Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability Flashcards

Which widely cited definition of sustainable development comes from the 1987 Brundtland Commission report 'Our Common Future'?

Answer: Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

The Brundtland Report defined sustainable development as meeting present needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet theirs.

The 1977 Tbilisi Declaration lists five objectives of environmental education. Which set matches them?

Answer: Awareness, knowledge, attitudes, skills, participation

Tbilisi set awareness, knowledge, attitudes, skills, and participation as the core EE objectives.

A group wants to collect a few hawk feathers found on a trail for a classroom display. What should the educator explain?

Answer: Possessing most native bird feathers is illegal under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibits possessing feathers of protected native birds, including hawks, without a permit.

Which conservation philosophy is most associated with Gifford Pinchot, the first chief of the U.S. Forest Service?

Answer: Wise use of resources for the greatest good of the greatest number over the long run

Pinchot championed utilitarian conservation, managing resources for sustained use, unlike John Muir's preservationism.

Students sampling a stream find many stonefly and mayfly nymphs. What does this most likely indicate?

Answer: Good water quality, since these macroinvertebrates are pollution-sensitive

Stoneflies, mayflies, and caddisflies are pollution-intolerant, so finding many of them signals healthy water.

Which practice best reduces the spread of invasive species when a group moves between two lakes on a canoe trip?

Answer: Clean, drain, and dry boats and gear before entering the new water body

Clean, Drain, Dry stops aquatic invasives like zebra mussels from hitching a ride between waters.

In environmental education research, 'significant life experiences' studies (e.g., Tanner, Chawla) found that adult environmental concern is most often linked to what?

Answer: Childhood time spent in natural areas, often with a mentor or role model

These studies found that frequent childhood experiences in nature, often with a caring adult, shape lifelong environmental commitment.