Fishing: A Cross Cultural Gateway to Environmental Education

The number of people from other cultures and languages is increasing in Minnesota. It is important that they learn the behaviors that will help Minnesota preserve and enhance its natural resources. Yet, communicating and effectively interacting with people across cultures to change behaviors on natural resources, conservation, pollution prevention and stewardship is challenging. Most environmental information is designed for reaching native English readers. Translating and printing information often does not reach the intended audiences, who are often part of an oral culture. This project will develop activities, events, and products to address this growing communication problem.

Community outreach through fishing events and educational workshops will be gateways for communicating important environmental information, teaching skills for lifelong outdoor participation and instilling values of stewardship to Southeast Asian immigrant and refugee communities such as the Hmong and Karen. The project goals are to:
- Increase participation in year-round fishing opportunities
- Provide environmental awareness and education
- Increase stewardship of natural resources and water resources in particular
- Develop local environmental leadership and capacity in Southeast Asian communities
- Increase participation and access to mainstream environmental resources and programs

Twenty three day-long trips, including some in winter, will be held to reach 700 Southeast Asian immigrants and refugees across generations over the three years of the project. A full-time multilingual environmental educator will work from inside the communities to recruit participants, conduct and evaluate the trips, and develop fun educational components for the fishing events that address critical environmental concerns. Special outreach on health issues connected with mercury and other contaminants will be targeted to vulnerable women and children. The educator will also develop culturally specific workshops, coordinate special language radio appearances and participate in community events to spread information to thousands more.