1. Have you ever contributed to/participated in actions designed to - - PDF document

1. Have you ever contributed to/participated in actions designed to help preserve wilderness on Vancouver Island? Would you be willing to participate in such actions in the future? See the list provided below and place a check m ark in column 1 for eac h activity you have (in the past) participated in, and a check m ark in colum n 2 for ea ch activity you would be w illing (in the future) to participate in. ACTIVITIES I have participated in this activity in the past. (1) I would be willing to particip ate in this activity in the future. (2)

• a. Be a member of the SCWC.
• b. Donate money to a wilderness preservation or other environmental
• rganization.
• c. Write a letter to a government official regarding a wilderness preservation

issue (such as preservation of the Carmanah or Walbran).

• d. Write a letter to a newspaper about wilderness preservation (or forestry

related issues).

• e. Write a letter to a logging company about a forestry (or wilderness) issue.
• f. Write a letter to another organization regarding a wilderness preservation

issue.

• g. Sign a petition to preserve a wilderness area.
• h. Participate in trail building.
• i. Attend a community meeting about wilderness preservation and/or forestry.
• j. Attend a rally or protest demonstration on the lawns of the legislature to

support wilderness preservation.

• k. Participate in an information campaign for the general public about

wilderness preservation.

• l. Advertise in the media to promote wilderness preservation.
• m. Make a presentation to a public body about wilderness preservation and/or

forestry-related issues.

• . Give a lecture on wilderness preservation and/or logging practices to a

school group or voluntary organization.

• p. Participate in a press release/conference (regarding wilderness

preservation and forestry-related issues).

• q. Serve as a representative on an advisory board formed around wilderness

preservation or forestry-related issues.

• r. Purchase a book, t-shirt, poster, mug or other merchandise from an

environmental organization.

• s. OTHER ACTIVITIES (please describe in the boxes below and check off the

columns to the right as they apply to you.)

Table 3.1 Factor Analysis of Items Comprising Level of Activism. Item Comprising Level of Activism Index. Factor Loadings

• 1. Donate money to a wilderness preservation or other environmental organization.

.297

• 2. Write a letter to a government official regarding a wilderness preservation issue (such

as preservation of the Carm anah or W albran). .515

• 3. Write a letter to a a newspaper about wilderness preservation (or forestry related

issues. .620

• 4. Write a letter to a logging company about a forestry (or wilderness) issue.

.581

• 5. Write a letter to another organization regarding a wilderness preservation issues.

.603

• 6. Sign a petition to preserve a wilderness area.

.429

• 7. Participate in trail building.

.510

• 8. Atte nd a c om mu nity m eeting abo ut wilderne ss prese rvation and /or forestry.

.624

• 9. Attend a rally or protest demonstration on the lawns of the legislature to support

wilderness preservation. .574

• 10. Participate in an information campaign for the general public about wilderness

preservation. .750

• 11. Advertise in the media to promote wilderness preservation.

.557

• 12. Make a pres entation to a public body about wilderness preservation and/or forestry

related issues. .671

• 13. Give a lecture on wilderness preservation and/or logging practices to a school group
• r voluntary organization.

.581

• 14. Participate in a press release/conference (regarding wilderness preservation and

forestry-related issues). .623

• 15. Serve as a representative on an advisory board formed around wilderness

preservation or forestry-related issues. .571

• 16. Purchase a book, t-shirt, poster, mug or other merchandise from an environmental
• rganization.

.310

• 17. Other activities.

.372 N = 381 Eigen Value for Factor = 5.275 Percen tage of V ariance Accou nted for b y Factor: 31 .0 Chronbach's Coefficient of Reliability for Items in the Index: .846

Expanded Version of Appendix Table 1. Measurement of Variables, and Assessment of Indexes. Variable Mean /% (S.D.) Description. Level of Activism (Weighted Activism Index) 8.36 (6.95) Index created b y summing 14 weigh ted item s of participation. Th e items and we ights (in parentheses) are listed below: 1) donate money to a wilderness preservation or

• ther environmental organization (W=1); 2) write a letter regarding a wilderness

preservation or forestry related issue (W=2); 3) sign a petition to preserve a wilderness area (W=1); 4) participate in trail building (W=4); 5) attend a community meeting about wilderness preservation and/or forestry (W=2); 6) attend a rally or protest demonstration on the lawns of the legislature to support wilderness preservation (W=2); 7) participate in an information campaign for the general public about wilderness preservation (W=3); 8) advertise in the media to promote wilderness preservation (W=3); 9) make a presentation to a public body about wilderness preservation and/or forestry related issues (W=3); 10) give a lecture on wilderness preservation and/or logging practices to a school group or voluntary organization (W=3); 11) participate in a press release/conference (regarding wilderness preservation and forestry-related issues) (W=3); 12) serve as a representative on an advisory board formed around wilderness preservation or forestry related issues (W=4); 13) purchase a book, t-shirt, poster, mug or other merchandise from an environm ental orga nization (W =1); 14) o ther activities (W =2.5). The items constituting the weighted "level of activism" index were analyzed by using factor analysis. Principal component analysis reveals one very strong factor and several minor factors. The scree plot reveals a very large drop off between factor 1 and factor 2. All items have a factor loading of .3 or greater. It appears that the strong factor is a genera l factor of "m ovem ent participa tion" or "level of a ctivism". The eigen value for this general factor is 4.41. This factor accounts for 31% of the variance in the individual factor items. Reliability analysis was also run on these items. Cronbach's alpha of reliability coefficient is quite high (Alpha = .82), indicating that the items in this measure are very consistent. These results strongly suggest that this is a good general measure of movement participation. Scores for the weighted activism index (level of activism) ranged from 0 to 34.5, with a mea n of 8.36. A score of zero indic ates no participation in any of the a ctivities listed. The higher the ind ex sco re, the m ore active an individua l has bee n.