The Potential of Combining Christian Faith and Nature Conservation : exploring the Potential in a Literature Review and Developing an Environmental Education Program for Creation Care with the Aim of Mitigating Human-Wildlife Conflicts

Abstract: The global human population is growing and occupies an increasing area of land. Consequently, human and wildlife populations overlap which leads to more and intensified human-wildlife conflicts. To solve those, conservationists increasingly try to understand and change people’s attitudes. However, research about the cognitive hierarchy has shown that there are more factors relevant for an individual’s behavior. Therefore, scientists develop new innovative mitigation strategies which are often aimed to educate the public without considering other important factors that influence and determine people’s daily lives and their worldview. To address those, it might be more effective to work with an already existing belief system that provides a set of values and norms and therefore influences attitudes. Religions are naturally based on such a foundation and offer a way of life that includes a respectful interaction with the natural world. In African countries with an abundance of wildlife, Christianity is the most common religion. Based on that, with this study, I developed an environmental education program that incorporates the Christian idea of creation care into conservation efforts to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts. During a literature review, results from different fields including human-wildlife conflicts, the cognitive hierarchy, awe research, religion and Christianity were combined to establish a scientific foundation and formulate first ideas for the environmental education program. After a study site in Kenya was identified, I conducted an environmental assessment. Additionally, I created a rich picture, a stakeholder analysis and systems maps to get a better understanding of the place and people’s struggles and needs. Based on the findings, a desired future situation and a force field analysis could be formulated. I also visited the three main Christian conservation organizations in Kenya to participate in their programs, gather ideas and conduct participant observations. As a result of the literature review and the field work, I developed an environmental education program that will be implemented by church leaders, the most influential people in a community. It aims not only to ease the conflict between humans and wildlife but to empower communities to appreciate the place they are in and see the ability for change within the community without dependency on others. The program includes sermons that address topics like soil, trees, farming, and wildlife and aim to create a holistic understanding of the interconnectedness of everything the Christian God has created. Additionally, to the sermons, practical activities like Game Drives, establishing a tree nursery, learning alternative farming methods, or building a fireless cooker are included to create awe, a feeling that can change the course of life within a short period of time, empower the community, live more sustainably, and create an environment where the community and wildlife can live and thrive.