Awareness, attitudes and the environmental engagement of young adults in New Zealand

Young adults today will be at the forefront of future biodiversity actions and decision-making, making it vital to understand their attitudes towards engagement in environmental initiatives. An online survey of 286 New Zealand young adults (age 18-25 years) revealed an awareness of relevant conservation issues and positive attitudes towards a range of conservation actions. However, only 25% belonged to more formal environmental groups. This low level of engagement demonstrated the need for adopting different modes of environmental engagement from those used currently. Conservationists need to develop ways to capitalise on this latent interest and translate it into more active engagement.