Understanding Wildlife Biodiversity Awareness: Rural Children’s Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceptions of Conservation in the Selva Maya

We live in an era where future generations are experiencing a serious loss of knowledge, sensitivity, and interest in biodiversity. This situation is thought to be unique to urbanised countries with limited green spaces. However, with the increasing urbanisation of rural areas, it is necessary to investigate what is happening in places of high biodiversity. In this study, we investigated the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of children and adolescents in the rural municipality of José María Morelos in southeastern Mexico. We analysed 1119 drawings by 117 children in their first three years of school and interviewed 280 students in their last three years of primary, secondary and high school. Younger children drew more native species, with the majority being mammals. Of the students surveyed, secondary school students had the highest level of species knowledge and considered deer and jaguar to be the most important species. They considered hunting to be the main cause of animal depletion and had a positive attitude towards nature conservation. Based on our findings, we recommend that educational strategies be implemented at all school levels to promote knowledge of the less emblematic species that inhabit the Selva Maya.