Humans, Carnivores, and Nature:

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Humans, Carnivores, and Nature
A Study of Public Perceptions of Large Carnivores
and Nature in the United States and Canada
Christopher W. Peterson Presented on May 27,
2005In Partial Completion of the MA in
Environmental StudiesCenter for Environmental
StudiesBrown University
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Civilization is rooted in nature, which has
shaped human culture and influenced all artistic
and scientific achievement, and living in harmony
with nature gives man the best opportunities for
the development of his creativity, and for rest
and recreation World Charter for Nature UN
General Assembly 28 October 1982 Animals and
humans are neither intrinsically sinister nor
essentially angelic. Both deserve to be
understood on their own terms. Vicious Jon T.
Coleman
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What province/state do you currently live in?
(number of responses)
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Moral Revolution
Scapegoating
Were Moving to the Cities
Changing Concepts of Wilderness and Nature
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What Actually Happened?
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Knowledge
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Control
Fear
Respect
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Does Nature Include People?
YES
54
Definitely
No 11
Skip Excludes People....Includes
People N/A
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Identifying Nature in Photographs
Everything is Nature
Relatively Tolerant of Humans Intolerant of
Man-Made Structures and Machines
Moderately Tolerant of Humans and Human Influences
Intolerant of Humans and Human Influences
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Hunters who are members of hunting organizations
and who currently reside in Alaska or British
Columbia. (N 218) (NWHunters)
Members of property rights organizations who
self-identify as wise use advocates. (N 57)
(PRWU)
Self-identified environmentalists who are members
of environmental organizations, and who have
never hunted. (N 763) (Envis)
Mothers who have never engaged in hunting,
trapping or fishing. (N 140) (Moms)
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0.5 10.6 27.5 42.8 20.6 14.9 15.3 20.4 24.3 16.3 2
0.2 14.6
Disagree at some level
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Nature Use the Idea
Full Disclosure
Image Control
Respect
Knowledge
Do Not Make Group Assumptions
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• Test the new matrix of Nature Statements.
• Test the responses to a larger and more varied
  sample of Nature Photographs (e.g. fifty
  photographs).
• Ask the following questions 1) What comes to
  mind when you hear the word wilderness? And 2)
  How is wilderness related to Nature?
• Ask the following questions 1) What does it
  mean to be wild? And 2) How does being wild
  relate to Nature?
• Ask questions that are more directly inquiring
  into perceptions of humans and human influences
  in Nature.

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• Ask the questions What does it mean to be an
  Environmentalist? Or What comes to mind when you
  hear the word environmentalist?
• Ask the questions What does it mean to be a
  Conservationist? Or What comes to mind when you
  hear the word Conservationist?
• Ask the following series of questions 1) Should
  people be allowed to hunt? 2) Do you approve of
  hunting? 3) What does it mean to hunt? Or What
  comes to mind when you hear the words hunt or
  hunting? 4) What is involved in hunting? 5) Why
  do people hunt? And 6) When is it okay for a
  human to take the life of an animal, and by what
  means should this taking of life happen?

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I would like to extend my deepest thanks to the
4,500 people who were so kind as to participate
in this research.
The British Columbia Wildlife Federation The
International Wolf Center Audubon Arizona
Audubon Society of Rhode Island Selkirk
Conservation Alliance Arkansas Canoe Club
Kamloops Fish and Game Association Unknown
Individuals in Indiana and Nova Scotia
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Thank you all for your time.
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Wilderness
Purity
Wildness
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Utilitarian 1
Being
Utilitarian 2
Dominance
Human Influence
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Control
Fear
Respect
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Man-Made Environments
Rural
Machines in the World
Transition
Abandonment/Reclamation
Human Influence in the Wild
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