Functional Ecological Literacy

Presently working on a Nature of Science survey using Sufen Chen’s VOSE instrument. Hoping to get it up and running through the Student Research program at QuestionPro

Functional ecological literacy is what a modern society needs to maintain its quality of life. In a democracy, the more citizens that are functionally ecologically literate, the more likely the society will be able to maintain its quality of life into the future. It is not merely learning a few ecological principles, nor is it enough to be familiar with just your local community. Our impact has become global and societies will need to understand and adapt to global changes.

As a result, modern functional ecological literacy consists of:

1. content knowledge (concepts & information, including the basics of ecology)
2. cognitive skills (including scientific reasoning, practical ethics, socio-political skills)
3. a sense of place (from your local community to the global one)
4. respect for other (people, species, ecosystems)

Another way to look at the four main components:

1. what to know
2. how to solve problems
3. awareness of your surroundings and your part in them
4. awareness of the importance of biological and cultural diversity (tolerance)

I am working on a specific list of components for functional ecological literacy, so comments and suggestions are welcome.