental behavior.
Individuals’ sense of contribution to the whole. Seven interviewees agreed that a key motivation for them to continue with the Bird Survey in Taoyuan’s Farm Ponds Project was recognition from their peers in the bird society. Being able to offer support and contribute to the group had made them feel like a valued member. This sentiment was supported by interviewees’ comments:
“I feel that it was a very meaningful effort to contribute, although small, to the protection of the ecological environment”
(Q24)
“It was also birdwatching. But one has to make a record and at a fixed time, at a specified place and time. Although this is more constrained for me, the sense of honor and being needed can be enough to compensate for my (efforts)”
(Q14)
Gaining recognition by sharing with others. Four interviewees suggested that they should disseminate the results of the data collected to a wider group of audiences so that more people could learn about birds and better understand the need for habitat protection and conservation. This could be regarded as an environmental education effort to enhance the level of environmental literacy. A comment by an interviewee supported this:
“We will work together with local schools to educate people about the environment. The so-called personal action is to start by oneself and share it with colleagues and friends around us, to change people’ mindset”
(Q3)