The use of ecological principles as the basis of a nonformal environmental education evaluation tool

A set of eight general ecological principles were identified by the USDA Forest Service and the University of Georgia. These principles were thought to represent common themes on which environmental education (EE) programs are based. Several widely-used and locally-used EE programs were surveyed to determine the frequency of references to the eight general ecological principles. An evaluation tool based on the eight general ecological principles was developed for nonformal EE and pilot tested at the Sewee Center in Awendaw, South Carolina. The results of the EE program survey suggest that the eight general ecological principles are frequently referenced in both widely-used and locally-used EE programs, and they are a unifying theme in nonformal EE. The pilot study results suggest that an evaluation tool based on the eight general ecological principles is logistically sound.