Outreach to limited resource forest landowners: creating extension materials for low literacy audiences
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Date
2004-06-11
Authors
Advisors
Journal Title
Series/Report No.
Master of Natural Resources Professional Papers (North Carolina State University. College of Natural Resources)
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
North Carolina State University. College of Natural Resources
Abstract
Existing forestry extension and educational materials provided by public agencies
in the southeastern United States generally require forestry knowledge and are written at
a reading level above the average literacy level in many rural counties. The Sustainable
Woodlands project at North Carolina State University has assumed, based on extensive
consultation, that existing publications are formatted in ways that are less reader friendly
and are likely to frustrate low literacy readers due to small font size and few illustrations.
This research project 1) analyzed reading levels of existing forestry outreach
materials available in the southeast; 2) developed new outreach materials that better meet
the literacy needs of the target audience; and to 3) evaluated the new forestry outreach
materials for content, style, and reading level (appropriate to audience) through
conducting qualitative interviewing with landowners and state agency personnel.
The publications that were developed start from basics, are written in nontechnical
language, and have many illustrations that are closely related to the text and
relevant to the intended audience. The literacy of outreach materials was analyzed using
three literacy indices: FOG Index, and the Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid
Grade Level Analyses (tools that accompany Microsoft Word software). All three
techniques lead to essentially the same conclusion: existing forestry extension materials
are generally not written at a level appropriate for the majority of people in the study
counties.
New forestry outreach materials were developed to better meet the educational
needs of a limited resource, low literacy audience by following guidelines compiled from
various sources and seeking input from reviewers.
The first four publications are brief, highly focused materials that provide basic
technical knowledge that landowners need to communicate with agency personnel as well
as public and private assistance foresters. The first set of publications, entitled Woods
Wise, provides detailed step-by-step information for example, the points that might be
covered by an extension agent in a meeting with a landowner. The language is
appropriate for someone reading at the fourth to sixth grade level. In contrast, the second
set of publications, called Tree Tips, is brief fact sheets. All points are explained in short sentences and are illustrated with line drawings, directing landowners towards the next
steps and providing further sources of information.
Qualitative interviews were conducted with agency personnel and landowners to
evaluate the new forestry outreach publications. In general respondents found the new
publications easy to read, suggesting a font of 14 or higher and to focus for additional
publications on hunting leases, pine straw production, and recreation.
The evaluation of current materials provides useful guidelines for development of
new materials. These new materials should be specially tailored for these audiences, and
include topics such as heir property issues, sources of financial or technical assistance,
timber marketing and environmental and wildlife issues. Much of the forestry
information available online covers these topics, with the exception of heir property
issues. Thus, one feasible approach to developing new publications is simply to revise
existing materials.
Limited resource and traditionally-underserved landowners are not as likely as
other non-industrial private forest landowners to take part in extension and other
educational programs. Research and literature reviews have shown that this audience
prefers some type of face-to-face contact. Materials written at an appropriate reading
level can complement this face-to-face contact. In order for extension staff to be more
proactive in reaching this audience, agency personnel may need to tap the social capital
found in the form of “breakfast clubs” and other groups that frequent restaurants and
other venues in small towns, as well as examine the successes of the health and nutrition
programs in reaching this audience.
Description
Keywords
low literacy, forestry extension, limited resource landowner
