Ecological Education in the City: Who, How, and with What Effect Educates the Residents of the Warsaw Metropolitan Area—Preliminary Research in Poland

The aim of this study was to examine the level of participation of residents of the Warsaw metropolitan area in environmental education and to identify the relationship between the frequency of forest visits and self-assessed environmental and forest-related knowledge. Understanding these relationships is important for improving the effectiveness of environmental education programs targeted at adult populations. The research was conducted as a pilot and exploratory study using an online survey administered via the Maptionnaire platform. The study included 218 adult respondents who had visited forest areas at least once in the previous year. The results indicate that more than two-thirds of respondents visited forests at least once a week, while slightly more than half reported participation in environmental education activities, mostly on an occasional basis and primarily in the form of field-based activities. Non-governmental organizations were more frequently identified as organizers of environmental education than forest-related institutions. A key finding is the differentiated self-assessment of knowledge: frequent forest visitors more often rated their environmental knowledge as average or low, whereas respondents visiting forests sporadically tended to assess their knowledge as good or very good. This pattern suggests that increased contact with nature may raise awareness of the complexity of environmental issues. The study provides practical insights for public institutions, State Forests, national parks, and non-governmental organizations involved in environmental education. The findings contribute to the development of more effective, diversified, and audience-oriented educational programs, with particular emphasis on field-based education and initiatives addressed to adult learners.